New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-06-19
NEW PUBLICATIONS..

CHRISTIANITY TIE LOGlC or CREATION BY HENRY
JAMES l20o, rp Ca ID. AP9.ion CO
Tie s,EeLucEs cislecGcs Of writer singnaly cln-
uEg Of eIoe here bought 70 the deooGs: sion
Of he favon;e religion. yisws with wA.ch lis pame
hss lcug been connected among the "a wac retain
lingering resh for absrsct points cf Theology. Most
readers &: the present day Ne too ineo, o. the i'm
mediate prsc.icl spp.ics::Sn Of .dess 70 follow the
sut;le TeGEeCeLts of speculation, which however re-
Esrlahle for scu;enCts profoundly, DO 1T promise,
s. frst sight 70 touch the comprehensive sphere of
everyday iots rses snd puTsus. Go ih's sco,Ilt he
admirable ,gor with which NJ james handles the
themes which he under skes % dis su5s and the VI
sincerity with which he urges hi, conclusions, are in
sufficient 20 command he sssnoS OF this esgsr. sni
J: NUT he sdmed, somewhat superficial generation.
Adj . this tie isct nst lie EXHIBITS only OF
q sres; systsm whi,A hes in rs mind symnetTi-
C,l whole sGd That he has rot euoeny toe grace OF
patience with the curen: opL.trs Of The world, it is
easy 70 perceive that the recognition of hs writings
mus; be rot in proportion 20 Their philosophical kssn-
ness the ubrveed expires siveness OF thsi. rhetoric.
The preseLt work, we think, will ro5 increase bis
points OF clntsct win the common iniad. IL is
fuCroed on the general tea ,hipgs OF the Swedish
seer oi the most Obscure Of modern Orscles, and
is devoted 70 hose sspso.s snd applications OF their doc
trne which have hitherto failed to be recognized by
the mott earnest and intelligent of his disciples.
The starting point Of the author is that the grand
phenomena of divine Tevelson the ere alton OF the
world the incarnation Of the Saviour, the whole mis-
tory Of the Church from Adam to Christ, possess a
spiritual significance before which their merely exter
RAJ aspects become Of comparative unimporsncs. All
tie literal incident. Of tie BIRTH life death and resur
recon OF Christ eternal revelation Of the Divine
ways 20 man These all involve the elements of time,
space and peraop, all within the realm of nature,
ard accordingly do not themselves constitute the sub
stantial verify Of the spiritual creation, but only the
perfect form or manifestation OF that verify. Tue
substantial verify OF the spiritual creation is that the
LIE of man has its exclusive source in the Deity But
HE truth is cIly discerptd by reason, rever by the
senses. As 40 example of the mode in which Mr..
James makes of these primary pOs.nlates, We may
quote bic explanation of the fact of direct vision. IN
spite CT the inverted imsge on the re,ipa.
IL il welkuown law OF optics thst every msge Of
& natural object impressed upon our Ietins tsks' az
.nrerted form. For example, sm looking st morse
passing my window. Now, if you could look into
nv eyes you would perceive that the nags projected
fOm this hOrse upon their retina was upside down.
Natural philosophers, they are called by those Who
conceive that Nature furnishes philosophy as well as
fgotl very much like that lncoeerent gentleman
who tIisd 10 lift himself from lower to 40 upper
alweys insist upon making Nature explain herself o.
give an account of her processes; than which
nothing be more uDphiOsophicsl. For Nature Is
sphere of effects exclusively y, ana utterly banlsnes
cause therefore beyond her borders. 10 ask Nature
10 give you an insight into creation, or TO shed any
light upon her causes 10 ~ reshty not bi, less
absurd than IL would be 10 ask youc coat and psn'a-
looms 20 give you ineight iuto humanity, or eXp-
cate their genesis IN the moral ard meteorological
L. cesses of their wesrer Nevertheless, our natural
philosophers view things differently, and have long
been trying to aocouLt GA optical principles, exclusive
y, for SEEING things upright, q" spite OF nc anra'
JtaJlg inherited form they take upon The ret,Rd. Tney
ray they fed 1t easy enough 10 account on natural
principles for the inverted form sef 10: this Is
purely optical fact growing out OF the relations OF the
eve to light and needs only tue knowedgs OF those
relations 10 explain IT, What they call accounting Tor
g. IN sLar4, 10 s~iy es~tiuS Ito constitution.
But car seeing things upright, in spite OF the IT,
verted image they take upon the retra In tine, the
bare fact Of SIGHT at all All this 10 by no means a
mere optical fact, ard refuses 10 be explained upon
purely natural principles il. u tact utterly tram
scendDg the realm Of optics end your most Ingenious
lIeTscbss AID AragOs are not whit better qlsIit I'd
20 prOnOanCe uCJn Il an you or or a0y Otuer elul-
ply honest pcrsOr For sight considered active, is
g fact OF life exclusively Of life insoiiestipg itself no
doubt by organized medium, but entirely unldenti-
ca with eUch dunn. L. saori, eight is purely b
JECTIYE experience, the experience oil hyiog SUB
let and refuses 10 become ineligible shye ~ refer
.lce TO that Supreme Life or Being to whlcd "e are
al yar.Ouy but equally subject. To ind srJt snd the
phpvCmeIa OF tlEht eccOfOlDEy perceive iue rei-
on " n.y. for example, all things Ia nature up
right when their mAges are Teilectsd upon tue retht
III on inverted form, We m1st not merely know tae
l.ws Op.ce bug mult above all things know III Q
lsws oi Life, lie universal aid particular. Aud those
ltWs es have afesdy seer demand for tneir euci-
d6ton lis hit above thai OF the sun, dcmsnd, IN Tact,
8 spritua Revelation such rs Christianity purports
to De.
l.. stempt 10 approach this gre 81 the ne, then,
in vey which viii net too violently shock your
preincices, by seeking TO expliin the pheno 1ena OF
rstsfal yiricp, OF to snow why We InvacsDly ses
horses aid csttle, houses end trees, upright when
their limoges slweys reflected upon the reilna up
side dO~D.
Ths euTmary plan. ion OF al natural oxp3r.3cc,s,
snd tins sIooDg the res,, is That Nature is bat an
trJermcat0i world n other words, that ron her
loaest pebble up, to ner perfected TORN, %hi,l
II the human body, she j. Du, 4 nilrr0r OF the
s,ul or true c-set'Jn; sud j. 10 Dever the tdnc-
ten If IL rirror 80 reflect inst wh.cn Inward
ly or really or generously Is, bu. only tls, winch
outwGrdy or actually or urcous 1ou7Iy aAfars'
IG Other words, the mirror never reii CTS beicg a3
eXiss 10 ise consciously bu, only IS u exists g.
0trers or pnenOmen.ly. Thus % never lnp +fti 90
isJpgence o. wisdom 10 ~ bu, only f4c or appear
snce, VI zen ale the servens Of "Isd,n Il, iyr eA'
Lmpl-, scou!d Vist ny gas every AorAlcS 10 In,
s.Tuc.lCn az well - Information, Tor " sd0'n a, "el
be kuOgedge if should 20 there Got merely % ak
how ] obEeaT 10 oilers than myself, bu. $40 o. 49,
nos ] real y exist 10 myself, should instantly hn1
every dictate Of my ccnsclO1sOess Del5d. ! rlOuh
b. aUle IT, pat tie ystch whicl belonged 10 my right
check uuol TIE lef., ard give my lett nh skier the
uiumiIg witch every interest VI equilibrium de-
arded cry ior tire gh;. For the mirror Invariably
tel, ne ths. ny Iigh. nand il my let AMI my lt't
hand nv reLt - that If | were 70 obey rs io-tfuc.
op for ne cG truth OF the use, nsteed Of depehd
rg * -lusHtly upon my Own natural cJps;ou'nessi
loud soon exhibit ss issSLe picture psIsoaay or
VITA reference the Interests If ny body A. h does
rrirtusly or with reference 70 the Interests Of the
.cni V 10 f.ws the teachings OF N.tafe 10 tb.t 70.
CAD, Without reference 70 tne commLndirg ight Of
Revelation. 10 short, mirrors never disclose toe