The New York herald., 1876-07-08
LORD AMBERLEY'S BOOK.
from the London Times.

uteiy necessary. II the edition hlt added NJ
short sketch OF the literary which has cul-
minated and ended IN this monumental work. The
simple dates would have accounted for much and ex-
cused much that appears is wanting these pages.
Lord Ambcrley single instance that prccocity
which one would suppose IT the great object OF educa
on TO produce in these days, rarey with even The IN
tended success never vita results quite salts aclory
At an age when the golden youth OF former genera
ton cautiously introduced to the 'act OF unbeei
through Paiey's Evdcnces University Sermons,
Lord Ambcrlcy had ALREADY publicly committed hun
self to course which knows no retracnon. He
had maslerci the main facts of the nious
OF all questions, sitcd them thoron shlv and pro-
nounccd them an unfacrng ard n!alhb'c
judgment The editor invites attention with pleas
that superiuous. besides being Hypothetical
and scarcely Lord Kimberley died young,
very young, but hts convictions, we are assured,
cost the sacrifice OF cherished opnions tnH ieei-
ngs, and II is addel that had his lilo been
prolonged he would have To inquire. In
the entire absence OF biography driven to our
recollection OF Tho authors contributions periodical
literature aud the contents OF the Two volumes before
US. We ask, with every wish Tor mild miti-
gated affirmative. "Dd Lord Amberey ever inquire?
Did he ever feel doubt? Did he sacrihce
op non feeling, except that an osentauous
absence Of belief Won make him rather less welcome
IN some quariersy' There is inquiry IN these vol
umes As to the main question at is>ne there u never
even momentary dcubt the author only leaving un-
decided the details worth decision explanation
No matter what the facts there nothing pre-
tcrnaural ABOUT them. As There never had been in
. curry 1t is not easy say what inquiry there would
be- at least OF nature to occupy long lie hal that
been granted. The germ Of that odnito and really
infinite inquiry should have been found IN tho later
portion OF THIS work. But tis quite evident th,t the
two volumes of equal bulk do correspond with the
divisions OF the design in the authors mind. Tho
FIRST book was TO deal mainly with beici, or, as the
author explains with the variety OF forms and propo
sitohs IN which mankind has invested religion. The
second book to deal with tailhtha H. the common
feeling at the root OF all this We do not however,
arrive at this division o. the subject iii well
way to the end OF the second volume, when chap
ters on ''ihe religious sentiment itself the ultimate
elements, tho objective elements, the subjective
elements aud their mutual relation" constitute but
drcary and unequal conclusion to rather picturesque
! journey through all peoples, places and times. The
author finds labor OF love to array side by side all
the pecuartes of national Oeiiei and ecccntrictcs
OF traditional practice. Here the matter AMI the
motive were alike iuexaausble. But there the
day of reckoning the bitter end, to say. 1t ecame
necessary TO sum up all this matter Faith there is
the human mind and aith there must be- What, then,
should II bel Here was the point in question. But
here ITO hand OF the master aiicd His early death
'errupted the work Tue publsh US that II
has had the benefit OF hi, final corrections either
AS - thought style beyond page $50 oi the rst vol
ume. But Lord Amberley certainly wrote
II he had not the feeling he could offend The
| most thoroughly Christian believer by comments and
expressions all suggesting that the object of his faith
was foolish fanatic or gross impostor Upon one
miracle he observes, "The whole proceeding has
what tho air OF piece OF jusgiery.n The pre-
dlcton tnat certain things would To
the says, ''proved false Prclacing thai his
sympatnes with Jesus the Sabbsticai question
he says He necdlcssly shocked the pous feelings
Pharisc S by performing cures on the sabbath, and
by allowing his disciples 10 pluck ears OF corn they
passed through teld and that the cpithet OF hyl0
crie' applied TO the Ruler OF the synagogue was
| not justified. On the occasion when Jesus with
unwashed hands Lord AmberIcy charges Him with
for the prevalent proprcties o HE with want
OF courtesy and ne dessy outraging the feelings OF
HIS host. and inaliy with an apparent rudencss
which even the truth of HIS statements could not
cuse. Upon the conversation that ensued the
question, 'ls II lawful to give tribute TO Caesar
nots" IN VIII ch Lord Ambercy sees n0hug but
honest intentions. he charges Inn with reasoning more
ialIacious than could be imagined, with ridiculous
confusion of though, and either verbal Juggie
or transpa alacy. In the d the sad
ducccs in the supposed case OF woman with
successive husbands, the author secs either wllfu
evasion or bad logic; ana as 10 the argument he
same passage from IA future state the Sadducecs he
says must have been weak indeed If IL could weigh
with them for moment. Lord Ambcrey iniers from
what he considers the unfair bias OF the evangeliss
even IN reporting the airest question, tna Christ did
not like HIS opinion to be elected from HIM by tns
method fcelfng perhaps that II was likely TO expose
HIS IN eiocIua weakness He disecrns, too. grow
Beauui maxims about loving enemies and return.
ing good Tor evil d., not keep lin am repronehins the
tcuar enemies those ho scarcely appear
Ua sns me ar o ' M isH
judging by his mole OF spcakns should suppose that
ali religious people that did not agree with iim
SIMPLY hypocr'ies
SO lar from the Pharisecs deserving all this or being
Than other people, Lord Ambcrlcy thinks they
showed extraordinary patience, no amount
OF provocation made them uso orcc ill the
sidered and UNJUST, ,nablc of cxpcing the money
| Temple There
excuse Tor this, the author says The exchange and
the other taiIc were necessary the place convenient
and the calling customary. fhe Jews wcrc willing
ana able to protect tho sanctly Of the Temple. The
author exclaims.
Was Tor Him grnatixc them all inatcy as
ali bounds OF decorum TO nothing OF law this
to restrain tue further lie might tempted to
ish this outrage
Throughout the trial Lord the author TAX cs tho
side OF His accusers aud Judges. 40 doubt He was
guilty OF biasphcmy, IT Is stated OF course
| and, by the Jewish law, ought TO have been stoned
The history Of the Christian Church shows he says
that the accuscrs were right Nor we're they be
blamed, he says Tor hndng Hun guilty OF blasphcmy
and then sending HIM 70 Plate. charge OF rcbcon
Tor He was IN fact guilty o. both, aud the crcum
stances the Jews were quite justified regarding these
as two aspects OF tho same offence. His entry INTO
Jerusalem on ass selected emblem 0f roy
atty, with stTowlng OF pam branches the calling out
| OF hosannas, pointed 10 very rcal aud serious
danger. His execution enectuaIly stopped The danger
aud saved tho Jews from pervcrsI on, OF wnicn
| their continued persistence their old faith
| Is u sunccnt rrOoi everything both at the time
aud since, shows, says Lord Ainbcrey, that they
were perfectly right. As nation they have commit
ted no aposiacy; Z: Is The crime OF few jewish
| Christians LORD Ambcrley's WOW Of tho facts ad-
mtted OF gener treatment as reg The names ncd
| in supreme veneralon by al! Cnpstans. The Ian.
guigc there actually used is either cynical indIf
iel encc gratutous offence anu hardly be al.
legged in proof of u snguariy loving ana charitable
nature. We eau hardly be Surprised thai when he
TO ST. Paul he irccr his personal s;rc-
lures Where he could do u safely among tho barbari.
ans OF Mal,a he was mracc-Inonger. Finding hun
sell a court among pbarsccs anu sadducccs ingc-
nous saved HIS lie b. declaring himself pharscr,
though he had now nJiiling to do With either tac one
| other. lndced, IN the whole ot the narrative
which TO be lair presenimcnt Of the Founder
of the Christian Church there is hardly point capi-
be OF Two CONTRADICTIONS III which the balance not
| Inru IN Ilror