But below the Bow Bells and London Journal class there is a more vicious range of fiction, appealing especially to the young. In a recent article in the Bookseller, on the "Literature of Vice," the names of thirty-one of these criminal catch-pennies are given, and their weekly issue is calculated at a quarter of a million.

These numbers consist of sensational tales of the worst kind, and the vilest of all are specially issued for boys. "In these (as a writer in the City Press says), robbery and murder are pictured every week; human suffering is pictured in every stage; and human depravity is so chronicled, that the greatest monster becomes the hero of the filthy page."

Beside this hidden and polluting stream, we have had the recent vile invention of adding the gloss of staring woodcuts to the garbage of the police courts, already sufficiently damaging in the word-pictures of the newspaper-reports. There is, then, no insignificant or trifling outflow of serial literature which the Church ought to stem or purify.

To meet the Bow Bells type of serial, the People's Magazine failed, The Leisure Hour fails also, not being bulky enough, and being too refined in tone and appearance. Other brave attempts have been made to produce a good weekly serial on this plane of society; but it is still unaccomplished, and (as one of the secretaries of Pure Literature Society assures me) is still urgently needed. I believe that a weekly magazine, with a mass of reading, wholesome, stirring fiction, useful information, poetry, music, and, above all, hearty and able religious teaching, might be made successful. I do not believe that the readers of such a magazine would object to the religious teaching, and I know they would not feel the same discrepancy that we should feel in finding it in close combination with secular reading.

A magazine issued monthly does not meet this want. It does not give reading enough, nor in the weekly supply which is convenient, both for their pocket and tastes, to the middle and lower classes.

The British Workman, with its admirable pictures, has done immense service to the Temperance cause and otherwise; but if its letter-press were as good as its engravings, still it is only as much as a couple of pages of Bow Bells; and though it circulates 200,000 a month, it does not touch the literary needs of the 300,000 a week readers of Bow Bells.

At the same time, as the chief purchasers of these penny numbers are known to be young men and women, boys and girls; and as the latter, at any rate, have only a limited number of halfpence to spend, every halfpenny that can be secured for a wholesome serial probably withdraws it from an unwholesome one; and therefore I have been thankful that a little halfpenny serial, which I originated about two years ago, has, by its own momentum, got into the obscure lollipop and tobacco shops, and my innocent Chatterbox smiles out of the windows of our great towns amongst those blood-and-murder romances. It has a circulation of above 50,000 weekly; while the Children's Prize, which I also edit, has a circulation of about 100,000 monthly.

This is at any rate encouragement for others to persevere in trying more adequately to meet the flood of sensational literature with what is wholesome and Church-like. In comparing the serial literature of the Church with that of the sects, I find that each of the chief sects has its array of serial organs, from the six-shilling quarterly to the halfpenny fly-sheet; and also its organs for

children and missions. But the circulation of those which definitely declare themselves to emanate from any sect is comparatively small, while even of those which represent an uncrystallized Christianity, only the Band of Hope Review (300,000), Children's Friend (150,000), The Christian World (100,000), The Child's Companion (80,000), and The Cottager (60,000), run into what are called in the trade "long numbers."

The Church does not fall behind the sects in providing periodical literature for her members. We have Church magazines of various schools, many with large and increasing circulation; and though in our abundant toleration, and our fear of giving offence, Churchmen are shy of putting forward their distinctive teaching, yet I am glad to find that those magazines do not fare worst that give a plain and hearty Church teaching, by which I know many Non-conformists are interested and attracted. The missionary serial literature of the Church is not what I think it ought to be made. The Gospel Propagation Society and Church Missionary Society each maintain their three or four missionary magazines; and many other little private-adventure missionary serials are issued, while Mr. Halcombe maintains, under great difficulties, his excellently-compiled Mission Life.

It might be a secondary good result from a "board of missions," already proposed in the Congress, that the Church should have a good missionary review, and a good missionary magazine for adults, and one for children, which should worthily and widely represent this great branch of the Church's work.

In closing this imperfect contribution to an important phase of Church-work, let me name two or three things which each clergyman or lay Churchman may easily do in his own neighbourhood.

He can have an agency in his Sunday School for the sale of wholesome serials. In St. Pancras' parish, London, there is a Sunday School Magazine Association, the object of which is to encourage the circulation of the periodicals named on an approved list. This list is circulated at the beginning of the year; any person wishing to subscribe regularly for any of these magazines is requested to mark those selected, and to write his name and address in the space left for the purpose. The order is then left with any Sunday teacher, or member of the committee, or at the Boys' National School, and the magazine thus ordered is delivered at the house of the subscriber immediately on publication. The poor who have subscribed for not less than a year, and have kept the magazines in good condition, have them bound by the Association at a reduced price.

The secretary of the Church of England Sunday School Institute urges on me the importance of such an association; and adds, that there are schools that sell as much as £10 worth a month of healthful serial literature. Another thing that all can do is to keep an eye on the little penny number shops in our neighbourhood, or the book-hawkers that traverse rural districts, and to beg or bribe them, at least not to display or sell the poisonous police and highway literature to our boys and girls. A really great work has been done in this direction by the Pure Literature Society in London; and though I think they use rather too fine a sieve in weeding out serial and other literature, and are not as liberal to Church literature as a society with all our bishops on their list of patrons should be, yet I gladly bear witness to the zeal and energy with which the society strives to promote the

circulation of pure literature and the diminution of pernicious and irreligious

serials.

Above all, let us not forget that the deep and continuous echoes of these sensational Bow Bells are ever pulsating in the hearts of ten thousand of our people; and let us seek such living faith and earnestness in teaching them, whether by our tongues or by our pens, that the sweet church chimes of love and joy, and peace, may ring like the voice of God over their lives, and may lead them to turn from the fables of romance to the biographies of God's holy Word, from the fairy fields of fiction to the high table lands of Duty and of Truth.

The REV. EDWARD WHATELY :-I rise up to speak here under a disadvantage, because the gentleman who has spoken before me has taken the very subject which I had intended to speak of, I will therefore only detain you a very short time. My experience of the literature of the poor-for I have investigated the matter for some time-is, that the greater part of it, that which is most sold among the lower orders, is of a spasmodic kind, such as generally characterises the literature of the present day-something sensational, and which excites the passions violently, but does not appeal to the intellect more than in a superficial manner. The quantity of this literature which is sold is almost beyond calculation. I have spoken sometimes to those who sell this class of immoral and low periodicals in my own parish, and told them that they should not keep such a class of periodicals for sale in their shops, but they answered me by saying, that if they didn't keep such publications, they would not be able to earn a livelihood at all in that locality. We are not responsible, of course, for the ill-success which may attend remonstrances of such a kind, but it is our duty to endeavour to do what we can; and whether this, or similar efforts to check this growing evil be attended with success or not-i.e., with what the world may call success, I believe we shall have the blessing of our Heavenly Father, if we make the attempt. We are responsible, remember, for making that attempt, though we may not be for the success which may attend it. With regard to the literature which is circulated amongst the poor, I believe a great deal of it is of that nature which always did circulate amongst them, that is, that which is calculated to inflame the passions; but I think there are publications current amongst them now which are full of Atheism. Sometimes they even attempt to render the Scriptures subservient to their lawless purposes, and essay to prove from the Bible, that all men are equal, and that it is a crime for one man to be holier than another. These publications sometimes indulge in a style of logic which would have astonished Archbishop Whately, and inculcate a style of political economy which would startle poor Adam Smith out of his grave in amazement. It is very important that we should endeavour to counteract the evil tendencies of such publications, and, for this purpose, that we should have periodical works of a religious character, though not ostensibly regious. Being subtle, we may catch them by guile, and then, when they once begin to read, they may continue to be attracted by them. I think it would prove useful if there was a department for cheap literature at all our railway stations, and especially for the second and third class passengers, for there you might readily banish everything, at any rate of a decidedly immoral or improper character. We might be sure that, at such places, useful publications when bought there would be for the purpose of beguiling away the tediousness of a long journey, and would be read. We should cultivate the publication of those literary productions which, though not essentially religious, are yet written in a religious

i

tone; and these publications should take into consideration all the subjects which are from time to time agitating the public mind, and endeavour to convince their readers and subscribers of the errors of those doctrines which are so widely and so continually circulated amongst them in the less worthy publications of the day. I do not think in such works we should despise the vehicle of stories for inculcating sound and moral truth, and for the purpose of bringing in truth in an attractive guise. I think that the line is too broadly drawn between religious works and those of the imagination in the present day. Professor Jellett mentioned in his admirable paper, that science and theology should not be isolated, and I would say, that religion and fiction should not be isolated either. Do what we will, we ought not to ignore any means placed within our reach of supplying with sound truth the mind and heart of man. It is important that we should cultivate the power of rendering instruction palatable, by means of those fictions which are confessedly of a religious and moral nature; the more so, because those works which persons, especially young persons, read for amusement, are precisely those which really most directly contribute to form their character, If we neglect this power of a moral press and of moral publications to carry out true lessons of religion and of truth, then we are throwing aside an opportunity and a means which might be a very important engine for the accomplishment of great good amongst our poorer brethren; and if I succeed in inducing our friends to devote more thought and attention to the subject for the future, I shall feel that I have not addressed even these few desultory remarks to you in vain.

REV. STOPFORD A. BROOKE:-In the few words which I shall address to the Congress, I will not speak of the advantages of periodical literature to the Church, for they are necessarily the same. advantages which flow to the whole nation from the existence of a free press; but of two points only, one at which periodical literature is dangerous; another at which it is supposed to be dangerous to the Church of Christ.

The first of these, is the sensationalism of periodical literature.

Sensational literature appeals at once to the excitement and to the laziness of men. It stirs the blood, but it stirs it in an easy chair. It gives the intellect no trouble, and therefore weakens it through want of use. It awakes deep feeling, but it suggests no means of putting feeling into action; and feeling without action is as useless as an arrow without a bow.

The result of the demand by the public of a highly spiced literature is, first, the despair of all men of thought. They cease to write books which require strict attention; books in which they would embody the result of the thinking and experience of a life; for such books there are few readers. Secondly, the degradation of men of lesser genius and character into mere panderers to the public taste; and thirdly, an inconceivable waste of time, enfeeblement of intellect, loss of power of will among the general reading public. Except they read signs and wonders, they will not read at all.

Now a society tainted with the diseased passion for sensational writing, is, so far as that spirit influences it, drifting away from that temper of mind which can frankly and clearly believe in the Head of the Church. For His life is not the life to satisfy the sensational reader. Exciting to the higher enthusiasm by its moral glory, its spiritual beauty, and its sacrificing love, it is utterly unmarked by anything sensational. Uneventful, with one exception, for thirty years, unarti

ficial, passed among simple men, among the gracious simplicities of natural beauty, taking refuge from the excitement of Jerusalem in the quiet of the village home of Bethany, His life was strong, calm, and simple. We cannot understand Him, we cannot enter into the profound truth of His teaching if we have habituated our mind to morbid excitement, our conscience to a continual violation of its sensitiveness, in French and English novels, and our emotions to a moral hysteria. It is because I look with the greatest fear upon the growth of this temper in our society that I venture to suggest to the laity and clergy of the Church, the importance of contending against this evil. There are three ways in which it may be done. First, by a more continual insistance on in the pulpit, and by a more faithful imitation in society of the natural, simple life of Christ. Secondly, by the encouragement and by the teaching of the noble literature of England, not only by fathers of families, but by the pastors of the Church. Thirdly, by the kindling in men and women of a fire of enthusiasm towards work for God and man. Feeling should be stirred only when it can be sent to labour for worthy ends.

For we must remember that this sensational literature is denaturalizing our society. It makes the mind unhealthy, it will end by making the life impure. Sensationalism in literature has been ever closely connected with sensuality in social life.

This is a real danger. There are other supposed dangers. There is towards the Church and towards religion a flippant, irreverent, and contemptuous tone in some of the weekly journals, and in some of the reviews. I do not think that we need care for that, or that it is a real danger to the Church. Such weapons do not harm us-they recoil on those who use them. Flippancy is the eldest daughter of vanity, and vanity is the deadliest element in character. Irreverence is fatal to intellect o the highest order. Without reverence no life can be true or useful. Irreverence towards religious feeling, however mistaken the feeling, is the worst cruelty in the world, and infallibly debases him who uses it; and as to contempt-" He who feels contempt, . . . hath faculties which he hath never used; and thought with him is in its infancy."

But, apart from these few periodicals, the general mass of the periodical literature of the press of the country is reverent, charitable, and, on the whole, I believe favourable to the highest interests of the Church of Christ. It has been accused of infidelity; I do not believe in the truth of the accusation. But the accusation does not stop here-and this is the supposed danger to which I wish specially to refer-it goes on to involve in the charge of infidelity some of the liberal clergy who write for the press. They are spoken of as secret foes, as faithless to the creed of the Church.

The charge of infidelity is an awful charge, and it is the wickedest of things to make it without the clearest proof. I do not believe in the truth of this accusation, The men who hold what are called liberal views cling with the grasp of persons who know the misery and evil of the world, to those magnificent formula which express in words the work and the results of the work of the Redeemer. They see no hope for the weariness and sorrow of the race except in these truths, and they find them thrown into their purest and widest form in the Apostles' Creed. Face to face, as many of these men are in London, with apparently unanswerable problems, with desperate evil and sorrow, how could they weaken the power of these truths without despair?

But it is said again, that in their writings both dogma and form are repudiated as useless. I do not think that any thinking men in the Church agree with suc