A Bishop Among his Flock     BY THE RT. REV. ETHELBERT TALBOT, D.D., LL.D. BISHOP OF BETHLEHEM, U.S.A.           HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERS NEW YORK AND LONDON MCMXIV

Chapter I. Has God Spoken?
Chapter II. Am I Responsible?
Chapter III. What Shall I Believe?
Chapter IV. What Does Christ Demand?
Chapter V. Christ and the Church
Chapter VI. The Church and the Ministry
Chapter VII. The Church and the Sacraments
Chapter VIII. The Relation of the Bible to the Church
Chapter IX. The Church and Public Worship
Chapter X. The Ideal Layman
Chapter XI. The Claims of the Ministry as a Vocation
Chapter XII. Religion and Business
Chapter XIII. Our Church Machinery
Chapter XIV. The Christian Year
Chapter XV. Christian Education
Chapter XVI. Our Church Before and After the Reformation
Chapter XVII. The Church and Christian Unity
Chapter XVIII. The Church and Social Service
Chapter XIX. The Church's World-Wide Mission

PREFACE

The following chapters have been written in those rare moments of leisure enjoyed now and then in the busy life of a bishop. They are supposed to be addressed to that large family of spiritual children, young and old, which makes up the household of faith in his own diocese.

As the members of his flock differ greatly in spiritual attainment and religious knowledge, so their needs vary accordingly. This diversity of knowledge and of experience must also account for the wide range of subjects discussed and the elementary method of treatment frequently employed.

Many of the subjects considered have been suggested by the writer's personal experience, and represent an effort on his part to meet real problems brought home to him as he has gone in and out among his people. It has been his aim throughout to be constructive and helpful, and to give his people a reason for the faith that is in them.

In endeavoring to achieve this end he has tried to be fair and considerate toward all who may differ from the Church's teaching and practice.

While many books have been written covering in the main the same ground and what has been said in the following pages has often been said more felicitously, yet the author feels abundantly justified in supplying his own people, as coming from himself as their bishop, with what he feels every well-equipped churchman should possess. Moreover, he is persuaded that the great difficulty in this busy age in which we live is to induce people to read religious books at all, and he trusts that these thoughts may appeal to many because of the personal relation existing between themselves and their chief pastor He offers no apology, therefore, in trying to meet, however inadequately, what he knows to be a widely felt need of those committed to his spiritual care and jurisdiction.

He entertains the hope that the views to which he has given expression in this volume may make a slight contribution to three desirable ends. First, that they may help some of his flock to love God more earnestly and to serve Him with greater devotion; secondly, that others may be led to be more helpful to their brethren and become active workers in the Church; and, thirdly, that all may derive from them some measure of real joy and happiness in their religious life.

Ethelbert Talbot.
Bishop's House, South Bethlehem, Pa.

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