eligion of the Jews, it would never have attracted attention, these
critics said. It had called for notice simply because of its trenchant
remarks in regard to some of those Bible celebrities who, it was
generally understood, were considered worthy of admiration.

Why could Mr. Holland not have followed up the course indicated in his
book by showing up some of the other persons in the Bible? it was asked.
There were quite a number of characters in the Bible who were regarded
as estimable. Why could he not then have followed up his original scheme
of "showing them up?"--that was the phrase of the critics. There was
Solomon, for instance. He was usually regarded as a person of high
intellectual gifts; but there was surely a good deal in his career which
was susceptible of piquant treatment. And then someone said that Noah
should have a chapter all to himself, also Lot; and what about the spies
who had entered Jericho? Could the imagination not suggest the story
which they had told to their wives on their return to the camp, relative
to the house in which they had passed all their spare time? They
supposed that Jericho was the Paris of the high class Jews of those
days.

Then the conversation of these critics drifted on to the Paris of
to-day, and the sermon and its lessons were forgotten as easily as is
an ordinary sermon. But all the same it was plain that the clergyman had
fallen short of what was expected of him upon this occasion. His book
had gone far, and it was felt that he should have gone one better than
his book, so to speak. Instead of that his sermon had been one to which
scarcely any exception could be taken.

But the bishop's chaplain, who had watched at intervals of praying, came
to the conclusion that the rector of St. Chad's was a good deal cleverer
than the majority of youngish clergymen who endeavor to qualify
for prosecution. It may be unorthodox to cross one's arms with the
regularity of clockwork on coming to certain words in the service, and
young clergymen had been prosecuted for less; but it was not unorthodox
to speak evil of the Jews--for did not the Church pray for the Jews
daily? and can anyone insult a man more than by praying for him--unless,
of course, he is a king, in which case it is understood that no insult
is intended?

The bishop's chaplain prepared a report of the sermon for his lordship,
pointing out its general harmony, broadly speaking, with the tenets of
the Church.

Mr. Ay