The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-06-05
BOOK NOTICES.

N.
The title OF this book fully represents its character
The author Is defender Of Christianity rom his
point Of view and believer Jesus as the Messiah,
according to his way OF viewing the matter, and he
has bestowed great deal OF labor with considerable
learning, to show 'who was Jesus" He was too
modest " appears, to give his name to the public,
but we understand he Is private gentleman Of for
tune and q native citizen Of New York. The work
shows, however, that he il learned enough in theo
ogy, biblical history and the original languages In
which the Scriptures were written to be first class
divine. He shows who Jesus was in the purpose and
dispensaon OF Providence In the symbols, aAegories
and prophesies OF the Old Testament and under the
Jewish system in actual history, in the Church, In
chronology. In psychology and in the development
and progress Of mankind. The seven hundred pages
Of print on these topics may not be remark
ably interesting to the general reader, but they
will be to theologans, religious disputers and
those Of an inquiring and philosophical turn
Of mind, for the book IS something new ana
falls appropriately with the religious, spiritual
and intellectual movements of the age In fact 1t In
very curious book, and seems to spring naturally
from the spirit Of the times. ."
The tendency of the age il to scepticism and pure
rationasm on one hand and to extreme credulity in
supernatural or spiritual influence and power on the
other. large class OF scepucs Will not admit any
thing supernatural or that cannot be demonstrated
like mathematical problem, though the universe,
with all in it, Is miraculous and ncomprehenstble to
the mind of man. The nationalist who ignores every
thing supernatural and follows up his developments
theory according TO fixed laws comes at last to
point when he can go no farther. He falls down In
blank despair Of rathoming The profound mystery OF
the beginning OF the material universe in any form.
or he has to admit an Almighty creative Intelligence
and power which must be supernatural to The finite
comprehension OF man. But there IS another class
or scepticS In the Christian world ana very numer-
class, that reject divine revelation IN part
that deny what orthodox Christians understand
and believe AZ miracles, and even q speciai
providence acting superior to and operating upon
@ Sr aw n the When they DO
not suit their theories and admit them Wnen tney
do. Renan and Strauss though they admit some Of
strictly historical facts with regard TO Jesus ana
surround him with sort OF poetcal halo, arc Is
much sceptics or inides as Voltaire or Tom Paine
so~are nominal Christians and splrtualists. Henry
Ward Beecher Is good representative OF the sccp
tics calling themselves Christians. This sort o.
sceptIcism extends further among the preachers
and congregations In this country, and particularly
IN New England than many imngme me sSp or .tc
| adopted Jesus as their greatest medium an0 tne
| highest source Of spiritual influence while they DO
not for the most part believe In the orthodox doc
trnes OF redemption, salvation or vcarioue secrb
| Ace, or In the miracles recorded In the Gospes.
Strange to say however they pretend to work or see
miracles scarcely less extraordinary, in which the
laws Of nature are suspended or overcome py
The anthor o. ..Who was Jesus ~ evidently inclines
| to Spirituasm though he repudiates the assumed
freaks Of dsenoodied spirits In table tipping ano
other such useless demonstrations silly lOglcal
and unworthy the deniZens Of the spirit world still
ne believes In the direct influence OF spirits upon
and their positive intervention In the AFFAIRS OF
the world. He maintains that Jesus was the Christ.
or Messiah, but the son, by nature OF Joseph and
nation OF the spirit OF God being perfect man and
the Christ But he goes further and asserts that this
Christ or the Word had passed through several M IN
| and others progressively, up 10 the incarnauon "
Jesus, when the fulness OF the spirit OF God was
| manifested IN him. Here we see a combination OF
| Buddhism and the doctrines OF the Gnostcs, who
Ourjshed In the second century OF the Christian era.
The incarnaons Of Boodh, the vows of the Gnostics
and the several progressive incarnatons OF Christ.
according TO this author, are very much alike. In
fact the system OF Christian allegory and mysticism
| which a famous GnOstc, Bardesancs, who fOurished
In Edissa about A. ID. 161 maintained Is similar To
| the views OF this writer. All those miracu.
down TO the establishment OF Christianity are re-
corded In Scripture and, rs believed In by orthodox
Christians throughout the history Of the ChurfK arc
treated rs allegores or symbols In doing this the
author shows great deal OF ingenuity and research
| and brings TO his aid revised translation OF the
| Hebrew text, with an elaborate system Of chron-
curious book making ont new and convenient sys-
TEN Of religion, combined OF scepticsHl. Spiritual
ism, mysticism Gnostcism, Buddhism and Chris
tianity And It reflects In a striking manner the free
and speculative spirit OF the age as well as the ex-
losophy, psychology and religion.
| HAMPERS PICTORIAL HISTORY OF THE GREAT RE-
BELLION. Published by Harper Brothers. ~
With No. 80 Of this popular but not very authentic
| or unprecedented work comes the announcements
| that IL will be completed with No. IS. The book
| will, however, be always valuable ~ a work OF art
or artistic reference, owing to the fact that the
citing events that are therein illustrated taken
the spot during the actual occurrence OF the STIR
ring scenes which they portray and which in future
years will unquestionaby be Interesting alike to the
student ana the artist ~