'the different branches of the church.' We are told, however, by the journal to which I allude, that the Reverend Henry Ward Beecher, vehemently rejecting every such project, lately 'preached against the schemes of church union, whether planned by pope, protestant, or pagan'--pray understand that these are not my words--and added this characteristic dissuasive from unity. 'The strength of the Christian religion lies,' he said--in what do you suppose? in its truth, its holiness, or its peace? no, but--'_in the number of the existing denominations_.' The hands fall down in reading such words. 'I pray,' said He who will judge the world, 'that they may all be _one_ as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee.' I sincerely trust, replies Mr. Beecher, that they never will be one. 'Be perfect,' said St. Paul, 'in the _same mind_ and the _same judgment_.' It is much more important, rejoins Mr. Beecher, that you should maintain your divisions and perpetuate your differences, for in _them_ lies the strength of Christianity. 'Sects,' observed the same apostle, 'are the work of the flesh.' Mr. Beecher judges them more leniently, and warns his hearers, as you see, against the mistake of St. Paul. Yes, these human teachers have come at last to this. They know so well that supernatural unity is beyond _their_ reach, that they have come to hate it, and to call it an evil! Yet even they will not deny that it was the unity of the first Christians which conquered the heathen world; and when the victory was accomplished, and the surviving pagans had only strength enough left to beat themselves against the ground where they had fallen, _they_ also cried out in their impotent rage, '_Execranda est ista consensio_'--cursed be this unity of the Christians. They had found it to be invincible, but did not know that it was divine. Mr. Beecher dares not say openly, 'Cursed be the unity for which Christ prayed,' for even his disciples, though they can bear a good deal, could not bear _that_; but he is not afraid to say, 'Blessed be chaos!' 'Confusion, thou art my choice!' 'Disorder, be thou mine inheritance!' Let us wish him a happier lot, both in this world and the next." * * * * * IN HEAVEN WE KNOW OUR OWN; OR, SOLACE FOR THE SUFFERING. From the French of the Rev. Father Blot, S.J. New York: The Catholic Publication Society. 1869. We would call special attention to this delightful little book. The lady translator has conferred a very great service on English-speaking Catholics; nor on Catholics alone, but also on all professing Christians "of good-will," who, "Here in the feeble twilight of this world Groping,"