, 1873-07-06
ENGLISH RATf0f]ALISM,

EN1dMAB OF LIFE. Dy ". II. GREa. London |
Trnebner l. Co.; Chicago: Janaoil, AteCnry l. Gu. |
Also reprinted by Jnn,ca X. Osgood 4 Co.. nnston.
This volume, like TINT OF DR.. 1,uoohnor, which |
wo rooently noticed, rc1oota Revelation and &C.
cepts Darwinlan,, or tllo development theory. |
Unliso tho lattor, 1t Ia rovcrcnt, tolerant, and
mainly uncontrovorsal in tono. Mr.. drog Is MI |
optimist. Ho thinks that mankind aro capable |
of much bottor thtngB than thoy have evor |
achieved; indood, TINT tho millennium, although
distant, can bo roachod without supernatural
AGENCY. In his profaco he tolls uB that, to him
aolf, the difficulties in tho way of boliev-
ing in tho existence Of Personal Oroa-
tor are immense; but that tho difficult
t1oB in tho way of concoivlng Of
tho origin and evolution OF tho actual universe
without such Creator, are insupcrab1o. His
belief In tho ox,Btonco OF Orcntor amounts to
absolute conviction. His belief in a future
stato OF existence for man is SOLEMN hopo. He
docs not SEQ tho necessity, howovor, Of con-
forring Immortality on the wicked and dopraved.
It would DO much filter, ho thinks, to bestow i'm
mortality on tho dog who savoB tho life Of
drowning child, that OH man who habitunlly
boats bis wife. Flo has seen dogs who looked
immortal. He has also ssen mon who looked
tho rovorHo. Ho docs not think that the
think that He can make lio equal to tho truth,
or mako two and two equal five. His conception
of the supr emo Being ia OF Ono who Is incalcula-
bly,, inconcolVably groat, wiao md bono1cont,
yet subject to conditions.
Tho volume ia compriged in seven chapters.
| Tho first is entitled "Rcnlizablo Ideals." We
oil hnyo our ideals Of nfo. There arc certain
schemes and plans OF existence in this world, tho
which, If all power woro given us, VIC would put
In force with tho view Of promoting the greatest
| happiness Of tho greatest number. All power
| Is not given to any Of III. How
| many Of thoao ideals arc roalizable unlor the
| conditions In which wo liyo,-considering tho
| imperfections Of human nature and the tough
| job the average man has to earn 4 living? The
| author believes that every evil except death
(which IL not an owl whom 1t comes to the relief
Of old ago) may DO eliminated, aud tho yawning
gulf between tho Actual and the 1doal at lust
brldged ovar. Ho thinks this Is tho only belief
compatible with true poty, for lie "can per-
ceive no beauty, no religion, III the notion TINT
| God placed us In this world only that wo
might DO toro7or working and hankoring aftor
| another" 1t may DO inquired hero
how much greater is tho difficulty Of believing
that God placed some generations Of men in this
world that they might bo forever striving and
hankoring after auothor, than that ho 80 placed
| all generations. It is to bo hoped that mankind
are progressing toward Alr. Grogs ideal, evon
| through tho hard procoHs Of climbing upon
| each othors' bodies,-thnt the noxt gener-
alton will DO wiser and richer because
this generation has studied, and worked,
md saved. aud 30 ou.-cach eucceodinr
generation as it wore, being fortilizod by tho
| bone-tuBt and blood Of ull it's ancestors. But
vo confess wo can sec a. little bonuty or religion
| in Mr., Grce's notion, as he says be oau eee
| in tho notion which ho combats, It ia truo
that in 30 fur a. tho accumulation
| Of knowledge md wealth poos-apd that In
| a prent way-wo aro doing much to enable ,oB-
| terity to come nearer to tho Ideal than va hnye
come, Wo arc hewiue md having thu road for
them, ~ our ancestors heyed aud paycd for us.
In this toilgome effort. eucompassel by Ignorance.
disease, pon,ry, and vice. many aro undoubted-
ly hankoring aftor some other world than this II
| tho outcome OF all tho agos tbat iave goue be-
fore us and Of many ages to come nftor
ma IL tn nrennre n 1n;,1cnninm for aoroo rap,oto
yonorat;ona ,1hothor fow or ,nony ~ NM, ho .
vorv nina an3 heout;fr1 v,ata },nt n 1oaraa ba.
},nt7 IN cuic1na of 1;fnn ouito M d,,b;oru on1
;nao,nhle M INV conuu1rnm which Mr.. Groo
rocka tn a1nou,i.
| 1rnoronca d;uaoao roprrv ,n1 rim o-o +bo
croat olatnc)oa in MANS halfway E,ch aro
Contributes somothinr to diypel icuoranco.
Some ages do more than others, but thoro is pro-
eress always. To lessen, and finally extirnato
disease. 30 that every porsou born eLau live to
old ago with uuimpaired hoalth, is within roach
Of tho human raco not now. but sometime, For
ye know that there arc lawa OF health: that our
bodily constitutions arc subject to law, Wo hive
boon long timo in finding out tue little that
wo do know, but VIC have found out enough to
1
| Whom We shall hayo learned all the
lawB Of health, 80 that We may freely
choose whether yo will bo sick or not.
| whether nc will transmit good constitutions to
our offspring or bad onos, no shall hayo only to
deal with yico and dostitution. How Tar can NO
reasonably expect moral instruction to overcome
Yico and eradicate crimo2 It does not renliro