Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-06-19
Transformations of Christianity.

Prof f. F. Evans. of the University Of
Michigan. has translated from the French of
Athanase Coquerc the Younger. book cuJi-
lied First Historical Transformations of
Christianity" which has been recently pub
lished by William V Spencer Of Boston.
This book ha- been ,tpon our table several
weeks. and ha- certainly deserved m earlier
notice 1t Is written in an eminently Chris
tian spirit, and sets forth the author views
with singular clcarnc-- and force.
In the preface the author expresses hi-
confidence that truth is mighty and will
prevail" int he denies that any man or
body Of men, or church. have amy authority
to declare what i truth or 70 bind any ones
conscience. by such declaration. lie says
Religious history is poorly understood
among us. The church. like the court. f1-
it, official hlstoriographer- and the first
condition of learning it. history is t. deny
not only it, pretended iniallihility. Int aIso
its delu=ive unity. The very idea Of Ortho-
loxv j. Il fiction radically false. prctcnsion
which cannot be established In the rcu~c
attributed IL this word there + no orthodoxy
but truth but truth is the monopoly of nn
one and has no need of this title ot school
Jr of .ncristv. 1t euliicc~ it to br called
truth Ltf us dore ~ hltolc. let u~ reeStas.-
i-h facts, and reason upon what T. ami NOT
upon what amy authority wishes t. make
us believe
After declaring that il i IL this =pirit he
has Investigated the transformations of Chris
tianity in the early centuries Of its exist
ence. he thus anticipates criticism
There il group Of critics to whom this
volume viii open ample career those who
have excited against certain passions. bV
affrIning. now. that no ionIer bciffr' in
fhc hring God again. that sermon which
we preached. under the tide Of E/oH rers
Dicu. l. directed agaiHH PRAYER finally that
we are pantherts: while in reality individ-
ualsm-that is To SAY. everything in the
world that is most contrary 60 pantheisln-ir
our point of departure our method
! He declares these arc UNJUST suspicious.
md that such :. assertions, not being based
upon truth, will finally fall to pieces Of
=. their own weight. like all that Is fall"
He closer his preface with the following
! passage from VI. Bdisson
/ :" The Christianity of nl-n has .,iway-
been profoundly inferior to the Christianity
? II
shaken or enguIfed the first. have been ion
/ tie second only renaecence and reiayena-
! ton
I The volume j. dividet into thirteen chap
ters under the following captions The La"
Of Transformation applied 70 the History oi
Religions Before Christianity: The Chris
tanitv of Jesus Christ Christianity amo
= 1 'i-is
tianitv Helcnistic Christianity The Chris
tianitv of st Paul The Christianity of IT
Peter The Christianity of ST. john Roman
Christianity: The Christianity Of the FRS
Fathers of the Church and of the First Here
tics The Christianity Of Constantine
Conclusion.
The volume contains 264 pages. and il il
evident that these chapters must contain onl,
a brief discussion Of these topics The wri
ter shows by his rapid survey Of the histor.
of religions how they have been subject t
change. generally not for the better, excef
as some reformer has brought churches an
, Christians to a purer and more spiritual wol
shin and faith and he finds in this degenel
acv Of the churches the strongest evidenc
against their infalibility. He writes with es
r pecial reference to the Church of Rome, whlc
he thinks had its origin i'll a compromis
between Judaism and Christianity as it wa
taught by Paul, retaining not only the rltu
i alism of the temple worship, but much
: the symbolism of ancient paganlsm- II
prefers Paul to Peter. the spiritual sIgnli
canoe of truth I \ its visible svmboIs In th
: confidence that truth will prevail at last !
E welcomes all discussion and inquiry, N