290 



The Review of Reviews, 



March 20, 190<i. 



HOW TO SOLVE THE RELIGIOUS DIFFICULTY. 



The Rev. J. Guinness Rogers. 



In the Fortnightly Review the Rev. J. G. Rogers 

 writes an article on " Educational Concordat not 

 Compromise." Compromise, he says, has broken 

 down. In future we must have secular education in 

 State schools, tempered by the right of free entry 

 for religious teachers before school hours. Dr. 

 Rogers says: — 



I feel, I hope, as strongly as any man can, the unspeak- 

 able value of religious teaching. But I venture to doubt 

 whether f<jr its highest euds the day-school is the best and 

 most potent instrument. The home, the Sunday school, 

 the church, are (each in its own turn and in its own mea- 

 Biire) far more potent instruments. I more than doubt whe- 

 ther the day-school ever plaj'S a very import-ant part in 

 this culture of the soul. 



The experience derived from the Sunday schools is valu- 

 able bec.iuse they supi)ly the e.\ample of a kind of agency 

 which might fill the vacuum which is left by the restriction 

 of the day school work to secular instruction. But it is 

 not suggested that it is only voluntary workers who should 

 do the work wliich in this case would of necessity fall into 

 the hands of the churches. There is no obvious reason 

 why the churches should not employ a body of paid 

 teachers for this distinct and sjieciftc work. I see no ob- 

 jection to the day school teachers being engaged and 

 paid for this special service, provided only no opportunity 

 be allowed for linking this in with their obligation to the 

 managers of the day schools. 



All that the State would do in connection with this ar- 

 rangement would be to allow the use of the day school 

 premises at certain specified times. These times could not 

 form part of the school hours, and. indeed, shoiild be kept 

 distinct from them. Equal facilities should be given to the 

 different churches, and support, responsibility, control, aild 

 work should be left entirely in their hands. 



Etiquette of the Court of Spain. 



This, we have been inclined to think, is exces- 

 sively rigid ; but we learn from an article in the 

 Windsor Magaziyie that, though the Spanish Court 

 has always been noted for its precise and statelv 

 etiquette, yet ladies and gentlemen are received b\ 

 the Queen of Spain in a manner contrasting ex- 

 ceedingly with the fonnal receptions at the Court 

 of St. James's. These receptions take place in the 

 royal cabinet, which is no larger than many a 

 London drawing-room, if as large: — 



Any diplomat at Madrid who applies to the Minister of 

 State for permission to present his countrymen or country- 

 women to the Sovereign invariably receives a favourable 

 response within ten da.ys after the application is made. 

 The chances are that the applicant will be informed in 

 the morning that in the afternoon of the same day, at six 

 o'clock, his friends and himself will be received in pri- 

 vate audience. 



Nothing can exceed the simplicity of the necessary, or 

 even possible, preparations in the way of dress. Gentle- 

 men who do not wear uniforms go in their ordinary even- 

 ing dress, while the ladies can do no more than go with 

 their hats on. in such costumes as would be appropriate 

 for an afternoon tea. 



The introducer addresses the Queen merely as 

 " Senora," On these occasions evidently the Queen 

 acts the part of an ordinary well-bred, agreeable 

 hostess, except for one or two slight extra formali- 

 ties. On State occasions, however, when an ambas- 

 sador is received, for instance, there is a display 

 of all the pomp and stately etiquette, gorgeous 

 State equipages, ovtriders, footmen, etc., of which 

 we have heard so much. 



WHAT CONSTITUTES SUCCESS IN A PARSON 



From a symposium on '• Success in the Pulpit '' 

 in the Grand Magazine, I quote the views of certain 

 well-known ministers. The Rev. R. J. Campbell 

 says that, though preaching is all very well in its 

 place, the urgent need of to-day is for practical 

 men; and if many ministers were to do as he does, 

 the church would be very much poorer. Dr. Clifford 

 says that the successful minister '" persuades, " and 

 thus seeks to change men's ideas, and through their 

 ideas their conduct. A successful minister must 

 make himself acquainted with the actual conditions 

 of his people, their environment and points of 

 view, so as to be able to attempt to remove their 

 prejudices and false conceptions. Dean Kitchin, 

 of Durham, says what militates most against the 

 success of church work is that there is a belief that 

 ministers should not take full share in political or 

 civil life, and " the terrible absence of charily in 

 religious matters." Archdeacon Sinclair savs that 

 the first qualification for office in the Church is 

 spirituality, and the second certainly preaching. 

 Common sense he considers a great requisite, social 

 position a danger. Social work, he says, should br 

 left mainly to the laity, who can always be found to 

 du it : — ' 



One of the chief obstai-les to the usefulness of the 

 younger clergy in I^ondon is to be found in the multiplicity 

 of clubs, brigades, associations, athletic and other recrea- 

 tions to which the taste of the age compels them to attend. 



The New Ministers as Sportsmen. 



Mr. C. B. Fry, who takes a very large and lofty 

 view of sport, and is always careful to record the 

 attitude of prominent men to his favourite calling,, 

 calls attention in his Februan- Magazine to the 

 sporting record of ten members of the present 

 Ministry. C.-B. Prime Minister differs from C. B. 

 Fry in that he takes no active interest in sport, but 

 '■ sportsmen are well represented in his first Minis- 

 tr>-." Sir Edward Grey " was amateur temiis cham- 

 pion in 1889, 1891, 1895, 1896, and 1898. He is 

 a recognised authority on fly-fishing." Mr. Asquith 

 is an enthusiastic golfer. Sir Robert Reid is an 

 old Blue ; he "• was in the Oxford Eleven for three 

 seasons, from 1866, and represented his University 

 on three occasions at racquets." Mr. James Brjce 

 is an ex-President of the Alpine Club, and also an 

 expert angler. Earl Crewe is a member of the 

 Jockey Club, and puts in much time in shooting 

 and hunting. Earl Carrington is an ardent motorist^ 

 and generally interested in open-air games. Mr. 

 Winston Churchill's chief outdoor hobby is polo. 

 As a fencer he made something of a sensation at 

 Harrow. Mr. Herbert Gladstone was at one time 

 equally good at cricket, football, golf, cycling, 

 shooting, fishing, and yachting. Mr. John Burns " is 

 a keen cricketer, and he confesses to a predilection 

 for boxing, rowing, and skating." Physically he is 

 rumoured to be the strongest man in the Cabinet. 



