New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-10-08

know good from evi though Satan promises as OF
To speak Of the aspect TO Christianity Of literature
sprnglng rom such root Is quite supernnons LEA
to the wall before the fsncied demands Of some Wild
theory Of aesthetics is OF course denial OF all religion ana
seems 10 do, when NJ Tame says in his description OF
q Sunday service In Edinburgh, that the doctrine OF
the Sermon though rather abstract might awaken re-
Elections and individual reasoning in heads, more
especially in Winter or when ram falls" Perhaps
should not have said that this was Jest, though II
sounds very much like one after all It is once the
keynote and the sum OF NJ. Tane's philosophy win
him mateualistie conditions dominate man. and
he undertakes to explain all that man has been
or done, and all the differences IN ms beng or
doing IN different and places by a reference 10
these Intuitional truths Individual subjective eviis,
independent choice, determination OF mind go for
what soil, climate. and typographical features have
made them, and therefore we noed not wonder very
much to find him making mans religions feelings come
and go with the weather. All the same however,
literature born under such influences must be inherently
bad IL run clear for 1t Is poisoned at the
fountain. Our only hope concerning 1t that 1t may
not la able 10 run long
And now touch UPON another branch OF literature,
emphatcay modern literature which is both large ana
important 1t ID OF much higher type than the pre-,
religion, pure its motive tender in its feeling more or
less graceful and artistic In Its execution and, iOr az
these reasons exceedingly fascinating and actually,
believe, doing good in general way; bat which. as
think would do much more II not for some char-
TO those social stories which appear in our RELIGIOUS
periodicals. and which are more extensively read per
haps than any Others. And what find in many OF them
is hostility not indeed TO religion, but to everything
like defined beliefs. They assert nsDuate the luea
that such beliefs have only contracting ana hardening
effect and that they quite incompatible with that
free play OF the human spirit in the wide atmosphere OF
human sympathy that consciousness OF the divine
love which Is the true and only religion for man. II Is
a tree which s bound TO have beautiful blossoms ana
all manner Of fruit but Its root II have any like that
the orchids must be In the air II must have none
going down into the soil OF positive doctrine, or inc
that the acceptance of creed the soppage Of all
spiritual growth, or as IT, on the contrary 1t were not
the that the Paus and the Johns the Luthers ana
Calvins, the Edwards and the Hodges the Alexander
the Leghtons, Henrys, and Chalmers and all such
great ofrRheousnes have adorned and enriched
the world asst not the that suchwere deeply
planted III the soil OF fixed and definite belief and from
that grew up II IL could be true that the intellect
which In supposed to have mainly TO do with dogma
Though that Is not exclusively the case as many sup
pose) were such an rreconciable enemy the heart
that IL must first be seized and imprisoned before the
heart have freedom beat il 1t were coneey,
yet leave us to take Just as much or as little Of ii
liked Nevertheless this sacrificing Of truth on the altar
OF vague sentimentasm meets continually at pres
emit and often Us anywhere else In the serial stories 10
which refer
There is In many Of them, too n vague idea with re
gard TO the inspiration Of Scripture, taking away as
has observed, its value as supplying an objective
standard both truth and duty. Making the Bible not
the Of God but only word OF God which s TO be
interpreted and acted upon only in the measure tn3t ~
receives seal OF the individual consciousness which
has brOu ght itself into harmony with the absolute VIII
of God" Now n not here TO stand up for any par
tieuar denOminatiOnal belief am not called upon 10
do But certainly protest against form OF teri-
ture passing under the name OF religion which asserts
enforce the idea that no such thing as a
dennie belief is required. hold That sent emit,
in It's spirit and preceps Prove all things hold fast
that which is good" There must be right and
wrong true and a false in the matter OF what we be-
leve else why the Bible given US at all And how
could the Jews be said TO have much advantage over
oJher nations every way and chiefly that 10 them had
been committed the oracles OF Godl There surely is
such thing truth in the world and the missing OF
scnOs those attaching 10 error
o mistake in any other sphere. And question very
much the propriety OF making WORKS OF ncuon te We
If iudIV
ing undne advantage OF literary art. AZ ai events,
Is not good policy in the writer LOT no man eau
eject of his works and deductng from their
yaIne IA works OF art Ia some Of these
stories, too, we find very loose ana lrreVerentla
now refer TO is exceedingly POPULAR but IN these re-
spects 1t is exceedingly unwnolesome. IL may nave
much that good in It's lessons OF patience hopefuness
seIf-abnegation and reliance In some dim way on a
higher power all wrought out with considerable artistic
feeling and dramatic skill but still IN the particulars ~
which have glanced we hayo much TO regret ana 10 Dc
There is also considerable root Of literature con-
nected with cuturist school, which enfOrces theory
az fa"cinatnp about H. but which by making the
individual his own center, chershes an unhealthy self
consciousness and gives to religion winch must be
N il il ANYTHING only secondary place; as one
of the means which culture makes Of along
with many others, to attain It's professional end, the
perfection OF our nature ON every sde. Goethe, me
High Priest OF Culture" he called, was the
earliest promoter of this view followed III England by
Thomas CARLYLE, and more recently by Prof Huxley
looking at II from a naeralistic point OF view, ana IN
its most spiritual aspect bysMr Matthew Arnold WIN
this and cognate Questions President nus oes
Christianity and POsiuyism, ana also PIlnelpal
sharp Of st AIdTewS Scotland IN ms oo9k entleG
handled III manner winch htte or nothing 10
be desired.
LITERATURE NOBLE, NEVERTHELESS, AND TO BE WELL
USED.
trust that no one,wl fancy for moment that any
thing have said is dictated by opposition TO literature
III the true of the word. On the contrary main
tain that this study Of in all Its purer and higher forms
is not pleasant than it is profitable Apart from
the stores OF positive knowledge when are mus oqteu
1t STIMULATING enlarging, aud eevatlng from the very
fact OF bringing the mind into contact with the great
leaders of thought in all places and all times Thackerdy
used 10 say: Cultivate the society OF your better anu
do this emphatcally by the study OF literature, iOi
IL introduces into valuable soccty-ihe moral and
intellectual chiefs OF the world The sympathlzng stu
dent makes acquaintance with such through many OF
friends. No stem conventionalitles exclude MN
from their presence They are MS cnosen
ana trusty companions III all the outgoing OF he nlnu
lie has been with them around the world. ne has sur
rounded the depths Of human passion with Shakespeare
he has breathed the sweet gales OF paradise with hon
he has wandered through the lar-1n region eL seta
with spenser he has climbed the Hill Difhcuty ana
stood the Detachable Mountains with Bunyan ne hah
weDt over the mountain daIsy ana huSed 70 t.e sue
ing waterfall with Wordsworth he has trOdden the
bold region OF chvalric romance, IN winch the stern
of History seen through the uncertain twi
hight OF felton, with Scott and he has passed through
abodes of misery and Vice with Crab6e He is the
cosmopolitan in the widest sense and he finds society
more sauted by the voices Of the gifted, and his dwell
ing is beneath the shadow OF renown. For him Homer
sings the Of Greece aud the Of Troy ana the
thnnderous echoes Of Demosthenes yet finger III bis ears
still he passes downward with the stream Truth
and Beauty are his companions. There are chasns no
doubt from time IN the birth OF agencies for Ma
sparng Of her prodges OF the lofuer type ana
Alp is separated from Alp by engthening plain, Dutthe
beacon-hre flashes from hill 10 hill, and the su1aceut
level Ii rescued from total obscury And there is
little pleasure In the marking Of those giant steps OF
genus down the steep Of time. Ages elapsed ere
Homer's lamp appeared and ages the Manuan swan
heard.
To carry nature lengths unknown before
And ave mien birth asked
Thus aud set ordered times
Aud shot dayspnng into distant chimes
EnbObing region where II chose
In Greece IL sunk, 10 Italy IL
TIL telloas Of Gothic darkness past