people. The plain and "ignorant" old folks, who had never even seen the city and knew nothing about the conventional ways of society, had stores of experience in real life to report, wise old maxims and proverbs to quote, quaint criticisms on life to offer; and the student of these old "living epistles" of human and of divine wisdom found many a sharp point with which to prick the folly of the times or draw the tear of sympathy from eyes unused to weep. What an education is possible everywhere for the man who has brains and eyes and heart and will and tact! Getting a hint somewhere the young preacher resolved to give up the "getting up" of sermons. He resolved to master subjects and let sermons grow. It is wonderful how the idea took hold of him. He began to work on one great doctrine or department of theology as if he had suddenly become a specialist on it and must prepare a course of lectures or write a book on it. He took up, for example, "The Incarnation." What idea does the word convey? What do I think when that word is spoken or my eye sees it? What is the Christian doctrine of the Incarnation? The history of it; the best definitions of it; the biblical statements concerning it; the real relation of it to the mission of Christ; the views of the various schools of theological thought concerning it; how did Augustine speak of it? And Luther? And Calvin? And Hodge and Whedon? What ideas do my people have when the word "Incarnation" is pronounced? Can it be that they have no definite conception of it? Let me find out. Thus he goes on, day after day, using all the books to which he has access; conversing with all the thinkers he meets; the old Presbyterian theological professor who is "laid on the shelf;" his young, scholarly, and traveled fellow-pastor; that thoughtful old Swedenborgian, Dr. —————, who is laughed at as a "transcendentalist;" Mr. —, the public school-teacher, who is an agnostic-a man who is sure that nobody can know this, that, or the other, thus assuming his own omniscience to start with; Miss who is a sort of amateur philosopher, and so on. He reads and thinks and converses and discusses and gets all on fire with the one subject.

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some day to take up." He "subject," which he is sure

But where are "the sermons for next Sunday?" He asked himself that a score of times, and kept working away on his "subject." Before Saturday morning came he had incidentally found ten or fifteen texts on which he intends "some time to preach." On a slip of paper he had put down eight distinct topics that he hopes had a list of twenty questions bearing on his somebody will ask. Here are five serious objections which must be answered. These texts, topics, questions, and objections are not all immediately connected with the ruling subject of his week's study, but they are collateral or are suggested by this study. He could not in five hours discuss all the lines opened up by his researches of the week. He is embarrassed by the wealth of thought that comes to him. And out of this radical work there grow two vigorous, practical, earnest "talks" for the Sunday. And they are so full of vigor and dash, and come out so like the stream at the faucet, that people involuntarily think of the great reservoir among the distant hills-all the water of which they cannot drink,

but the pressure of which fills full with sparkle and freshness the goblet which they draw.

On this plan our young minister will study with some degree of carefulness about six or eight "great subjects" a year. And he will "grow' sermons by the score and hundred. In fact, he is full of sermons. And his sermons are full. And such fullness gives force. Happy the people whose pastor, having common sense, tact, sympathy, and the abundant grace of God, is a regular student of "stupendous themes," and who, out of what he is and knows, grows sermons for the comfort and edification of the people!

MEMORANDA.

While going from one patient to another a German critic memorized every line of Homer.

An Italian proverb wisely says, "Good preachers give to their hearers fruits, not flowers."

Let Plato speak across the ages: "Double ignorance is where a man is ignorant that he is ignorant."

Although Mr. Wesley was compelled to employ men who had little or no education he did his best to inspire them to self-improvement. He used to gather his circuit preachers at Kingswood and read lectures to them, as he had done before to his pupils at Oxford. He divided them into classes. He took up Pearson on the Creed, and Aldrich's Logic, and trained them in these volumes. He summarized a book of philosophy and pointed out its merits and mistakes. When he could spend a Sunday in London he passed an hour in this way with his preachers.

THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN ITINERANTS' CLUB.

A Club is announced for Denver, Col., September 8-14. The Preachers' Meeting of that city extended to Bishop Vincent a request to conduct the Club, which he consented to do. Invitations are extended to all our ministers in Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado. Bishop Warren will by that time be at home. Bishop Ninde will, it is hoped, be present. Also Chancellor McDowell, Dr. Hyde, Dr. Iliff of Utah, and possibly President Bashford, of the Wesleyan University, Delaware, Ohio, and Dr. Luther T. Townsend, of the Boston School of Theology.

Among the topics for discussion will be: Woman in the General Conference," "The Value of Liturgy," "The Pastor and Temperance." The Club will organize as a "Conference" for the consideration of "Resolutions" relating to those topics.

The Club will review the "Conference Course of Study;" receive lesson-lectures on 66 Music;" illustrate under criticism the reading of Hymns; and engage in "Conversations" on "The Connectional Idea of Methodism in a Single City," "The Epworth Movement," "A National University," "Social Reforms and the Church, 99 66 Chautauqua,' ""The English Bible," "The Christian Home," etc., etc.

EDITORIAL REVIEWS.

FOREIGN RÉSUMÉ.

THE GENERAL SITUATION.

THE Social Question seems still to have the right of way throughout Europe. The significant movement on the part of the municipal council of Paris in 1885, in which the French Socialist party demanded the convocation of a grand international congress of labor, has borne great results.

These efforts, we now know, resulted in the great congress recently convened in Berlin by the Emperor himself. And from whatever source may have come the impulse, it is now clearly not within the power of any nation or set of men to arrest it. It performed the miracle of bringing France and Germany into communion at Berlin, though most of the French delegates were satisfied with hearing and uttering pleasant words to an unpleasant case. One only of the French delegates really understood the intense question of the hour, and that was the practical mechanic and working machinist whose essay was the masterpiece of the conference.

Though they did but little at Berlin for the solution of social questions they gave at least an example which will bear good fruit in the expression of desires which will grow apace in the future. They put the bann on the labor of women in the mines, they demanded a day of general rest on the Sabbath, and excluded children under twelve years of age from the factories and workshops. All this is nothing so new in itself, but its international character now gives it a vigor not before possessed. And although it was pretty well known in advance that the conference could result in nothing very positive, or at least authoritative, the simple fact of its convocation bears with it an importance that can escape no one.

Now every one would seem to be in accord in demanding social reforms. The Pope and the Emperor of Germany would put themselves at the head of the great social movement of the end of the century, and by so doing would acknowledge in a most explicit manner that the present social condition does not suffice to new needs. Will such an avowal from sources so lofty not suffice to dissipate the illusions of those who imagine that they have nothing to do with the solution of social problems? Above all, it is the duty of Christian people and nations to endeavor to direct this movement in the line of constant progress, in striving for the advent of social justice which is to contribute to the advancement of the kingdom of God on earth. When even Spain now comes forward, with the most radical demands of all, it were greatly to be desired that the number may not be too great of those who in the future will have to repent for not having done all in their power to conjure or to direct the great social revolution now evidently in the course of preparation.

I. RELIGIOUS.

THE RIGHT AND THE WRONG OF THE PAPACY.

This is the unique title of a little brochure that is now attracting the attention of divines abroad, and in substance it runs thus: This is a grave and delicate question. Many Catholics suffer from a fetichism of the pope; they say the Church is his-to follow him is to follow Christ. Not to listen to him is the heresy of heresies. On the other hand, for many Protestants the pope is the Antichrist-the papacy has ever been the evil genius of Christianity. His presence has been and yet is a scourge. The writer of this pamphlet shares neither of these sentiments. In his charity he would fain see more unity between the two great factions of Christianity.

Now, this dissertation which is so much read and talked about fails in precision. One may admire the Christian thought which inspired the work, but seeks in vain in this labor the facts which could destroy the prejudices of Protestants and turn Catholics from the papal autocracy. Catholicism and Protestantism are two very different conceptions of Christianity. In regarding the surface only these two religions are of the same family; but in probing them their spirits are widely different-the dogma does not always differ. The Church of Rome and the Protestant Church retain some common doctrines, but the one exalts the merits of works, and the other the grace of Jesus Christ, and thence two very different currents. The Protestant Church looks only to the work of Jesus Christ, and defends it against all obscuration. The Romish Church lets this capital work fall into the shade, and replaces it by its hierarchy, by its discipline, and by its minute rites. The first traces every thing to Christ, and invites his followers to let go of self and seek their only faith in him; the second makes religion to consist, not in this act of faith, but in the subjection to narrow devotions. Ages and the Spirit of God will effect transformations in the Church of Jesus Christ. That which is of man in both parties will some day find its end, and the grand unity of Christians will be the prelude to the conversion of the world.

RELIGIOUS AGITATION IN ITALY.

The Catholic powers of Italy are on the qui vive for every opportunity to keep the people in a state of agitation against the government and the Protestant workers. The general movement commenced in May last with a new consecration on the part of the Church toward the cult of the Virgin Mary. Her images were renewed with gilt or paint, clothed with the most unique ornaments, and placed on the main altars surrounded with a number of wax candles, some of which attained the dimensions of the mast of a cutter. Then the priests in their discourses treated of the virgin redeemer and the queen of heaven, whom God the Father and God the Son obey-the former because he is her spouse, and the latter

because she is his mother. The "Month of Mary" is thus the great month of the year.

The members of the Protestant Churches have learned with pleasure that the Evangelical Alliance of next year will be held in Florence, and attended by the most distinguished Christians of the world, who contribute to destroy the prejudices that still exist among the evangelical denominations and give a new impulse to the work of Italian evangelization. Not satisfied with the recent attention paid to Giordano Bruno, which so aroused all the papal authorities, the Liberals recently celebrated near the town of Sienna the memory of Palearis, the renowned littérateur and reformer who was condemned by the Inquisition and burned at the stake on the 3d of July, 1570, in the city of Rome.

Count Saffi, the friend of Mazzini—the former triumvir of the Republic in 1849-has just died at Forli. He was loved and respected, even by his enemies, because of his noble character and great moderation. There are not few distinguished men-senators, deputies, authors, and professors -who, like Saffi, admired the Gospel and the fruits that it every-where produces where it is faithfully preached. Some one of these has just published anonymously at Palermo a little pamphlet which bears the title, The Gospel in Italy. Sole edition, not in trade, and reserved alone for Protestant Christians. It seems a pity that this little book should bear no name and should be thus restricted. Those who engage in so important a work as the evangelization of Italy would better do it openly.

HIGH PRESSURE IN RUSSIA.

The work of German extermination goes on with high pressure in the educational field in Russia. A recent circular of the curator of Dorpat bids those concerned to hasten the Russification of all the intermediate institutions in the land, and to that end after the month of August to insist on the Russian language in the three lower classes, except in the matter of religious instruction. This, it will be remembered, is in the Baltic provinces of Russia, many years ago settled by the Germans with the distinct condition that they might be permitted to retain their language and their religion in their institutions. The very special wrath of the curator is expended on those teachers of said schools who have neglected to prepare themselve to teach their branches in the Russian tongue. He accuses them of narrow-mindedness and obstinacy, and gives them to understand that nothing retains them in their position but the fact that Russian teachers for those places are not easily attainable.

CATHOLICISM IN AFRICA.

Cardinal Lavigerie is reaping in Northern Africa a rich harvest for his activity. With great pomp and display they have just finished and consecrated a grand cathedral on the ruins of Carthage. Many prelates came from France, Italy, Malta, and Spain, to take part in the ceremonies of inauguration. Now the inauguration of a cathedral is no uncommon