New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-05-10

cloth! Is it in the nature of things that
"devotion" should ever become e profess
sion seeinl Will any lazy lout OF
"brother," six feet high and we'll proper
toned, ever sgsin deem his piety I'M
periled by participation Of secular cares!
And can any pretension be fuller OF
subtle indelicacy-be more wholly at war
with the spontaneous purity Of woman
than the cultivation of an aggressive or
militant chastity The chastity which
attends the normal use Of our nature is
genuine, and constitutes its own reward.
That which springs from a constrained dis
use of nature is spurious, is vicious, simply
because it claims to be m:rlt0rioaS, or
moved by the hope of rccompense. Be
sides, it is sure to defeat its own purpose
We are never conscious of the eye that
performs its natural functions, bat let us, in
obedience to some spiritual bedevilmcnt,
throw it into a voluntary disuss for the
term of our mortal life, and we shall soon
grow conscious of nothing else. We shall
become all eye-a living, breathing, peri
patc,ic and pi,iable Amaurosis.
The literature of the other side Of the
question is much more strenuous in It's
quality. In fact it cannot fail very soon to
command universal attention. We do not
mean that which aims to refute Puseyism
az an ecclesiastical pretensiOn simply; but
rather that which explodes the entire phi
losophy Of the retrograde movement, by
demonstration of the purely humanitary
crds Of religion. The movement in the
established Church, known as "Christian
Socialism" and led by such men as Pro-
fessor Maurice, Rev. Mr.. ingsley, the au-
thor Of Alton Locke, Mr.. Ludlow, a dis
tipguished bsrrister, etc. is doubtless very
significant, ami its publications may be
found, we believe, in this city. But the
crisis has begotten a taller cham ionshiP
than this, which will be found expressing
itself in a host of able books recently put
forth by John Chapman, ard other pub
fishers.
We give the names Of few Of them, and
on future occasion may be able to give
some extracts illustrative OF their scope and
ability.
popular Christianity, its Transition
State, and probable Development" by Rev.
F. FoxroN. Nemesis Of Faith by J.A'
FRoUDE, brother of the gentleman who
originally started Puseyism. "1he Pro-
gress Of the Intellect as exemplified in the
religious development of the Greeks and
Hebrews by ROBERT WILLIAM MAcKAT,
. vols- evo. {" Theory Of Human Pro-
erosion, or the natural probability of a
Reign of Justice" This is an anonymous
Scotch publication. "T'he alpha, or an
Inquiry into the nature of Truth" also
anonymous. Social States, or the con-
ditions essential to Human Happiness spe-
cited, by HERBERT SPENCER"
We have not read all these works, and
have not the prcsent space to speak at large
upon those we have read. Mr.. Mackay's
book is full Of learning, rather too full, as
his purpose becomes OVERLAND by the mas
Of materials brought to elUcidate it. But i.
will greatly interest and further those who
are seeking in this day OF petty ccclesiasti-
cal divisions to trace out the grand cnitary
features Of religious development in all ma
tons. The 81 heory Of Human Progress
sion" is avery thoughtful book, written, we
understand, by Scotch baTister. The
author is q staunch Calvinist, having never
been able to disgorge the Westminster Cat
echism which he swallowed in his youth,
with all it "requiTes" and all it "forbids.'
But he is none the less animated by the
profoundeGt sense Of justice in his political
criticisms, and develops a really curious
probability Of a natural reign of righteous
ness on the earth. He attempts the same
grand utilization Of the sciences which
CoMTEhas effected in larger characters, but
it is not clear from the book, which is dedi-
Gated to Victor Cousin, that the author is
aware of Comtes labors. The Theory"
is row republishing by Boston bookseller,
and it will no doubt attract many readers.
We shall give a sample or two of the ou-
thor's sly lie of thought and writing in few
days.
"S0ciaI States" issn extremelyresdable
book, though closely logical in form. 1t is
strictly whati'. title imports, an inquiry INFO
tie conditions Of human happiness, and a