What will be the future of these pieces by which, in the Greek Bible, the contents of Daniel were increased? It is not easy to say. Much will surely depend on the eventual consensus of opinion as to the date of that book itself. Neither the Roman nor Greek Churches shew any sign of modifying their entire,[3] or very slightly qualified, acceptance of these additions as integral parts of Holy Scripture. On the other hand, English-speaking Protestant Dissenters shew almost as little sign of rising to any religious appreciation of them. Between these extremes the Church of England, and perhaps the German and Scandinavian Lutherans, hold, as to these books, an intermediate position, which in this, as in some other questions, may not improbably prove to be the right one. In any case the English Church has always treated them with great respect, a large part of one of them entering into her Morning Prayer, and the other two having been appointed as first lessons in her calendar from 1549 to 1872, except that Bel and the Dragon was removed from 1604 to 1662. Previous to this last date they were read, not as independent books, but as Dan. xiii. and xiv. A patient waiting for the production of further evidence as to the origin and position of these additions can hardly be unrewarded. Meanwhile we may fitly agree with St. Gregory of Nazianzus' lines, which apply as well to these as to the other books of the Apocrypha: Οὐκ ἅπασα βίβλος ἀσφαλὴς, ἡ σεμνὸν ὄνομα τῆς Τραφῆς κεκτημένη. εἰσὶν γὰρ, εἰσὶν ἔσθ᾽ ὅτε ψευδώνυμοι βίβλοι· τινὲς μὲν ἔμμεσοι, καὶ γείτονες, ὡς ἄν τις εἴποι, τῶν ἀληθείας λόγων. (_Poems,_ lib. II., _ad Seleucum_, 252--256; Migne, _Patr. Gr._ xxxvii. 1593.) PART II THE SONG OF THE THREE HOLY CHILDREN בָאֻרִים כַּבְּדוּ יְהוָׂה (יש׳ כד׳ טו׳) THE SONG OF THE THREE HOLY CHILDREN. ANALYSIS. vv. 1, 2. Narrative in continuation of the canonical text, describing the procedure of the three children in the furnace. 3-22. Azarias' confession (3-10), and prayer (11-22), on behalf of them all. 23-28. Narrative describing the fire, the descent of the Angel, and the happy result. 29-68. The Song of praise itself, which may be subdivided thus: God directly addressed in blessing (29-34); after all God's works, celestial objects are addressed, including Angels[4] (35-41); objects of the lower heaven or atmosphere are called upon, including those immediately concerned, wind and dew being placed next to fire and heat (42-51); then the earth[5] and its natural features, and the animals inhabiting it, are called upon (52-59); then the human race, as a whole and in various classes, down to the three children themselves (60-66). In conclusion God is extolled for His ever-enduring mercy in phrases culled from the Psalter (67, 68).