"What might you mean, Mrs. Arnold? I do not quite understand."

"My dear Miss Hale, I mean just this. Our Lord Jesus Christ has given us directions how we are to act in case of offence or injury received: If thy brother trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone.' This is the first step. 'If he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother; but if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the Church; but if he neglect to hear the Church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican.' Now, I do not happen to know all the particulars of this unhappy misunderstanding, but I do know that neither Mrs. Brown nor Mrs. Smith attended to this direction. When Mrs. Brown conceived herself injured by Mrs. Smith, she did not go to Mrs. Smith herself to remonstrate, but went to this friend and that, with complaints and accusations. Then Mrs. Smith, when these accusations came to her ears, did not seek explanation from Mrs. Brown, but hurried with her side of the story to minister and deacons. Surely such disregard to a plain direction of our Lord must be wrong!" hesitated Miss Hale.

But

"But what?" inquired Mrs. Arnold.

'Well, you know scarcely any one ever does take that way." "I am afraid what you say is true; but is not that the strange and evil thing? We call Christ Master and Lord, and yet in this matter, wherein He has given us directions so distinct and explicit, we just take our own way, as though He had never spoken at all.” 'But, Mrs. Arnold, many of our Lord's sayings are not to be taken literally."

"Granted. Our Lord taught many things by parables and in proverbs, and doubtless the mere form and letter of His teaching was in a measure moulded by existing circumstances and modes of acting and speaking. But the words He spoke are, as the Lord said Himself, when certain figurative expressions He had used were cavilled against, Spirit and life'-true and authoritative in their essential meaning for all times and under all conditions; and woe to us, if we find in the form of the command an excuse for disobedience

to its spirit. In this particular instance, however, a literal meaning seems the only one admissible. The words, 'Go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone,' can scarcely mean anything but

simply what they say. At any rate, the most ingenious adept at non-natural interpretations could scarcely discover that they were intended to convey, 'Studiously avoid all communication with the person trespassing against you, and tell the offence to every one you can get to listen to the tale.""

"Well, no," said Miss Hale, "I suppose not. But then you see, Mrs. Arnold, a good many offences arise which are really not worth calling trespasses, or complaining of to the offender."

'True, verily! One scarcely knows whether to laugh or cry because of the utter trivialities in which quarrels will originate, and that amongst us, too, who profess to have been redeemed with the precious blood of Christ, forgiven the ten thousand talents, who call ourselves the children of one Father, say we are looking forward to one home. But, I think, here would be one advantage of a resolute determination to abide by our Saviour's rule. If, on feeling ourselves aggrieved, we went in the first place to the offender, or even seriously thought of so doing, we should be compelled to look at the matter with some measure of fairness, to state the facts as they really occurred, without exaggeration or distortion. Not seldom just doing this might convince us that there had been no trespass after all, only something misunderstood, some unintentional slight, a matter to be passed by and forgotten, not allowed by any means to lessen our charity of feeling and act. On the other hand, if the too common practice is followed, keeping aloof from the offender and talking of the offence to one and another, there is danger on each repetition of little unconscious exaggerations and additions, and a certainty of reawakening feelings of irritation and annoyance. Then some of those who have heard the story are sure to repeat it with additions and misstatements of their own, until-'Behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth.' To this one thing we must make up our minds: if an offence is not worth speaking of to the offender, it is not worth speaking of to any one else, and must not be so spoken of.” "No doubt you are right, Mrs. Arnold, and it would be much better for the peace of the Church if this rule were observed. I wish it had been in this case. I am so tired of the whole affair, I feel half inclined to leave the chapel, and so hear no more about it."

"My dear friend, you must needs go out of the world if you would escape altogether the strife of tongues. Far better remain where God has placed you, and try, as far as in you lies, to gain the blessedness of the peacemakers."

“A very difficult office, I am thinking. I should ask how such a work is to be set about, had our walk been a longer one," for at this moment Mrs. Arnold's gate was reached.

Pray

"Nay, if our walk is ended our conversation need not be. favour me with your company a little longer, I am all alone to-night," said Mrs. Arnold, opening the garden gate.

How the conversation was continued, we will tell in our next.

A

THE NOTTINGHAM CONFERENCES.

SERIES of Conferences has recently been held at Nottingham

which are likely to lead to important results in that town and elsewhere. The first meetings were connected with the Congregational Institute, and especially with its Annual Assembly and its Triennial Conference of Old Students. At the second, the representatives of the four counties of Nottingham, Leicester, Derby, and Lincoln, met for special prayer and deliberation with regard to a revival of religion in their midst. Representatives of upwards of forty Churches were present; and, after lengthened consideration, various resolutions were adopted, of which the most important were the following:

"1. That the meeting requests the ministers and deacons of each Church in the counties of Nottingham, Derby, Leicester, and Lincoln, to invite its most earnest members to an early conference to consider how their Church, in all its members, can fulfil the great object for which it was instituted and organised-namely, to make known, privately and publicly, the redeeming truth of Christ, and also to make known His love to the poor, the sick, and the lost in its neighbourhood.

"2. That the Churches in these four midland counties be requested, after due preparation by prayer, to arrange for a series of special evangelistic services during the coming winter, and that the ministers of the four counties be requested to hold themselves ready to respond to any invitations to take part in these services."

It was also decided that similar Conferences should be held in the towns of Derby, Leicester, and Lincoln.

These meetings had scarcely closed when a third series commenced, and the clergy and laity of Christian denominations met, on the

invitation of the Revs. Canon Morse and J. B. Paton, to consider the relation of Christianity to the wants of the people. The room in which the deliberations were to have taken place would not contain the audience, and an adjournment had to be made to the largest hall of the Mechanics' Institute, where the proceedings continued during the remainder of the day, some 500 persons being present in the morning, and more than 1,000 at night. Papers were read and discussions taken on the care of discharged female prisoners, the nursing of the sick, and especially of the sick poor in large towns, on neglected and criminal children, the Inner Mission of Germany and its lessons for us, our workhouse children, &c.; and the following resolutions were enthusiastically adopted:

"That a union be formed in the town, consisting of the representatives of all existing Christian charities and Christian societies working for social ends, and all representatives of the Church of Christ in this town. Its objects shall be

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First, to strengthen by such union the several societies and charities, and make them acquainted with each other's work, and to manifest the unity of the Christian spirit that inspires them all.

"Secondly, to collate and study facts connected with the physical, moral, and social condition of the town, and to impress on the public mind the practical relation and study of the Christian Church in view of these facts.

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Thirdly, to take counsel and action with the civil agencies of the town on matters with which they are connected, and which affect the social well-being of the people.

"Fourthly, to incite and direct individual and Church labours so as to relieve distress and save from vice, and to inspire and regulate all social institutions with a Christian spirit.

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Fifthly, where existing agencies are separated from Church action, and do not meet any special and urgent wants of the town, to institute and conduct such agencies as shall; and,

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'Sixthly, to exhibit, by such combined action for the well-being of the people, the reality of Christian unity, and the social redemption that is effected by Christian love."

The week that followed the holding of the above Conferences witnessed the public inauguration of another enterprise that is likely to secure widespread benefits to the people of this country. The Earl of Carnarvon, Lord Belper, and other gentlemen of influence connected with the Universities, were present. It is for the Extension of

University Education; and its aim in a word is, that since everybody cannot go to the Universities, the Universities shall, through some of their ablest representatives, go to everybody. "Our object," said the circular, "is to bring effective and suitable University Education within the reach of all classes of the people, that our sons and daughters who have finished school may continue their education under competent University teachers, and that working men may have systematic and able instruction in subjects that interest them and will profit them. The University of Cambridge has drawn up the course of studies for our town which it will teach through its own authorised teachers, and it now rests with our townsmen so to co-operate with the University as to secure for this noble project of the University a perfect success.”

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The subjects to be taught are Political Economy, English Literature, Physical Science, Physical Geography, and English Constitutional History; and the persons for whom they are intended are young ladies who have left school, young men in business, and working men. The University teacher, who gives instruction in the morning to classes composed chiefly of educated young men and women, will give instruction in the evening of the same day to the working men in the town, by a series of lectures and by the careful discussion in class of the questions he has raised. If neighbouring towns be grouped, the teacher might spend one day during the week in each of four or five towns, or two days in each of three towns; and in such a circuit three or four teachers, or more, might be engaged at one time."

[As inquiries are being made in various parts of the country by those who are contemplating similar kinds of work to those to which we have referred, the Editor of THE CHRISTIAN'S PENNY MAGAZINE, Congregational Institute, Nottingham, will be glad to furnish any particulars that may be desired, whether on the Conference on the relation of Christianity to the wants of the times, or on University Extension.]

WHEN you see a man with a great deal of religion displayed in his shop-window, you may depend upon it he keeps a very small stock of it within.

WHATEVER is done by those around you, be yourself fully determined to walk in the most excellent way.