SOME BOOKS OF THE WEEK.
[Under this heading toe notice such Books of the week as have not been reserved for review in other forms.] Constructive Congregational Ideals. Edited by D. Macfadyen, M.A. (R. H. Allenson. 2s. 6d. net.)—The real subject of this volume is "Organised Congregationalism." Whatever may or may not be Apostolic, it is quite certain that the existence of half-a-dozen independent communities in one city, each with its trust-deed belief, living a life which may not touch any other life, cannot be so called. Can we imagine what St. Paul would have had to say if there had been not one Corinthian Church but six, each of them claiming to rule itself, and follow its own ways ? We sympathise with Mr. Macfadyen's aim. We are sure that an organised Congregationalism will be a more potent instrument for good than a disorganised one. Even Anglicans may wish for it, somewhat in the same way, if for no other reason, that a Ministry desires to have a strong Opposition, a coherent unity, not a set of discordant groups. We give, therefore, a hearty welcome to this volume. Of course there is much in it to which we cannot assent ; but this may be said, that the editor deals with the questions that occur fairly and squarely. Perhaps the most practical paper in the whole series is that which bears the title of " Free Church Union." That the proposals formulated in it would meet all the difficulties of the case we do not think ; but they would certainly make for an effective organisation. At present there are thousands of parishes where the non-Anglican bodies are not represented at all. There aro thousands more where they are represented by a weekly visit only. The writer of this notice, having lived for nearly ten years in country parishes, has never seen a non-Anglican minister on a week-day ; yet no religious community can be satisfied with a preaching representative only. Could all the non-Anglican bodies combine and partition the country between them ? Possibly they could ; but it would only be by ignoring characteristic tenets. Presbyterians would have to surrender—outside their own territory, of course—their Church government, and Baptists their theory of a Church into which members are called by the convictions of mature years. Undenominational religion may suit children, but it certainly will not suit adults. However these things may be, we are grateful to Mr. Macfadyen for a suggestive book.
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