watching for her, inquired with an any more that night. The storm anxious heart what the trouble was. was momentarily increasing in

Poor Joe is very ill indeed. He violence, and the auxious mother was taken last night with a fever, well knew that no one would dare and this morning is delirious." I to venture across the river in so

"May I go over to see him ?” furious a tempest. The accident .."No, indeed! You'd only be in was soon known in all the homes, the way, and might catch the fever." and many were the words of sym* Jack slunk away, and went aim- pathy uttered. But even the hardy lessly out into the yard. At Charley's boatman, accustomed to rough first words, all the anger had gone out weather, shook his head when the his of heart, anda kind of awful dread possibility of getting to the village had taken its place. What if Joe was spoken of. should die! What if that miserable 66'Tain't no use talkin',” he said. scene in the woods should be his last “ Ye couldn't git across more'n view of the boy he liked so well ! nuthin' at all. It'ud be jes' temptJack would have given anything in in' Providence ter try it." the world, including his boat and his Every one felt the force of old six-bladed jack-knife, if he could Baxter's words, for none doubted only see Joe for just one little his courage or his skill as a boatminute, and “make up" before he man. died.

. But to one listener the sad intel• But day followed day in anxious ligence of the mishap and the suspense. It was hard to get the impossibility of remedying it doctor over to the island; for it was brought a hope and a desire which a good two-mile row to the village, soon resolved themselves into and the weather was so rough that action. it was a task for two stout men to “ What was the name of the pall the heavy boat across. And medicine, mother ? ” said Jack when he carae he could do little quietly. but look at the hot face of the toss. Mrs. Hasbrouck told him. No ing boy, and prescribe a different one noticed when, a minute later, medicine.

Jack slipped out of the door with One night-it was near the crisis cap and overcoat, and sped into the of the disease-a sad accident hap- darkness. pened. The doctor had been there. It was indeed a fearful night. during the day, and left a medicine The storm had risen to a gale. The which he said must be given at chill November rain poured down intervals. during the night. Just in torrents, and the furious wind after the evening had set in with whistled and howled amid the pitchy darkness, rendered doubly leafless branches of the trees. black by the heavy clouds wlich Through the darkness Jack could hung below the sky, Mrs. Kiesler hear the roar of the waves that went to the closet to pour out an- were dashing heavily against the other dose of the medicine. Nervous rocks, and as he neared the dock from anxiety and long watching, she be could dimly see the glimmer of took the bottle with an unsteady their white crests. hand. In an instant it had slipped With much difficulty he unthrough her fingers, and was fastened the painter of his staunch dashed into a thousand pieces on little boat, and with a few sharp the floor. Here was a sad case strokes of the oars was out on the indeed! All of poor Joe's medicine boiling river! gone, and no possible way of getting | It was a serious task he had before him. Already he was wet to the At length, however, he got såfely skin by the driving rain, and every back to his boat, and after stopping moment showers of salt spray a few moments to rest, launched dashed over him. The cold wind out again upon the tossing waves. benumbed his bare hands, tough as But all this while, what was hapthey were, so that he could scarcely pening on the island ? For a time hold the oars. Again and again the Jack's absence was not noticed. waves knocked the oars from the But when the family were assemrowlocks, and threatened to engulf bled for evening prayer inquiry him beneath their dreadful weight. began to be made for him. No one But Jack did not feel a bit afraid. knew where he was, of course, and Perhaps he did not realise the full the exercise went on without him. extent of the danger he was in. Pos- Then nine o'clock came, and Mrs. sibly he thought--I hope he did - Hasbrouck, growing somewhat worthat God was on the river as well as ried, went to look for his coat and on the land, and that He who stilled cap. Both were gone! Then there the waves on Galilee could care for was a sudden muster of the family the boy who was trying, with a forces. The neighbours were instout heart and determined will, to quired of, but they knew nothing of do a noble deed for friendship's sake. him. Where could the boy be? At any rate he did not falter in his The men went about calling through purpose, but struggled manfully on the darkness, but no Jack responded until, by the sound of the breakers, to their shouts. They searched in he knew he was near the other every nook and corner where he side. Fortunately, he struck the could be supposed to be, but all in shore within a little cove, sheltered vain. by high rocks, and was able to land All at once, with a mother's inwithout much trouble.

stinct, Mrs. Hasbrouck recalled The walk to the village, a mile Jack's inquiry about the medicine. and a half, was along a railway Could it be?-yes that must be it! track; a part of it across a long With lantern in hand, waiting for bridge, on which only a single plank no one, she ran to the dock. Jack's was laid for foot-passengers. But boat was gone! The mystery was walking was pleasant after the tre- solved; but the poor mother's heart mendous labour of rowing, and Jack sank within her as she looked out trudged briskly forward, cheered by on the stormy river, and rememthe lights of the distant village, and bered what the old boatman had an occasional gleam from the flag- said. men's boxes along the road. In But not a moment was to be lost. due time the village was reached, She hastened back to the house, the medicine procured, and Jack and in a trice every window tostarted on his return trip with a wards the river was lighted up, and light and eager heart.

a large reflecting light was carried But walking down the road with to the rock above the landing. At the wind, and up against the wind, least there should be nothing were two quite different things. omitted that could help the poor Often Jack was brought to a com- lad to find his way home, if the plete standstill, and his breath fairly hungry waves had spared him. blown away, by the fury of the gale. Just as Jack struck out into the And on the long bridge he was river he glanced behind him and several times obliged to cling to the saw the faint glimmer of the lights plank with his hands to save him-through the pelting rain. It put self from being blown into the water. new life into his sturdy arms, and the rushing waves and furious wind farther shore; and Providence had did not seem half so threatening led him to the fulfilment of his hope as before. He knew they were just in the nick of time. It was a watching and praying far him, and hard row back. But Baxter was a he smiled to think how glad they mighty oarsman, and his happy would all be when he landed with heartgave added power to his strong the precious medicine that was to arms, so that in no long time the save poor Joe's life. But oh, how dock was reached in safety. long it took to row across! Wind And wasn't it a glad meeting and tide were against him now. when Jack was lifted from the boat Every pull of the oars seemed to and folded in his mother's arms ? require the utmost strength he He could just whisper, “The medicould put into it; and after his pre- cine-in my inside pocket!” and vious exertions, the labour rapidly fainted dead away. wore upon his energies, until the They carried him quickly to the poor lad's courage began to fail, and house, and the medicine was taken the terrible fear came rushing into to Mrs. Kiesler. In the morning, his mind that he might not be able after a sound night's rest, Jack to reach home after all. How cold awoke, as healthy boys do, as well it was! How tired he felt, and how as ever; and his first thought was numb his hands were growing ! for Joe. The pleasant lights seemed farther Whether it was the medicine off than when he saw them first. procured at so much risk, or kind He was surely drifting away, and Nature that did it, it is impossible would soon be swallowed up, with to say, but in the morning the the life-giving medicine, by the crisis of the fever had passed, and surging, pitiless river. Gradually Joe was on the mend. In a day or his strokes became less and less two Jack was permitted to see him vigorous. His weary arms refused for a few minutes. Mrs. Kiesler to do their office. His bread swam, had proudly told her boy what his and before he could recover himself, friend had done for him; and Joe, an oar had slipped from his weak- remembering sadly their last enened grasp.

counter in the wood, was eager to But hark ! what is that? A shout see dear Jack once more. But their close by, and the sound of oars ! meeting was dreadfully prosaic. Summoning up all his energies, “ Jack,” said Joe, in a thin, faint Jack shouted in reply. There was voice, extending his poor, weak an answer, and he called again. A hand, “ 'twas awful good of you to few moments of anxious suspense, do that for me.” and the great oak boat runs along Jack grasped his hand warmly, side Jack's almost sinking craft, and looked a great deal. But he while old Baxter's stout hands seize only said, the exhausted boy and drag him. "O pshaw ! 'twasn't anything at safely aboard ! The brave old man, all !”. moved by the mother's agony, had But from that time forth never ventured out at the risk of his own were two boys such friends as Joe life in the wild hope of encountering and Jack. Jack either on the river or on the

RITUALISM.*
is"BY THE REY, S. MEAD, M.A., LL.B.

. .(Concluded.) If time permitted, and were it needful, we might track out the working of this same salvation-procuring idea as involved in some mechanical action, in other parts of the ritualistic system. For example, it gives to the Confessional its tremendous power. We shrink from that institute, not simply on the ground that it makes the ear and the mind of the priest the receptacle of the full tale of man's and woman's wickedness, nor simply that it enables the priest to inject into the mind by his insinuating questions the worst forms of sin, but that it is assumed that the priest is virtually possessed of the Divine prerogative of forgiveness. His word accords the forgiveness; his refusal withholds it. That is a prerogative God entrusts to no mortal man. The Evangelical section of the Episcopalian Church are hampered in their dealing with this matter, and for this reason that they appeal to the Prayer-book as their authority. Now, the Prayer-book is a compromise between opt-and-out Evangelicalism and the Roman Church. It bears almost in every part of it more or less distinct marks of the Egyptian bondage whence it came. We believe it is this circumstance which has in the last forty years so greatly marred and weakened the testimony of good Christian men in the Church of England who have wished to be loyal to the full gospel of truth." Nothing has been more conspicuous in the constant debates which have been maintained during these forty years than the successful manner in which on many points the Ritualists, in appealing to the existing and to former Prayer-books, have logically shattered the arguments of their opponents. Had Episcopal Evangelicals appealed to Scripture alone, without attempting to defend their beliefs by the Prayer-book, they would have occupied a far different position in the world to-day. The Ritualists can plead effectually that in the service appointed in the Prayer-book for the visitation of the sick, the power to grant the absolution is, under certain conditions, plainly accorded to the priest. Many godly Evangelical clergymen have held this instruction of the Prayer-book to be merely declarative, as we hold it was in the case of the disciples and Peter, to whom our Lord uttered the words concerning absolution. The Roman Church claims, as you know, the full power to forgive sins through its priests. Just as Ritualism developes in the Episcopalian Church or in any Church, so this same power is claimed with increasing boldness. We doubt not, if the English people were deemed ripe enough to admit of the fullblown Confessional being thrust upon them, it would be speedily advanced with the same rigorous demands which obtain in the Roman Church. Indeed, the Roman Church is quite logical in its pretensions

* An Address delivered at the Annual Meeting of the South Australian Biptist Association, on Tuesday, September 23rd.

and assumptions respecting this, if you once accord to her the prior claims she presents. As to what may be looked for in the future of this colony, that may be inferred from a report of a recent sermon by the Rev. W. B. Stanford, the new head-master of St. Peter's College. The published report of this sermon, furnished by one present, states that Mr. Stanford, in referring to the words of absolution in the Prayerbook, asserted that, “it was not the mere utterance by a man of the words of absolution that absolved a person from his sins; but it was the fact that when a priest pronounced the words it was God Himself who spoke-He having for that purpose created the priestly office by the act of Jesus Christ, as the medium through which He would so speak.” What could the staunchest Roman Catholic say more? Thus we have another evidence how the outward external action of a man named a priest is deliberately declared to be the medium of conveying the priceless blessing of the forgiveness of sins.

We attach but comparatively small importance to various other traits of Ritualism, such as bowing the head at certain times and under certain conditions ; nor to the turning of the face towards the east at given times ; nor to genuflexions ; nor to the elevation of the bread-element in the Lord's Supper; nor to the particular kind of millinery which is preferred to be worn; nor to the number of candles that may be alight on what they term the altar. These things all have their places in this skilfully artistic and complete system of ceremonious religion, so that each apparently unimportant detail derives an importance from its place in fitting into the whole. They are intended to be symbolical of certain doctrines. We must not, in contemning these more trivial matters of ceremony, lose sight of the great fundamental doctrines of the gospel which are assailed by Ritualism, and which, in the proportion that Ritualism triumphs, are virtually dethroned from their regal place in guiding and supporting the Christian life.

In what has been advanced it will no doubt have struck you how completely the Ritualistic priest is the central figure in every doctrine and ordinance of the system. This is not of accident. Viewed from the human standpoint, the priest is both the foundation and the pillar of the edifice—the keystone of the arch. The Church, as a body of believers, is nowhere except as a body of people to be operated on; the priest is everywhere as the great operator. This is in exact accordance with the manifest intentions of the founders of the Anglican Church. Thus, in the ordination service, which is the groundwork of the whole Anglican system, the Bishop, putting himself, as it were, in the place of Christ, and claiming, as it would seem, the Divine prerogative, says, in laying his hands on the head of the kneeling candidate for priestly position Receive the Holy Ghost for the office and work of a priest in the Church, now committed to thee by the imposition of our hands. Whose sins thou dost forgive they are forgiven ; and whose sing thou dost retain they are retained." In entire conformity with this, the same priest is subsequently directed in visiting the sick penitent whose