The Portland daily press., 1875-01-09

dria took up arms in behalf of "the mother OF
God" and Nestor and his adherents were driy-
en- into the Egyptian desert This HISTORIAN
movement which the author calls the first
or Southern Reformation is not of so much i'm
portance in its direct results as in the indirect
consequences TO which it led
The HISTORIAN monks established themselves
in various parts of Asia and Africa, and dis
seminated their form of Christianity SO extern
sively that its worshipers eventually outnum-
bered all the European Christians of the Greek
and Roman churches combined. To one OF the
HISTORIAN converts on the confines ofSyria there
came IL the year ISL young Arabian camel
driver named Mohammed. He was precoc:ously
intelligent, and the monks spared no pains to
secure his conversion. His active mind was
profoundly impressed not only with the relig-
ious but with the philosophical ideas of his
instructors, who prided themselves on being
the inhertors of the ancient science and philo.
sophy. The HISTORIAN monks taught him new
er to speak of Jesus as the Son of God, but al
ways as "Jesus the son of Mary" From that
time forth the object of his life was the pro-
mitigation of the dogma of the unity OF God.
Again and again, in his sermons and in the
Koran he declared: 81 am nothing but pub
lie preacher. 1 preach the oneness OF Cod
Such was his own conception of his so-called
apostleship. The events of his wonderful ca
reer in which he placed himself at the head OF
the great Southern revolt against Christianity,
are too we'll known to need repetition. He
4bo Christians cnprafqd
against the Western church and its idolatries,
and he proclaimed himself messenger of the
Almighty, sent to restore the pure worship
The result was the establishment of the Arabi-
an empire. The successors of Mohammed ov-
errun Western Asia and Northern Africa, and
entered Europe through the gates of Hercules.
With the avowed object of preaching the unity
of God in the Vatican they penetrated to the
banks Of the Loire, the limit Of their advance
in Western Europe.
The Arabs brought learning in the train of
their victorious armies. Inspired by the philo-
sophie traditions of the HISTORIANS they es
tablished colleges, schools, libraries. By the
aid of the astrolabe they ascertained the globu-
lar form of the earth. They rendered the
Greek philosophic writings into Arabic. They
set up schools of medicine and law. They re-
yived the study of mathematics and the physi-
cal sciences. They devoted themselves to the
study,of music and poetry. From the UNIVERSE
ties of Bagdad and Cordova intellectual light
began to stream into Western Europe. The
march of progress, arrested by the mad Alex
andrine monks, began anew. So rapid was
the spread of knowledge that the Turkish con-
quest which overthrow the fabric OF Arabic
learning, came too late to throw Europe back
into its barbarism. These events-the Mes
torian revolt and the Arabic revival of learning
constitute the matter of DR.. Diapers third
an fourth chapters. Esls[
The light of history and of science gradually
spread over Europe. 1t was clearly seen by
many pous men that religion was not account
able for the false position in which she was
found, but that the misfortune was directly
traceable to the alliance she had of old con
tracted with Roman paganism. The obvious
remedy was return to primitive purity.
Thus arose the great conflict known to us as
the Reformation. The special form it as
sumed was contest respecting the standard
or criterion of truth, whether it is to be found
in the church or in the Bible. The determina-
ton of this involved settlement of the rights
of reason. or intellectual freedom. This con-
f1ct and others growing out of it form the sub.
iects of the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth
chapters. 4 ~.
The tenth chapter is given to the discussion
of the absorbing controversy which agitates us
to-day-the controversy respecting the mode Of
government of the world, whether it be by in
cessant divine intervention, or by the opera
ton of primordial and Interchangeable law. The
intellectual movement of Christendom has, in
DIR. Diapers view, reached that point which
Arabism had attained to In the tenth and
eleventh centuries; ard doctrines which were
then discussed are presenting themselves again
for review. The author makes this prediction
as to the issue:
Whatever may be the preparatory incidents
of that great impending intellectual crisis
which Cbristepdom must soon inevitably wit
ness, of this we may rest assured, that the ST.
lent secession from the public faith, which in
so ominous a measure characterlzes the present
generation, will find at length political ex-
preston. 1t is not without significance that
France reenforces the ultramontane tendencies
of her lower population, by the promotion OF
pilgrimages, the perpetuation of miracles, the
exhibition Of celestial apparitions. Constrained
to do this by her destiny, she does it with
blush. 1t is not without significance
that Germany resolves to rid herself of the
incubus of a dual government, by the ex-
clusion of the italian element and to
carry to its completion that reformation which
three centuries ago she left unfinished The
time approaches when men must take their
choice between quiescent, immobie faith and
eyer-advanclng science-faith with its medi9-
val consolations Science, which is necessarily
scattering its material blessings in the path
way of life, elevating the lot of men in this
world, and unifying the human race. Its tri-
umphs are solid and enduring. But the glory
which Catholicism might gain from conflict
with material ideas is at the best only like that
of other celestial meteors when they touch the
atmosphere of the earth-tranSitory and use
less. Though Guizot's affirmation that the
church has always sided with despotisn is
that in the policy she follows there is much of
political necessity. She is urged on by the
pressure of nineteen centuries. But, ii the IT.
responsible indicates itself in her action the
inevitable manifests itself in her life. For it is
with the papacy as with man. 1t has passed
through the struggles of infancy, it has dis
PLAYED the energies of maturity, and its work
completed it must sink into the feebleness and
ouerulousness OF old age. Its youth can never
be renewed. The influence of its souvenirs
alone will remain. AS pagan Rome threw her
departing shadow over the empire and tinct-
ured all its thoughts, so Christian Rome casts
her parting shadows over Europe.
Supplementary chapters contain an examina-
ton of what Latin Christianity has done for
modern civilization; corresponding examna-
ton of what science has done, and review of