7 JUNE 1919, Page 14

THE AGE OF CONFIRMATION.

ITo Tete. Enrros on TIM " SteesnaoR.,"1 Sta,—Some extreme Sacramentarians, supported by at least one womenos organization, are evidently bent upon advocating the lowering. of the age- for. Confirmation. May. I-suggest to those interested in thie•propagands that it would be- wise to inquire (1) as to the evidence of the results, favourable or =favourable. of early Confirmations; (2) whether Confirma- tion should be regarded .solely as a divine operation, without the conscious co-operation of the person confirmed; (8) whether, as the preface to the Confirmation Office of the Church of England clearly indicates that the conscious co- operation of the confirmee with the divine Spirit is one Condi- tion for the reception of the divine blessing, this conscious co-operation will not he more intelligent and fruitful when years of spiritual discernment have been reached than at an earlier age; (4) whether the deplorable lapse of such multi- tudes of confirmees is not at least partly due to their Confirma- tion taking place at too early an age ? I cannot ask for space in your columns to answer these questions, but some years ago I published a little pamphlet upon the proper age of Confirma- tion in which these questions were briefly dealt with, and as I have some copies left I should be glad to send one to any of your reader% who will forward me an addressed and stamped

envelope for this purpose.—I am, Sir, Ac., J. W. Cattier.. Rose Castle, Carlisle.