Welsh Journals

at the Working Men's College, and is dedicated to the Members of that institution. It is in part a defence of the British Empire against our German enemies whose favourite dictum is that it has been founded on force and fraud, and that being loosely compacted it must fall to pieces at the first shock of war. The German theorists, in their zeal for our destruction as a Great Power, forgot that the most important factor in promoting unity is external pressure, or the desire to meet a formidable foe without much risk of defeat. In part, this book is a defence of the Empire against the attacks of what is now but a very small remnant of people who fail to grasp the fact that small nations, and weak states can no longer stand alone. Nationalism may give them a certain vitality, but the Nationalism of mighty aggregates of people can also destroy them, as the Germans have (temporarily we trust) destroyed Belgium. The book does not pretend to be a history of the British Empire, though it contains a clear account of when and how its different parts were colonized or acquired. Sir Charles is at pains to explain the meaning of the word" Empire" which has been so obnoxious to many well-meaning people who believed that the days of universal peace had come, or were about to dawn upon us, and who associated the word with vast armies, military government and wars of aggression. In the preface the author quotes the famous statute of Henry VIII., which declares that This Realm of England is an Empire," and explains that this means that England is a sovereign state, subject to no foreign authority whatsoever, henceforward free to pursue her own destiny in things spiritual as well as temporal. At the present day," declares Sir Charles, British Empire connotes British liberty." The six lectures give a clear, and illuminating description of the various epochs of the growth of the Empire, and a most important account of the various causes which moved our forefathers to found new homes beyond the seas. Of the value of the Empire Sir Charles has no doubt whatever, nor should any reader of the book fail to realize how great is the privilege of being a British citizen, and the greatness of the heritage which is ours to defend, and make a blessing to all who dwell within its limits. "Cyflawnder Bendith," sef pregethau gan nifer o weinidogion y Methodistiaid Calfinaidd Dan olygiaeth y Parch D. Mardy Davies, Ponty- cymmer. Dolgellau, argraffwyd gan Mr. E. W. Evans. Swyddfa'r Cymro. 1914. 3s. 6d. net. Cyflawnder Bendith (The fulness of blessing) is a volume of sermons by several more or less well- known ministers of the Calvinistic Methodists, collected and edited by the Rev. D. Mardy Davies. A volume of sermons as a rule is only a collection of spent cartridges; and whatever grim interest may attach to such relics the multiplication of collections of them is scarcely to be encouraged. Comparatively few volumes of sermons have added anything of value to the literature of any nation. A great sermon is not necessarily a great literary achievement. Men's profoundest utterances are seldom artistic. The success of a great sermon depends far more upon the personality of the preacher who delivers it than upon its literary excellence. A great sermon is the living word coming from the heart of a great and good man gifted with the power of moving his fellows to a more serious and sincere view of life and its responsibilities. In reading the volume before us we naturally miss the driving force of the preacher's personality. Take for an example the sermon by the Rev. John Williams, certainly one of the best in the volume. This sermon like all the utterances of our greatest living Welsh preacher has many literary beauties; but how insignificant it is when compared with what it was when we heard it delivered with all the force of his personality and the power of his wonderful voice inspiring it with life and movement. Some of the other sermons can claim no literary value, and are tiresome to read; a few seem to have no bearing whatever upon modern life. The mediaeval theology of some of them gives one furiously to think. Is the preaching of what is to many of us closely akin to superstition the reason why our more intelligent and well-educated young people are losing interest in organized religion? It is certain that some of the references to Adam and the Fall, the Creation and the Day of Judgment are meaning- less to many in Wales to-day. The religion of love and goodwill should not be burdened with exploded cosmic theories that have no relation to the life and teaching of Christ. Our preachers should also treat Biblical myths as myths and not as facts. The volume contains portraits of the preachers which add to the interest of its contents. The frontispiece is a portrait of Lieut.-Colonel David Davies, MP., to whom the volume is dedicated. Yr Unig Fab." "Yr Hen Iaith." "Y Melinydd." By H. 0. Hughes. (Welsh Outlook Press. Is.). The European War has done at least one good service to Welsh letters, for which we cannot be too thankful. It has put an end for the time being