Life Won through Death. By the Bishop of Birmingham. (A.
L. Humphreys. 6d. net.)—Many of our readers will be glad to know that this manly and vigorous sermon has been printed. The Bishop contends that our brave men who have died on the battle- field have, though weak and faulty in their lives, proved themselves to be true Christians by their final self-sacrifice. One passage appears to have been misquoted, and therefore misunderstood. " The man who has died for England," says the Bishop, "believing that his country's cause was the cause of God, may have gone over the parapet with an oath upon his lips, some stupid swear weld utterly meaningless when used by him, signifying nothing more than the small expletive of an irritated, correct-living, sheltered, orthodox individual. That man may be received by Jesus Christ with the words, 'Well done, good and faithful servant, .thou hast been faithful in a few things.'" Taken with the context, this is in no sense a defence of swearing, nor is it, on the other hand, a suggestion that the Army still swears terribly in Flanders as in Uncle Toby's day. On the general philosophy of swearing Mr. Shandy may still be consulted. "Small curses, Dr. Slop, upon great occasions are but so much waste of our strength and soul's health to no manner of purpose."
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