SOME BOOKS OF THE WEEK.
[Under this heading we notice such Books of the week as have not been reserved for review in other forms.]
Religion and the Education Bill. By H. A. S. (T. H. Cuff, Dover.)—This pamphlet seems to us a very moderate and reason- able statement of the case. It is in general accord with the Bishop of Ripon's plan and with that which is set forth in the laymen's memorial which has been discussed in these columns. If we can have religious teaching in school hours—to banish it from these hours would be .to put such a slight on it as those only who can see the matter from the child's point of view can understand—given by ordinary teachers in transferred schools, and in others, as provided by the denominations, we should be content. As to definite Church teaching, no one ought to demand more than the Catechism. Let any one compare Question 41 of the Free Church Catechism with Part II. of the Prayer-book Catechism, and he will see that the differences are very small. But the truth is that a very large and active section of the clergy want a great deal more. There are two thousand eight hundred clerical members of the English Church Union, and practically every one of them is " addictus jurare in verba magistri,"—the magister being Lord Halifax. This is really the difficulty of the situation as far as the Church of England is concerned.
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