Excerpt from The Presbyterian Quarterly and Princeton Review: April, 1872 Soon discovered the rare mental gifts of her son Henry, who was the youngest of her four children, and applied herself to foster his talents. She stimulated his intense desire for know ledge, instructed him in the elements of secular learning, and explained to him the principles of those great scriptural doc trines which in after years he defended with such eloquence and success. Dr. Cooke often referred to the benefits which he derived from his early religious training I received my first instructions in theology, he said, on one occasion, at my mother's side. The Shorter Catechism was her text - book; the Confession of Faith was her Christian Institutes, the Bible was her final and sole standard of appeal could not yet see the grounds or reasons for all she taught me to beheve I had not opportunity, perhaps I had not then ability, to in vestigate thoroughly the foundations of our faith. I was con sequently not fully established. But I resolved, one day or other, to study out for myself, and, if possible, completely to master the evidences and proofs of Calvinistic theology, with a view to. Make it, if approved, the basis of my Christian char acter and acts through life. Of Henry Cooke's schools, school-masters, and school-boy days, some interesting accounts have been preserved. His first teacher was a Mr. Joseph Pollock, a man of limited edu cation and boundless conceit; but on the 'whole an excellent teacher, as teachers were in those days. To his credit, be it told, he recognized the ability of his pupil. Young Cooke soon attracted his attention. He was then an emaciated, deli cate looking boy, with sharp features, jet black hair, and pierc ing grey eyes. His movements were quick; his voice clear and ringing; his speech easy and fluent. The ordinary tasks of the school gave him little trouble he learned them as if by instinct. Pollock was fond of him. Pointing to young Cooke, he said one day, with an-air of dignity, to an intimate friend, ' I tell you, sir, that that lad, if spared, will rival, if not excel myself.' About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.