or S. Chad's, or S. Aidan's saying, in answer to the remark of a sympathiser," Oh aye, all is nice enough, everything here is thoroughly Anglican; no flirting with Rome. Mr. Blank, now of S. Mary's, was my great associate in bringing things to this state twenty years ago. But he never got over Newman's secession. He very nearly "went over" himself. I don't think it would have been a bad thing if he had gone. He is certainly now much more of a Roman than an Anglican. I never go to see him now but he has adopted some new thing, not much at a time perhaps, but the aggregate is considerable. You would not know if you went there to communion that you were in an English Church. There he stands, with his back to the people, clad in vestments of the proper cut, though he has not yet got the colours, which, however, he tells me, he is going to adopt at Christmas next. Then he has a youth, who acts as server, and who moves about like an automaton. His choir stay in to communion, and he and they sing the whole service through. We shall have incense next, and I don't know what after that."

But if you were to go on to ask how he himself and his neighbour get on with their respective flocks, you would possibly find that Mr. Blank was certainly greatly liked that people had full confidence in him; while Mr. Standfast could not get his people to church-they defied him, and, although Dissent was not on the increase, it certainly was not decreasing in his parish.

Looking thus back through the crystalised condition of Mr. Standfast, who has not moved for twenty years, we may learn how absurdly out of place we ourselves should look, twenty years hence, if we were to be content with our present amount of ritual development.

We repeat it, there must be no resting contented with our present state of advancement. We must follow the leading of that blessed Spirit who has hitherto been our conductor. Where He leads it is not unsafe to follow, and none of those whom our words are likely to influence, will doubt as to His leading up to this point.

But our thoughts have led us far from S. Charles. We must return to his Instructions for one other practical direction, which our present state of advancement calls us to adopt with the least possible delay. We allude to the Confessional.

We remember how much use was made by converts of the secrecy we were obliged to exercise in the matter of hearing confessions ten or twelve years ago. That is past. Multitudes everywhere resort to the Priest for absolution.

Usually confessions are heard in the vestry, as indeed is far from uncommon in Roman Catholic Churches. The difference, however, is this. From the universality of the habit in Rome no one has any difficulty about its being known that he or she goes regularly about his or her "duties." But in England it is still the mark of a class. Hence to avoid too great publicity, it is usual to lock the door when the confession is going on to prevent interruption. We need not say how undesirable this is when the penitent is a young woman. That no scandal should have arisen is an undoubted proof of the earnestness of both the parties. But, undoubtedly, it gives occasion to evil tongues. A gentleman, with whom we are acquainted, gave expression to his thoughts on this head not many weeks ago. He had been in one of the most popular churches in London a short time before, and was engaged in his devotions. Suddenly not far from him a very elegantly dressed young lady rose up, and followed into the vestry one of the Clergymen of the Church. The door was shut, and, added he, "I actually heard the key turned. I have no intention of casting the least slur on the Priest, whom I know to be an excellent and most praiseworthy person, nor do I impugn the character of the lady, whom I did not know. She was an elegant and ladylike person. But, after all, they were but flesh and blood, and it seems to me dreadful that they, each of them, should expose himself or herself to temptation when the most secret and private thoughts of the heart were to be the subject of confession and examination." We quite concur in this. The more public the resort to confession the more beneficial to both the parties. It will be too late when some frightful scandal shall have occurred to think of altering the practice. The public indignation will have been aroused, and it will be well if hundreds of thousands are not thrown back in their Christian course.

We do then advocate, with all possible fervour. the reintroduction of the Confessional into our Churches. We shall, therefore, give S. Charles's directions on this head, abbreviating his observations where needful.

He directs as many Confessionals to be brought into the Churches as may be necessary to accommodate the number of Priests who are employed to receive confessions at the festivals.

"In every Parish Church two Confessionals should be erected, so that what is often seen (not without irreverance to the holy place and the sacred act, nor without offence to the pious) may not occur; namely, that men be confusedly mingled with women,

and be also closely crowded together when there is a numerous concourse to the sacred tribunal. But they should be so divided that the men confess at one tribunal and the women at the other, just as in most places in this province there is a determined and different plan for the same. Besides, where this distinction is not ordered by some provincial decree, one of these confessionals may serve for the Parish Priest, and the other for any other Confessor approved by the Bishop, whom the former may find it necessary to employ, with the leave of the Lord Bishop, whenever there is a large number of penitents. But in a Parish Church where there are several Parish Priests, or other assistant Priests, exercising the charge of hearing confessions, as many Confessionals ought to be made as there are such Priests.

"In all Churches, great and small, which are in any respect parochial, there should be two Confessionals. In non-Parochial Churches where schools are held there ought to be one Confessional at least, but two if both sexes are admitted.

"The form of the Confessional is to be as follows-It is to be of wood, enclosed at the two sides and at the back, and covered at the top. It should be entirely open in front.

"Nevertheless it ought to have a latticed door, the bars being about three inches apart, with a lock and bolt to prevent vagrants from sitting or sleeping in it when the Priest is not occupying it.

"The base ought to be raised about five and a-half inches above the pavement, and this ought to be extended outwards so as to form a rest for the feet of both Priest and penitent. The length is ordinarily five and a-half feet, and the breadth about half the length. The seat should be raised about one foot and a-half above the base, and it ought to be about two feet long by one foot four inches from back to front. The top of the Confessional ought to stand five feet and a-half above the base. There is to be a rail on the inside between the Confessor and the penitent, so that the Confessor may lean on it while resting on his arm. It is to be like a hand-rail, and so made that it may be raised or lowered at will.

"Outside the boarding is to be the pew of the penitent. There is to be a kneeling board five inches and a-half high, resting on the base of the Confessional, and eleven inches broad. If we understand rightly, it is to be enclosed at the sides up to the height of the book-board, against which the penitent kneels. The enclosure is nearly ten inches deep at bottom, running into the bookboard at the height of two feet and a-half, gradually decreasing as it runs upwards. The book-board is two feet long by eight inches broad.

"The opening to communicate between the Confessor and the penitent is to be one foot ten inches above the Confessor's seat. It is to be eleven inches high, and eight and a-quarter inches wide.

"This opening should be divided into three equal spaces by two small columns left within to support the boarding. To this open

ing ought to be attached, on the side of the penitent, a plate of iron full of holes, each the size of a pea. While on the Confessor's side there should be attached to the opening a piece of bunting.

"Immediately above the hole, on the penitent's side, should be placed a religious print of the crucifixion.

Between the Confessor and the penitent there is to be a board, inside of which, and opposite to the Confessor, should be placed a picture of our blessed Lord, or of the Virgin, and underneath it the preparatory prayers for Confessors and the form of absolution. "On the boarding at the other side there should be affixed the letters of the process In Cana Domini.

"At the back should be the table of the penitential canons. "On the boarding over the opening, on the confessor's side, should be the table of reserved cases.

"No alms-box to be anywhere near the confessional.

"The confessionals are to be placed outside the sacrarium in some clear space north and south.

"The Bishop may grant license for their being placed in other parts of the church, according to its size and site; as, for instance, within certain chapels which are of ample size, or at their entrance or threshold, in such manner that the confessor be within the railings and the penitent without. By this arrangement the chapel railings are used to keep off such persons as would rush up, without order, to the sacred tribunal, and place themselves too close to the person who is engaged in making his confession, to the disturbance of both confessor and penitent.

"Should the confessional be placed on the Gospel side of the church, then the penitents' pew and the opening should be placed at the right hand of the confessor; and when the confessional is on the Epistle side, they should be at his left, so that the confessor be always towards the upper part of the church, and that the penitent be turned towards the High Altar and the head of the church."-Wigley, pp. 91-97.

There is here a full description of a confessional, and, we ought to add, that there is a very pretty design furnished by Mr. Wigley, though not altogether according to S. Charles's directions. The design is such as to add considerably to the adornment of a Gothic Church, being as unlike those ugly erections we commonly see in the French churches as possible. Who will be the first to introduce one into any English Church?

Let any one who really wishes to get practical directions with regard to the furnishing of his church, as well as for the building itself, as far as the priest's convenience and the decency of public worship are concerned, buy this book. It is full of most minute particulars, suggested by one who had experienced the necessity of such arrangements in his own.

case.

It so very commonly happens that in new churches we have to lament some fault which the architect, looking mainly to artistic effect, has committed. When once a priest has his thoughts directed to the practical result he will be able to check these mistakes, and call pointed attention to the need of many things commonly overlooked.

Let us always bear in mind that this great saint was one who was most successful as a parish priest, or rather as a director of parish priests. No one ever knew practical theology better than he. He had science and learning, and withal, practical skill in the direction of souls. He never overlooked the smallest detail which could serve to render the ministry more effective, and hence his advice is most valuable; and no one can so fully estimate the worth of his instructions as he who has to use the church and its furniture in the discharge of his round of official duties. The architect, however imbued with church feeling, cannot estimate these things so well as the priest, a great part of whose comfort in the office of his ministry depends upon minute attention to apparently insignificant details.