"The subject is an interesting one, and it is treated with very
considerable ability. Mr. Ritchie has the valuable art of saying many
things in few words; he is never diffuse, never dull, and succeeds in
being graphic without becoming flippant. Occasionally his strength of
thought and style borders rather too closely on coarseness; but this
fault of vigorous natures is counterbalanced by compensatory merits--by
an utter absence of cant, a manly grasp of thought, and a wise and genial
human-heartedness. The book is a sincere book; the writer says what he
means, and means what he says. In these half-earnest days it is a
comfort to meet with any one who has 'the courage of his opinions,'
especially on such a subject as the 'London Pulpit.'"--_Daily News_.
"It is just the book for the innumerable Religious Book Clubs, one of
which is to be found in every market town and every considerable village.
Perhaps it would have sold more rapidly but for its 'exceeding honesty'
and impartiality, which, however, in our opinion, are its great
recommendations. Mr. Ritchie is either of no sect, or else he has
attained to such a point of freedom, that though he may be especially
attached to one, he can look with an impartial eye upon the virtues and
failings of all. None but a practised hand could have succeeded in
presenting such generally accurate portraits with so few strokes of the
pencil."--_Illustrated Times_.
"One of the cleverest productions of the present day."--_Morning Herald_.
"Discriminating in observation, just in verdict, lofty in its ideal of
pulpit excellence, and thoroughly interesting in style."--_Homilist_.
"Mr. Ritchie is just the man to dash off a series of portraits, bold in
outline, strikingly like the originals in feature and expression, and
characterised by bright and effectual colouring."--_Civil Service
Gazette_.
"The style of Mr. Ritchie is always lively and fluent, and oftentimes
eloquent. It comes the nearest to Hazlitt's of any modern writer we
know. His views and opinions are always dear, manly, and unobjectionable
as regards the manner in which they are set forth. Many, no doubt, will
not agree with them, but none can be offended at them. As we have
already remarked, Mr. Ritchie does not write as a sectarian, and it is
impossible to collect from the treatise to what sect he belongs. The
tendency of these sketches is to introduce into the pulpit a better style
of preaching than what we have been accustomed to."--_Critic_.
"Mr. Ritchie's pen-and-ink sketches of the popular preachers of London
are as life-like as they are brilliant and delightful."--_The Sun_.
"Without going so far as the late Sir Robert Peel, and saying that there
are three ways of viewing this as well as every other subject, it will be
allowed that the clerical body may be contemplated either from within one
of their special folds, and under the influence of peculiar religious
views, or in a purely lay, historical manner, and, so we suppose we ought
to say, from the 'platform of humanity' at large. The latter is the idea
developed in Mr. Ritchie's volume, and cleverly and amusingly it is done.
One great merit is, that his characters are not unnecessarily spun out.
We have a few rapid dashes of the pencil, and then the mind is relieved
by a change of scene and person. . . . He displays considerable
discrimination of judgment, and a good deal of humour."--_The Inquirer_.
"There is considerable verisimilitude in these sketches, though they are
much too brief to be regarded as more than mere outlines. It is
possible, however, to throw character even into an outline, and this is
done with good effect in several of these smart and off-hand
compositions."--_Tait_.
"It is lively, freshly written, at times powerful, and its facts
carefully put together. It bears the stamp of an earnest spirit, eager
in its search after truth, and strongly set against affectation and
pretence of every sort."--_Globe_.
"Some of the sketches are very good."--_Literary Gazette_.
* * * * *
_Just published_, _price_ 3_s._ 6_d._, _bound in cloth_, _Second
Edition_,
_Revised_.