The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1863-02-11
Stock Market.
New YORK, Feb. 10.
New Publications.

ST.. PAUL's EpIsrLE To THE Romans: newly
TRANSLATED, and explained from Missionary
Point of View, by the Right Rev. J. W. Colen-
so, d. D., Bishop of Natal. New York: d.
Appleton & Co. IL mo. PIP. 26l. For sale in
this city by H. l.. Davis.
Bishop Colenso's heart has played his brain
scurvy trick. Ten years ago he dedicated a
small volume of"yillage Sermons" to the Rev
F. d. Maurice, thereby mourning suspicion of
heterodoxy touching the article Of endless future
punishment He was able, it is true, to cite pas
sages from these very sermons, in reply to a vi
olent attack, as orthodox on this important
point as his reviewer could have wished. He was
also prepared to say that his sympathy with
Mr.. Maurice was of merely human and not of
theological sort. But his belief in eternal pun
ishment, as he says himself, had been rather an
acquiescence in the ordinary statements on that
subject than anything more positive.
The controversy appears to have suggested to
him the purpose of seriously examining the
question. This purpose was confirmed by his
experience in Zululand, whittier he went as
missionary the following year, to convert the
heather Caffres, and where it is pleasantly said
the Caffres converted him. In the journal of his
first visitation to the diocese of Natal, published
under the title ''Ten Weeks in Natal, he allud-
ed with some asperity to the practice ON the part
of some missionaries of putting prominently for
ward this dogma, citing from the correspond
ence of an American missionary a passage de-
scribing the agony with which poor child wept
for her father, and mother, and brother, gone to
''the dark place. and asked whythey had not
sent the Gospel from New England before The
preface to Bishop Colenso's new translation Of
the Eplstle to the Romans is dated 1861. The
following passage will show what opinions he
held after the Caffres had labored seven years
with him: THAT utter, unspeakable misery
should be the portion, for endless ages for ever
land ever, alike of all, who are not admitted at
First into the realms of infinite joy-our hearts,
taught as they are by Gods Spirit, instructive
''ly revolt at such a dogma, as a blasphemy up
ION the Name and Character of the High and
holy One, and refuse to believe il, though
Thousand texts Scripture should be produced,
(which may seem, at first sight. to assert it,
Whatever views it may advocate, a book which
contains the result of seven years faithful study,
as Is Claimed in this case, must possess some
value. No scholar will deny, that discussion
of the doctrines of the Epstle to the Romans,
unless based on the original and addressed to
Greek scholars, demands for its basis a new
translation. Bishop Colenso addresses a popu-
lar audience. If for nothing else, his book will
prove valuable for the fine historical study of
the status Of the persons at Rome, to whom st.
Paul addressed his epistle. Bishop Colenso
holds that they were Jews, disposed to think
well of the new sect' of Christians, but far
from realizing the beginning ola Divine DISPENSE
ton entirely new; and accordingly that st.
Paul's object throughout the epistle was to break
down the wall of Jewish concet and exclusive
ness, rs measure preliminary to the establish
ment of Christian church at Rome.
The SPIRITUAL PorSr-or-vIEw; OR THE GLASS
REVERSED. An Answer TO Bishop Colenso
By NJ. Mahan, d. d. New York: d. Apple
ton Co. limo. PIP la. For sale in this
city by ii. L. Davis.
This little book is written by the professor of
ecclesiastical history in the Episcopal theological
Seminary, New York, in reply to Bishop Colen-
SOS work on the Pentateuch In his common
tary on the Epistle to the Romans, completed
two years ago, Bishop Colenso aludes to po-
lygamy, concubnage, slavery, &C., as permit
ted and sometimes commanded under the Mosaic
law, explaining the fact by reference to the
comparatively unenlightened state of society in
those days. In the same way he says we have
no reason to expect scientific knowledge of any
kind, beyond that of the people of his age in
Scripture writer But in translating the
books of Moses into the Zulu tongue, with the
help of "a very intelligent Christian native
the Bishop suddenly found himself in very deep
water. The whole soul of the CafIre ''revolted''
at some of the Mosaic teachings respecting slav-
cry, and as usual it was the missionary who af-
ter closer scrutiny of the subject was convert
ed. His late work, which has caused such q stir
among English theologians, renewing and inten-
styling the excitement occasioned by the famous
Essays and Reviews sets forth the moral and
mathematical reasons for discrediting the Divine
inspiration of the Pentateuch. The numbers in