Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-01-05

/ out thought of being instructed For sale by
| Grout & Putnam.
HALF TRUTHS AND The Truth: Lectures on
the Origin and Development of the prevailing
forms of Uubelicf, considered in relation to the
nature and claims of the Christian System, by
Rev. J. NJ Manning, D. D., Pastor of the Old
| South Church. Boston, and Lecturer on the Re
/ lation of Christianity to Popular Infdeitv, at
| Andover Theological Seminary. Boston: Lee
| & Shepard, publishers. In this handsome quo
decimo volume OF S9S pages we have nine lee
| lures on pantheism, with an introduction. The
| lectures begin with Spinoza, and are occupied
chiefly with the various developments of his
system of philosophizin9. They are entitled:
! Spinoza and Other Masters; Nature and
| Grounds of Pantheism; The German Succession;
Pantheistic Cbristolosy; The Culture which
Pantheism legitimates; Pantheism in the Form
| of Hero-Worshin; Pdntheism in the Form OF Self
Worship; Theism with Panthistic Drift; and
The Strengh and Weakness of Panthesm. The
lecture on "Thesm with Panthistic Drift is
devoted wholly to Theodore Parker
In his Introduction, DR.. Manning admits but
Two sources of speculative unbeliel: pantheism
that defenders of Christianity should not be too
ready to condemn every new speculation or
scientific theory To show the evil of doing
this he refers to Copernicus and Calico; and he
thinks the mistake of the Romish doctors should
not be repeated in dealing with such matters as
geology, Darwinism, and the like. Speaking of
Darwinism, he points out that there are two
theories of theorigin of species and races =
that held by Agassiz and that of Darwin; and
he says:
care we yet sure that either of them is hos
tile 10 the inspired record, so much as to what
translatCrs and interpreters have made that rec
ord say? One or the other of the two theories
may be destined TO prevail; and we can afford
10 wait undiSturbed while the battle goes for
ward IN the outer court Of science, not taking
up our weapons till either special creation or
tranSmutdtion. having been declared victor
there, shall aSsail the sanctuary OF our religious
faith. Why should we eXcommunlcate zoology,
even after its own friends are at peace so long
us il is sure that our sacred phlology has yet
great deal to learn? II it becomes the settled
creed OF the scientific world, as few anticipate,
| suspect, that the races OF men sprang from sew
eral distinct origins, the laws of language may
he trusted to snow us that no word of the BIZ
ble claiming 10 come from God, contradicts
that creed, And on the other hand, if some
iIupEUNNu lOiIl VI DdlWlHlSu peCOlntS eSldD-
lishcd, as is now extremely probable, the task
CT the Bible interpreter will be comparatively
easy"
There are many more than he supposes, who
believe that something like Agassiz's theory of
special creations is far more likely to be estab
lished than the imaginative hypothesis of Mr.
Darwin. But DR.. Manning has made an excel
lent book, not only because he IS a man Of rare
ability, but also because he conducts the discus
sion with remarkable freedom from dogmalism.
1t is quite likely that serious minded free-think-
ers will claim thar he does not fairly meet the
issue raised by the "currcnt infdelires" They
will maintain that a free mind may reject what
he sets forth as authority" without falling
away into either pantheism or materialism;
and he may hear them insisting that he should
meet them at this point and consider fairly their
reasons for rejecting it. The logic OF the school
men, they will tell him, was fruitless because it
was mott tree; the majors of its sylogism being
artificial and imposed by Authority" The claim
of modern philosophy is that IT has "oyerthrown
these artificial majors, put reason in the place
of authority, and made logic free" Why then,
they ask, should free mind hesitate to question
and crticise what You would impose on it as
"aut hority"? Here is the real issue with the
Current inidelities.' 1t cannot be met sue
cesslully by quiet assumption, and a denial of
the free-thinker'5 claim to freedom, involved a
great deal more than christian teachers like DIR.
Manning can accept. For sale by Grout & Put
nam.
MERRY's MUSEUM, for January, published by
Horace B. Fuller, Boston, begins the year in
very promising way; and TO make it more at
tractve, the publisher gives every subscriber for
the year, a copy of fine steel engraving enti-
tied First Love-"