rue Lavine Cuuneu:"—Edited by Atvert Peek, 3k. LIST, This book is the report of the Proceedings of the Fifth International Congregational Council held in Bournemouth in July 1930, here are the papers which were zead and a summary of the dis-Cussions which followed. It adds @reatly to the interest of those who Were not present at the Confer-fence to find the photographs of the principal speakers, As one reads hose speeches in cold blood it is impossible to reproduce the spiritual atmosphere of the assembly but one can at least get some conception of the things that were said and the things that axe being said in the pulpits of Congregatiozal Churches -not only of Great Britain and the United States but of the world for there were present for example Dr. Cheng Ching-yi_ and Mr, Stephen Chen from China, repro-Bentatives from the colonies, from places as far away as Papua, and even from such mowly-founded states as Czecho-Slovakia, Game people might addresses show that the speakers ride their own private hobbies or find evidence of the "Living Church" in the things to which they theme Selves are already predisposed but Perhaps it is truer to say that the Various. spec alists naturally speal of their own subjects. The Rev. Leyton Richards of Carr's Lane, Birmingham who was a strong: Pacifist during the war and has Consistently striven for a "'No-War Movement" in the churches since, naturally finds in War an illustre: tion of "Phe Gospel and the World Paganis "It is the custom of the Church to-day, in its assemblies to denounce international war as the world's reatest collective sin.' But the world refuses to be impressed by this denunciation—beeaure—tho Churches of Christendom in time Of national emergency allow as a 'Christian duty on the part of their members participation in the collective sin' which they condemn. What is the Church makes. terms with the very paganism which she denounces."
So teo the Rev, Malcolm Spencer, Secretary of the Social Council naturally denounces the present Social system "For the unemploy ment of to-day was not due to scarcity it was due rather to our technical success in applying scientifle discovery and mechanical skill human uses, what an able Scientist, has called the 'Inversion of Science.' There is a very keen paper by the Rey; K. L. Parry of Manchester on "The Relationship Of the Gongrogational Church to other Christian Churches oaks for a federal union "The unity of the Church must be the work of the Spirit. We know not whither it will lead us.
But it is the direction of federal union that T look with the greatest conand hope for the visible expression of the fellowship of all believers. That, I believe, is the right kind of unity, not the kind often suggested to us which invites us all to be the Jonah to an episcopalian whale. The real unity would be like an orchestra in which there were many instruments but all the players played the same tune and kept their eyes on the:
sine conductor. There 4s room for: all the instruments in the orchestra of God."
This drew from Dr. Garvie the: remark that "the whale was prepared by God (according to the Book, of Jonah) and that the adventure proved to be a valuable tual experience for the pro-papers dealing with mission work. "Rural Work in the Mission Field of Ceylon and also the paper read Dr. Cheng' Ching-yi on "The Gospel_as Saving Power." Te is impossible to give any real idea of, tue many good things in this bool but the extracts quoted show that the speakers spoke out their minds: without let or hindrance. Tt would be invidious to suggest which were the best papers but the following extracts from Dr, Butterfield's address will interest those who are attacking similar conditions in, China.
"The outstanding and most} insistent of these (problems) is the Pressure of the population upon the Bland, The sons of India are too numerous for its soil, Iiteracy is Perhaps the next striking phenomenon. Only one among ten is literate under a liberal definition of literacy."
"What is the most nearly essential thing for effective missionary work among the villagers of India? Perhaps it is a large infusion of rural mindedness' among the whole missionary personnel. The educanal system particularly, judged by results, has its back to the villages This is especially true of the high schools and colleges; few of their students ever return to the villages."
"Not only is India at the cross roads but the Christian Church of the West is being asked to-day if it has the power to demonstrate its vitality by rising to meet the needs of the rural people of all lands. T fam enough of x denominationalist to hope that the Congregational fellowship everywhere may lead the van in answering this challenge to ensure a. Christian civilization for! the rural world."—ctERicvs,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.