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v SUPREME. ADVENTURE. — Review by Dr. St. Clair Tisdall. H Thoa Supreme Adventure." By Mercedea Mao&ndirew. (GShapman and Hall, Ltd. 7s. 6d. net.) This work, by the authoress of "A Coat of Many Colours," etc., is a, simple and well-written account of our Lord's Life, Death and Resurrection, the aim being to show, in what light the wonder- ful story of the Incarnation would affect us if we had hitherto been in ignorance of it and had come upon it suddenly and for the first time. The story is in fact told primarily to a well-educated girl of between seventeen and eighteen years of age, who had been brought up in un- belief. At the end we are told that its effect was to bring her to the light of faith in Christ. The book may prove of value to others ,such-, and many young people, even if well acquainted with the Gospel narrative, may be brought to realise the entrancing interest of it in a way to which they have hitherto been strangers. Not a few of the leading events of our Lord's life are related in a striking manner, and some of the cha- racter sketches are well done. The account of the Agony in the Garden is touchingly given, and that of the Arrest is excellent in its depiction of the majesty of soul shown on that occasion by Christ. There are, however, some slips of the ipen which are regrettable and need correction. For example, it is startling to learn that, when the Jews under Cyrus returned from the Babylonian captivity, they found that their country "had been conquered by Alexander the Great, and since been kept under Mace- donian rule (p. 6). The Roman capital of of Palestine, Caesarea, was not on the Lake of Galilee" (p. 396); nor are we aware that the woman who touched the border of our Lord's garment had sinned against the Law in touching the blue ribbon-that fringed it (p. 137). Mrs. Macandrew can hardly be blamed for falling into the common blunder of fancying that "the water in the stone jars" (p. 61) had been turned into wine, instead of only the amount contained in the Vessel brought to the ruler of the feast ;at Caria. The account of the Magi and their religion is not strictly correct, nor does Holy Scripture tell us that three (p. 18) arrived at: Jerusalem. What is said about the prerJohannine Jewish custom of baptism (p. 33) needs revision. To call Elijah's ascension a "legend" (p. 36), and speak of the New Law Book "of the Jews returned from the Captivity, is to show a tendency towards a view of the Old Testament very different from our Lord's. It is strange to learn that the friends of a deceased Jew used, during the firstree daysx after his interment, frequently, to remove the covering stone and mourn inside the tomb (p. 305). We dissent from the view that the Church was built on Peter, and that Mary of Bethany was Mary Magdalene. The account of the latter's early life, in Ch. xvi., is confessedly a rbmande. But, making due allowance for such little matters as these, Mrs. Macandrew. has given us a simple and Striking book, written in a loving and "reverent spirit. We wish it a wide career of usefulness. W. ST. CLAIR TISDAIIL.

J RECENT FICTION. ROBIN LINNET." MR. E. F. BENSON has written a war novel ("Robin Linnet," Hutchinson 6s. 9d.). We shall be much surprised if it will not take rank with" Sonia" as one of the outstanding dejo-riptions- of England before and during the early war days. Life tat Cambridge—life in London, and country house gaieties, with the strange menagery of guests that are usually found in some (advanced establishments, are all pictured by a master hand. We must, however, pro- test against the impression that may be made by this and some other recent works. All homes—if they can be called homes—were not as Grote, and Helen Grote was the exception, and not the rule. Scandals occur in high life ias well as in middle class experience, and the fascination of Lady- Grote for the German singer, as tv.elr ias her practical separation from her husband, are not normial events of everyday life: If fic- tion is to be a true record of what is or has been, then we should not be plunged into a. milieu, that. attracts attention by its out of the ordinariness and be left with the feeling" all Eng- lish Society is like this." On the other hand, Mr. Benson may justify himself by saying that the woman who was transformed into the head of the Volun- tary War Hospital had in her capacity for great things, and the contrast between pre-wai;. and war life had to be shown in sharp relief. We have read few passages that moved us so much as the address of the stag-e-manager,alt the conclusion of the hospital festivities: u Ladies and gentlemen, we've macle- fun of you all, and if you've enjoyed it as much as we have, why—you've enjoyed it as much as us. But there's one of you as we haven't said a ward about yet, for you can't laugh at. such -as %,Iier. We've laughed at the surgeon and the doctors and the nurses, and everyone, because they've been jolly good to us, and at the same time have worried us with their knives and their dressings, and their beastly medicines, land we thought it fair to get our own back over that, and now, to thank them very kindly for their care, But there's just one other as we carn't make fun of, because of her blessed love and goodness, and if anybody here doesn't know whom I'm talking about, why, he don't deserve to be here at '.all. I won't even mention her name, but she'll be so good as to keep her seat, while everyone else in this room will just stand, up and give her three of the biggest cheers as ever was, and wish her of the best." Is not that true to .life?; The whole book is full of clever epi- grams, incisive criticism, and well up to the high standard of E. F. Benson's writing. Nevertheless, we think the German singer incident a blot upon a tale which will be read with interest from the first to the last page. THE POWER OF A LIE." Sir Hilll CViine writes of "The Power of a Lie," by Johan Bojer (Hodder and S tough ton, 7s.,) This is a great book." No one can fail to see that it is written by ter hand, and the psychological study. is •remarkably able and convinc- ing. The development of the convic- tion in the mind of the.wrongdoer that he has iaeted rightly, and that the lesser, from his point of view, evil is made, right by the refutation. of lying tales and by the preservation of his charcter, is told with a skill that has irarely been surpassed. NVe get,,rigl-it inside the mans' soul—we see him in his cowardice and self-righteousness. We contrast him with the man who in his conviction that he is the victim of a conspiracy commits in despair the crime of which he had been falsely accused. It is nail so compel] ingly likely, that we cannot avoid giving assent to the' growth of the plot. We cannot love the man who is bankrupt—although he has our sym- pa thy-we cannot admire tlie- richulran who is kind to pensioners, is an affec- tionate head of a'family, a,nd cowers before his wife's wrath. We pity the son overborne by his father's masterful- ness, and at the end we lay aside the volume convinced that it is incomplete, for wrong-doing can never permanently prosper. The man who succeeds has become the victim of a strong delusion, and we shudder as we read after his triumphant perjury. But I there is one thing I oan't understand, and that is how people can stiand like Wangen with a calm face and lie in court. God help those who have no mo-re conscience than to do it!" And he himself had done it, and had suborned others to keep silence on his wrong doing. In spite of the popular enthusiasm which welcomed his vindication in court, and the calm self-satisfaction of the perjurer, there is more than one passage in the book that shows his deed will bring suffering where he least likes to see it. We regret the author has not worked this out, for the moral of the tale seems to be Cc if' you mean to do wrong, do it cleverly, consistently, use every effort to cleverly, consistently, use every effort to crush youa* .opponents, and when you succeed your victory will .be. great in- deed." That is wrong teaching and | bad art.

SPIRITUALISM. — ^Spiritualism A Personal Experience and Coulson Kernahan. (Religious iiact Society, Bonverie-street, E.C. Is. net.) MR. KERNAHAN has rendered an in- valuable service to the cause of truth by I writing this forceful and timely booklet on a subject which is not only attracting a good deal of attention, but is causing much unsettlement among young and impressionable people in our churches. Mr. Kernahan does not throw himself blindly into the arena for the purpose of attacking the modern apostles of spiritualism, but he warns us against the grave danger of attempting to force the locked door which separates this life from the next. At the outset he warns those who decide to have dealings with spiritualism that it is the first step towards an end which is uncommonly like the relinquishment of our will power into other and unknown hands." Mr. Kernahan aptly points out that after death we are as in life: in God's hand. Even a spiritualist can hardly deny that in life the future appears to be of set purpose hidden from us." He goes on to relate his one and only spiritualistic experience, which is certainly interest- ing, but the experience was sufficient to deter him from ever repeating the ex- periment, because he believes spiritual- ism appears to deprive what was once a thinking, reasoning imaginative man or woman of all that made for initiation, imagination, originality." We entirely agree with Mr. Kernahan when he declares that the time is not far dis- tant when much in these socalled occult mysteries—spiritualism, clairvoyance, hypnotismt, and the like-will be found to be due to laws of which our knowledge is now imperfect. I was in no way surprised by the coming of wireless telegraphy, a much more marvellous discovery than anything that spiritual- ism can claim to have made; so I am prepared for many amazing, even mar- vellous discoveries, concerning the mystery of human personality. These discoveries will explain much that is at, present unexplainable, but they will come to us legitimately as the result of human progress and endeavour along God's open and daylit highway to knowledge, and so with God's sanction." Mr. Kernahan does not deny "the marvellous element in telepathy," and he maintains that when telepathy has been brought more nearly to an exact scicnce its marvels will no longer be exploited by the spiritualists and the occultists as a proof of their theories. It must be seen that Mr. Kernahan writes with an open mind, but his face is turned upward toward the Creator and Giver of Light, which makes all the difference in the world. We commend this excellent booklet to the notice of our readers. Its aim is to uplift and strengthen.

"CHRIST AND HIS CRITICS.' —+ CAhrist and His Critics." By the Bishop of Zanzibar. (Mowhmy. 6sJ IT is no light thing for a nation to make its choice between Jesus of the Four Gospels, Jesus of the Atoning Blood, Jesus of the Blessed Sacrament, Jesus the Power of Holiness within us, and the Jesus of the Liberals, the de- ceived, uneducated, Jew of the first cei- turyt Who in the providence, of God so responded to vocation that the Spirit of I the Lord could inspire Him fully, and so dominate His will that spiritualiy, in re- spect of His moral character, we may give Him the courtesy title of God." Dr. Weston is convinced that Liberalism has invaded our Convocations to such an ex- tent that he wonders how he can remain in communion with Canterbury, and but for his position as a missionary bishop dependent for the support of his work, he would take definite action. He will not become a Roman Catholic, for by so doing he would have to adopt the position he abhors in the Liberals. No one read- ing this white hot defence and attack can doubt his moral earnestness and spiritual enthusiasm, but few will be prepared to adopt his conclusions.

"CHURCH AND THE PLAIN MAN." "The C-huich and the Plain Man." By Archdeacon Davies. (Milford. 5s.) WE owe this thought-compelling vol- ume to an Australian Archdeacon, who is at once a theologian and a teacher of Social Science. He has studied the rise of the new democracy in Australia, and has read deeply and widely the leading works of economists and theologians. He has an arresting style and a gift of mar- shalling facts and arguments that at once take possession of the reader. He docu- ments all his statements, and more than any work known to us lie gives us guid- ance and help on problems that are pro- minent in the mind and thought of Chris- tian workers. We have a survey of modern civilisation and a history of the Labour movement in its many ramifica- tions. We see for ourselves the result of the impact of modern tendencies on be- lief and practice. He is no pessimist who despairs of the progress of Christianity- indeed, he is one of those who is so con- vinced that our Lord alone can lead. society to better things that any doubt as to the future of the Church would be treason to its Head. In a permanently organised aggressive evangelism he sees the first'duty of the Church. If this evangelism is to be successful it must be competent to deal with the needs of the age. The simple statement of the faith is no longer acoeptedj but reasons and evidences are demanded. Men want to know the why and the wherefore of things." The book is at once an inspira- tion and a summons to our jiiiees.

WAY OF HEALING. --+- Miss ESTELL BLYTHE has succeeded in getting together as fitting and charming a set of verses and prose pieces to make her book, Way of Healing-a little book for those who know suffering," as we have ever read. She has sound judg- ment. Through the whole there runs the right Christian feeling; indeed, the Bible, The Pilgrim's Progress, and other pieces ensure the right atmosphere. The book is dedicated to Dr. Marion Eliza- beth Wilson, who died on war service in France before it could be finished. It is a book for keeping. (Heffers, Cam- bridge.)

SAXON AND NORMAN CHURCHES WHAT promises to be an interesting and useful book by the Rev. Dr. Hermi- tage Day—S-ixon and Norman Churches in En.g.land-will be published shortly by Messrs. Mowbr.ay. The volume will con- tain a scholarly account of English church architecture tc the end of the twelfth century.

E'M N ( (Founded^ 1856^ II IN the Hour of our peril it r i was the self-sacrifice and devofion of our seameri which, by God's Mercy, saved us from Starvation and, made possible our Glorious Victory. I Now that the danger has passed we have the chance of PROVING our gratitude. THE lmft lob,m Alft MISSIONS TO SEMN is the great Agency through which our own Church provides a welcome for Sailors in all the principal Ports at Home and Abroad and supplies the ministrations of our Holy Religion- Extensions are very urgently needed in such Ports as Antwerp, Rotterdam, Dunkerque, Ostend, Marseilles, &c. I PLEASE SEND a GIFT as a THANK- .1 OFFERING for VICTORY and PEACE. STUART C- KNOX, M.A., Secretary. THE MISSIONS TO SEAMEN, ii) Buckingham Street, Strand, London/W.C. 2.