"THE IDLE HOUSE."

IN the Friends' Examiner for Tenth Month, 1873, we recorded a visit to an ancient meeting-house, where a meeting of Friends had for a long period ceased to exist. In this case the old house was utilised by Friends from a distance holding a meeting for worship on First-days, with a good attendance from the neighbourhood, but apparently without any prospect or idea of building up a meeting of Friends.

The entire subsidence of Friends from a wide area of country, where formerly they had a local habitation and a name, led to the inquiry whether other neighbourhoods had a similar experience. After much interesting correspondence, I have obtained returns of over seventy discontinued meetings, though in most cases the meeting-house remains in the possession of Friends. In Yorkshire and the Midland Counties, where the labours of George Fox were so largely blessed, we find the greatest number, and in the Eastern Counties the greatest proportion of closed meeting-houses.

The fate of these houses has been various. In a list of seventeen from one district we find that four have been sold, five let to Methodist congregations, one to the Plymouth Brethren, one occasionally let for religious services of an unsectarian character, one for a school, and two for workshops.

In another list of seven, one house is used by Friends three times a-year, one let to Plymouth Brethren, three for schools, one sold, and one let with a farm, and—“O, tell it not in Gath"-used as a coach-house. This is pretty much the general experience, though in many cases the houses are shut up, and not used for any purpose--educational, religious, or secular.

The responsibility of these lost congregations rests upon a past, rather than on the present generation of Friends. What has been the cause? The fact seems sadly at variance with our theories as to the right conduct of public worship, and should lead us to inquire whether some of these theories are of man and not of God? The difficulties about tithes we have heard given as an explanation of the decadence of Friends in the country. If this is so, it is very humiliating that the practical result of our testimony to the freedom of Gospel-ministry, should be to silence our preaching the Gospel in so many places. The question then arises, Are we to rest satisfied with being edged-out of so many neighbourhoods, with our meeting-houses being let to others, or used for schools, workshops, or coach-houses? Are we to accept as a fact that Friends have only a limited mission in the centres of trade and civilization, and not in such rural places where our great fore-elder was born and bred?

What would our Friends of Indiana Yearly Meetting say to this state of things? Given seventy empty mission-houses, how would they solve the problem?

We think they would make some of these solitary places vocal with praise, and the preaching of glad tidings.

Suppose we were to take a leaf out of their book, and hold a "general meeting" at some of these houses long dedicated to silence! Not content with opening them for a solitary First-day, but have a week or a fortnight of Meetings, according to our faith and strength.

The fact that these houses have not been shaken off, or sold, suggests that the Great Head of our Church looks to our making use of them again, and the question to this generation, is-"Will ye go in and possess the land?"

JOHN TAYLOR.

Notices of Books Received.

"Those Holy Fields," Palestine. Illustrated by Pen and Pencil. By the Rev. SAMUEL MANNING, LL.D. London: Religious Tract Society.

This richly illustrated volume brings Palestine, with its localities, manners, and customs, so vividly before us, that it is not easy to imagine how a book so complete can be published at so small a cost.

To all who would like, without the fatigue and expense of a long journey, to live for a while in the land which presents to the lovers of the Bible unrivalled sources of interest, this volume may be earnestly recommended, both for the valuable amount of historical and topographical information it contains, and for the pictorial elucidations which enrich almost every page. It is attractively bound, and, whilst fitted to grace a drawing-room table, would be a most desirable acquisition to every school-room and Sunday-school library.

East and West. By MARY E. BECK. London: R. Clay, Sons, and Taylor, 1875. (pp. 220.)

The first part of this little volume, as stated in the preface, is a reprint, with additional matter, of the book entitled, "Through Egypt to Palestine," which we noticed favourably on a former occasion.

The second part is a narrative of the authoress's travels through America, visiting four of the Friends' Yearly Meetings in that country, and embracing other Christian and philanthropic gatherings. The descriptions, though rather sketchy in their character, are given in a lively manner, and such as to interest those, especially, who are of the Friends' community. The book is tastefully got up, and has two wellexecuted coloured maps of the East and West. In a short appendix of three pages the writer gives her impressions, in a very condensed form, on various topics, concluding with the following, which we trust is a correct view of the real facts:"One word respecting the feeling of America towards England. The true-blooded American is proud of his ancestry, and looks up to a native of the Old Country with a feeling of instinctive respect; it is the Irish element which is always opposed to England."

The Social Review. A monthly Record of Industrial, Sanitary, and Social Progress. Price 2d.

In the multitude of periodicals issued it is hard to select for others, and very hard to read all for oneself. The present Review, however, appears to us exceptionally good, and if continued with the same talent and variety of subjects displayed in the first three numbers it will be found a sound investment of 2s. per annum for all who are interested in social science subjects.

Work of the Future for the Society of Friends.
Daldy & Co. 1874. Second Edition.

London :

This earnest little book, which was noticed in a former number (No. XXXI., p. 459), we observe has reached a second edition. We hope its contents will have claimed the serious thought of all who have perused its pages, and especially of those who think the Society of Friends has done its work; has sown good seed, which has yielded its rich harvest; and that it now can afford to die as a religious community.

There is another class of persons also to whom its contents may be useful, viz.: those Friends who congratulate one another that the world has very largely accepted our testimonies and adopted them, and that the various Churches are doing the same; and that consequently our distinctive corporate existence is of comparatively little import either to the world or to the Church. Our opinion differs greatly from either of these classes. That we have, under the Divine blessing, been able to do much for the amelioration of the condition of our fellow-men is surely no argument whatever why, as a religious body, we should do nothing more; and although the Churches are more or less accepting our distinctive principles, and incorporating our practices, even to that one so peculiarly our own-public worship and prayer in silence--we cannot see that any piecemeal acceptance of our testimonies can lessen, (but on the contrary, our very success in these respects seems to us only to increase) the necessity of our holding fast that we have, and maintaining as a whole those doctrines, principles, and practices, under which we ourselves and those beyond our borders have been for more than two centuries so abundantly blessed.

A distinct testimony to the spirituality of the Gospel religion, and to the non-necessity of outward ordinances, we regard also as of vital moment to the Church of Christ in this

age, when men are depending on these external things, and many are falling away to the practices and symbols of the Popish faith. "The Society of Friends," says our author, "has demonstrated, by a faithful adherence for two hundred years to its testimony against all symbolical rites, and by the disuse even of those almost universally regarded as absolutely necessary to salvation, that the total rejection of these rites is consistent with a possession of that which they signify, and with all that is good in morality and religion." Can it be said that this demonstration is less needed now than it was two centuries ago, or that, if our candlestick were removed, a real loss would not be sustained by the Church universal in reference to this cardinal truth-the non-necessity of outward forms or priestly ceremonial?

NOTICE TO CORRESPONDENTS.

It is intended to hold a conversazione of the contributors to the Friends' Examiner, in London, on Fifth-day evening, the 20th of Fifth Month, to which all who have at any time written in its volumes are cordially invited.

"SPECTATOR" to his unknown transatlantic critic "Timon' sends greeting. The "grace" of resistance (vide F. Q. E. No. 32, p. 575) arose in part from an old-fashioned John Bull prejudice against all household espionage (whether of praise or dispraise), which he would respectfully commend to Cousin Jonathan ; and perhaps also from the remembrance of a practical injunction given more than 1800 years ago (vide Luke vi. 31). "Spectator" does not dispute the truthfulness of the second epithet applied to him: but he would submit that sin does not consist in being tempted, but in the yielding to temptation (vide James i. 2). If "Timon" will give name and address, "Spectator" would gladly enlist for the columns of the F. Q. E. the pen of one who can combine feelings so sensitive with reflections so witty!

All Communications and Subscriptions should be sent to the Publishers, BARRETT, SONS & Co., 21, Seething Lane, London, E.C.; and all MSS. for insertion, and Books for Review, should be forwarded to the Honorary Editor, W. C. WESTLAKE, Southampton, at least one month before the day of publication.