The Life - Story of a Village Pastor (Robert Pool). Related by
his Son, the Rev. J. J. Pool, B.D. (J. Clarke and Co.)—Mr. R. Pool, who is now enjoying a well-earned leisure, has been a specimen of a somewhat uncommon class, the rural Nonconformist minister. Chapels are common enough ; few villages with as many as thre# hundred inhabitants have not one at least. But they are ver? seldom served by resident ministers. Mr. Pool was for man? years —his son does not always give us dates—such a resident And his "life-story " has not a little interest. Ho began witl being a lay evangelist, and went on to holding regular pastorates He seems to have been a fervent advocate of Disestablishment though the references to the Anglican Church are not, on the whole. unkindly, and, for a time, an equally fervent teetotal advocate Without changing his personal practice in this respect, he has learned to tolerate other views. Not the least interesting thing in the "life-story" is the development of opinion on the question of future retribution. He was struck early in his course by the question of a Sunday-school scholar, how it was that the rich man in the parable seems to have become a better man in hell. He passed it for the time unnoticed, but along with other things it led to his feeling that he could no longer preach the doctrine of eternal torment. A similar development has led him to abandon the tenet of verbal inspiration. He condemns trust-deeds for chapels, we see.
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