The Portland daily press., 1876-05-13
Recent Publications.

By r. Laird Collier, D. D.. Boston, Roberts
Brothers. For sale by Loring, Short s. Har-
mon.
DR.. Collier says in his introduction to this
little work, "After reading Feuerbach's Es-
sence of Christianity. Bdchners Force and
Matter, and other books of like tendencies L
was led to look into my own heart to see if my
faith in Christ and Christianity had been
either destroyed or disturbed. Imeant to make
honest acork of it," The words which we have
here italicized are words of opinous import.
For what can the heart do with the "tenden-
cies" referred to; or what thorough work can
be expected of man who for a single occa-
sion is going to make an effort to be honest?
Why fail back on the heart Really that is
retreat; 1T is an implied admission that against
those who employ reason and understanding,
and marshal the results of earnest study and
reflection, the writer has nothing of like kind
to oppose. He answers by demurrer. He ex-
pressly disclaims logical reasoning, repudiates
proof, and finds only in his heart the reason of
his faith-not as proof of it, but as sufficient
ground without proof. AS if he should say
81 believe because feel, and that ends the
matter" He actually does say: ITO try to
prove some things is to demonstrate unbelief
in themP "My inquiry is in the interest of
faith and he was going 10 be honest!] so 1
have no formal arguments to offer to bolster up
that which the only tendency of such arguments
is to destroy" This is unconditional surrend-
er, the more to be regretted because it is need.
less and unjust; it is unjust both to Christian
ity, thus betrayed, and to the method which
DIR. Collier thinks he is employing The trans
cedental method is not so ineffective as that;
and for the very reason that it does not break
loose from all contact with solid reasoning, to
flap phantom wings against thin air.
There are indications in this book that the
authors contempt for processes of reason
arises from structural mental defect; for these
''Meiitations" haze no direction; or if for a
moment they lead you one way. the next mo-
ment they lead you back again, and when you
close the book you are somewhere near the
starting point, with dense fog around you.
For example: ITO have faith in Christ is some
thing, though very little; to have the faith of
Christ is everything; this is to have heaven and
God" But it is impossible-we would say in
passing-to have the faith of Christ, knowing
it to be his, without also having faith in him. If
L know that nay ruling principle of conduct and
guide of thought is also that of certain other
person cannot help having faith in that person.
This seems to be distinction without differ
ence. But let that pass The author says, at
least, that to have faith in Christ is very little
to have the faith of Christ is everything. And
the faith of Christ, he further says, is faith in
Cod To hava faith in, GoI is fbo
main thing, is everything. "The very mission
of the master [Why "master?"l is hindered and
defeated when faith stands still in him. This
is obstruction, not mediation" "There is a
sense in which, therefore, faith in Christ hin
ders and annuls the faith of Christ"
But while the reader hum bly, follows the lead
of thi Meditation" he is suddenly tdrned to
the right about. 1t is necessary, after all, to
have faith IN Christ. Christ is the blessed
that God is what we wish Him to
be-" "To love Christ-in himself child, wo-
man, and man-is to dispart the clouds, aud let
us into the inner glory" "What revelation
the life of Christ is to such an one! Where
such an one loves Christ what divine transfg-
uration!' 1t can hardly be said that one can
love Christ, or call him Master or trust to
his revelation, without faith an him; and yet
faith in Christ is uery litle!'
These meditations purport to be son the es-
sence of Christianity" Only one of the six
chapters treats of that subject; but in the chap
tiers on "The Real Christ we may expect Dr..
Collier to tell us what he thinks is the real
Christ. And he does: "I know nothing what
ever of the supernatural. We find Christ just
where our devotion and our faith should con-
sent to leave him, in the plane of nature and
humanity" He is, so far as we know, the fin
est flower Of humanity; its son-ts best SON
and its best beloved son.'
So, then, our author is humanitarian! But
moi "Christ is God speaking or personally COM
municating himself to man." 'Chrst is God
made flesh; that is, Christ is God become a
person?' "Christ is God known personally
'The real Christ is the law of the conscience
made flesh; this law is the ideal God, and His
will; then "God manifest in the flesh, is Christi
Truly our author is faithful to his repudia-
tion of reasoning processes, though be
does not wholly ignore the forms there
Of Here for example is something like a
formal exposition of doctrine There is a
beautiful and spiritual sense, if withal some
what mystical, in which the mediative Christ is
God manifested as man, and man manifest
ed as God" That is the doctrine, now for the
elucidation:-"We know what life is, because
we know what man il, ,s.or flower is When
the abstract word life is used, we know what
is meant, because we think of life in map, or
life in a flower, or the life in something; we
think of eye or limb in activity, we think of
root or branch" So far, so good. Now them
s'God is-spirit or God is life; we think of spirit
and life as active in Christ; so in this way
Christ is God, known personally"
1t must be plainly said that the pleasing ex-
pectations aroused by the title of this little work
and by the reputation of its author, are in no
way fulfilled. There is no compensation in
the work to balance or outweigh the defects
now illustrated; Eo especial merit in the direc-
tion of sentiment. Nor have all the defects of
the work been mentioned. Very frequently, if
not altogether, the author seems more intent
on speaking than on saying anything; as
where he says with promising gravity: "That
which is intellectually unknown IN God, is in
tellectually unknown to man. '"rime is like
space; there is so much of it, that for only a
little section can we find names, such as day.
week, month, year, century, and so on; as we
say earth, moon, sun, and when we get through
our list, already so long for the memory, the
rest is nameless." "Man emphasizes eternity,
just as eternity emphasizes man; he dwells in
the future just as the future dwells in him.
There are many such passages, in which the
writer has wise appearance of saying some
thing, but nothing is said. Let the following
be noticed, grammar and all:-"That which
was personal to himself Jesus made universal
to humanity. He saw the race in himself
rather than himself in the race. He became
in himself the standard of humanity, not hui
manity the standard of himself. This is all the
meaning there is in the miraculous birth of
Christ"
We have endeavored to deal justly with this
book of Dr. Golfers, and have let it speak for
itself. 1t will not increase the authors reputa-
tion. We may properly add, however, that
the Liberal Christian commends the work very
highly. CIV.
THE SYLVAN YEAR. THE UNKNOWN RIVER. BY
Philip Gilbert Hamerton author of The Intellect
ual Life, Etchers and Etchings, etc. Boston:
Roberts Brothers. For sale by Loring, Short &
Harmon.
Such work as this of Mr.. Hamerton is re-
E.A1