The Portland daily press., 1874-12-05
THE PR ES S.
SATURDAY MORNING DEC. s, 1874
Recent Publications.

The PARACLETE. Published by Scribner, Arm
strong & Co. For sale by Loring, Short g. Har-
mon.
The title of this fine work is obscure, but
on looking over our Greek lexicon, we find
that the word Parakletos is used in the New
Testament, to signify "The Comforter"
s'The Holy Ghost" The work then is an
argument on the personality and ministry of
the Holy Ghost, and discussion of the ma
terialism, or materialistic tendency of some
scientists of the present day, and notably OF
Mr.. Huxley.
The greater part of the book is devoted to
an exposition and affirmation of the real ex-
istence, presence, and continual inspiration
of the Holy Spirit. 1t is as impossible to
prove in words the existence of such spirit,
as il is to prove the existence of God, but the
arguments appealing to the inner being OF
man, whom the author calls at the same
time spirit and body, are so powerful and
so real that one needs but faith to be con-
vinced.
The second part is a tremendous argu-
mentatiVe onslaught, against Huxley and
those others of ancient and modern times,
who, being really materalists, yet deny il.
III ..vsss.v. frvur-Uwv sJanu-
points, personal and general. He declines
the leadership of materialsts on personal
grounds, acknowledging that personalities
when used to wound an antagonists feelings
are the objectionable sin of controversy, but
having to compare the abstract with the con-
crete, and determine the value of an argu-
ment, by its effect as seen in the life of its
upholder, personality becomes doctrinal, and
criticism of character is the counterpart of
criticism of logic.
Epicurus, whom we may call the first ma
terialist, during his life never said anything
but what was consistent to say. He was
subtilely and sel6shly prudent. Condilac was
Thcist, bu. only on prudential grounds.
Hobbs was bold, cunning, cowardly and self
contradictory. Hume was murderer and
adulterer at heart, and yet Huxley calls him
one of the greatest men Scotland ever pro-
duced. Bolingbroke was sneaking, in that
he had kept back till he was dead, some of
his most outrageous views. OF him DR.. John
son said: "Bolingbroke was scoundrel and a
coward, he loaded blunderbuss against
Christianity, but left half crown to a hum
cry Scotchman, to pull the trigger after he
was dead" Stuart Mill, who thought the
brain might be a voltaic pile, was ''not al
lowed by his father to acquire impressions,
contrary to his feelings concerning religion"
nor such Gas could not be prudently avowed
before the world. Mill advised other people,
after his death, TO do what he had not dared
to do when he was alive-and yet all these
men are unsectarian and liberal!p' A true
man will say to such IL cannot follow the
subtilties of your reasoning, but when see
your honesty break down, / begin to think
there may be flaw in your metaphysics"
The general reasons for opposing material
ism may be summed up as followsl No
man Of science can object to our waiting
until the materialistic theory has been more
fully tested. What has been the great dis
covery of our age has often been the laugh
lng-stock Of another. In comparison with
theology, science is but of yesterday. Hux-
ley's protoplasm is a wooden fence before the
fire of Christian criticism. Huxley's argu-
meDts are very deep, but full of inaccuracies,
and yet the innocent reader always feels
bound to agree with all he says, and mem
tally thanks him for being so clear. Huxley
is over-confdent, bombastic, impudent. His
doctrines should be emphatically condemned
"as intellectually play on words, and NOR
ally an outrage on truth and obligation" !"
The materialistic doctrine does not, cover the
whole ground Of human consciousness.
As to Tyndall, he wishes to cast discredt
on any theory as to the universe which other
men may suppose they have found IN the
Bible, and be concludes fippantly, that so
long as he himself has no theory as to the
origin Of magnetism, it is utterly impossible
that biblical writer's car have any proper no.
ton of the origin of mar.
Theology has never begun this contest with
science. Sound theology Identifies itself with
vigorous investigation of science, while tn Q
scientist never ceases to suggest the littleness
and worthlessness of manhood. Materialism
has no qualifications to judge of spiritual
things. Its error has been in putting for
ward opinions, which it had no right to ap-
proach from its standpoint. 1t creates more
mysteries than it resolves, and in the end il
becomes the greatest mystery of all.
Such then is brief sketch of this book, in
which we fail to do it adequate justice, for to
gain thorough idea Of the force of the argu-
ment, and of the power of the words, moth
ing but careful reading can avail.
BRAssEY's LIFE AND LABoRs. By Sir Arthur Helps
Boston: Roberts Bros. For sale by Loring. Short
s. Harmon.
In reading the life of Thomas Brassey we
read neither of great military nor political
achievements,as as is so often the case in biogra.
phies, but we read of man belonging to a
class whose mere name has been heretofore
the synonym for avarice and fraud. Mr.
Brassey was railroad contractor who did
his work so well and so honestly that he
made for himself one of the greatest names
ever heard of in connection with the gigantic
labors Of modern engineering. His field o.
labor was the world, for by his indomitable
energy he increased his business from small
beginnings until it comprehended work upon
large number of the leading railways in Eu
rope, Canada, South America, and India
Among these may be mentioned the Grand
Trunk Railway Of Canada, the Victoris
bridge at Montreal, the Eastern Bengal Rail
way, the Central Argentine Railway, and SC
on until we find six pages of the biography
occupied with the mere enumeration of bis
contracts. Of course all men interested in
any manner in the construction of railroads,
whether as contractors or engineers, will read
this book with peculiar interest; but no man
young or old, can fail to find pleasure as vel
as profit by its perusal, The book is first
class in every respect and is most valuable
and notable addition to our ''lives Of great
men,
WEST LAWN. By Mrs. Mary J. Holmes. New
York: G. W. Carlton s. Co. From Bailey g. Noyes
In preliminary notice we read that "Mrs.
Holmes is a fascinating writer, that her books
are always interesting, that she enlists the
| sympathy and affections of her readers ant
holds their attention to her pages with deer