The Portland daily press., 1877-05-05
Recent Publications.

NC" 1ork' u. Ps Putnam s Sons. For sale by
Lorng, Short & Harmon
Ii Is pity that the authorship of this book
could not have been for little while concealed,
IN order that the views here presented might
win the attention they deserve, and be exam
ined with sole reference to their merits. There
are so many persons predetermined not to read
anything that Mr.. rockingham may write,
and among those who will consent to read there
are SO many who feel obliged to ascrbe the re-
suits even of his strictly critical and historical
studies to heretical prepossesson, and withhold
fromlhim on that account candid hospitality,
that volume with his name upon the title
page is likely to have but an Indifferent recep.
tion outside the circle of readers who learn from
that name on the title-page that the book is ad-
dressed to them.
As to this volume, however, we believe that,
even among the limited school of thinkers who
receive the words of Mr.. rockingham with un-
fettered judgment, or with favorable bias, con-
Siderable portion will read what he has here
put forth with but partial assent, and with a
feeling that book so good ought to be little
better; win surmise, at least, that through his
obvious antipathy to the intuitive or transcen-
dental method he may have overlooked impor-
tant elements of his subject
In his preface the author makes a not alto
gether supeff1uous disclaimer of all purpose and
desire to undermine Christianity. He believes
that religion is Independent Of history, and that
Christianity is Independent Of the New Testa-
ment. "The church that arrogate, for itself
the right to control the spiritual concerns of the
modern world must not plead in justification
of its pretension that it satisfied the require
ments OF devout people in another hemisphere
two thousand years ago." christianity must
prove its adaptation to the hour that now is
its adaptation to days gone by is not to the pur-
pose" A church that does not bless mankind
cannot be saved, and church that does bless
mankind cannot be destroyed.
He separates, therefore, criticism from relig-
ion, and thus divests the subject before him of
religious implications, which, hs appears to
perceive, might qualify the public reception of
his essay. He goes farther; he maintains that
through such separation of religion from his
torical and critical problems, religion itself is
tifying the account Of the miraculous
birth of Jesus repels the doub:er whom
purely intellectual conception of incar-
nation might have fascinated; and the
obligation to believe the story of physical res
direction is an added obstacle to the reception
of spiritual faith in Immortality. Scholarship
has so effectually shown the impossibility of
bringing apostolcal guarantee for the creed of
Christendom, that the creed cannot get even
urf; ;t 81
itself with the beliefs of the primitive church.
The inspiration of the New Testament is an ar
tcle that unsettles. Naturally it is the first
point of attack, and it, extensive vulnerablity
raises suspicion of weakness in the whole sys-
tenn. The creed really has not a fair
chance to be appreciated
The general drift of the discussion in this
volume may be briefly presented. The cradle
of Christ is to be found in Hebrew thought.
The New Testament is a natural production
of Hebrew genius. Its originality has been
greatly overestimated. Jesus and his dis
ciples were Jews in nind and character
as well as by country and race. Between
the Jewish and the Christian scriptures there
is not so much as blank Leaf
The fundamental thesis of the book is thus
indicated; its development leads the author to
unfold the germs Of the Messianic faith dis
covered in the canonical books of the old Tes-
lament, in the apocryphal writings, and in the
Talmud; also to describe the political commo-
tions that occurred in Jerusalem during the
period under consideration, also to notice the
characteristics of the various sects that existed
among the Jews; and to follow the maturing
Christ idea from the cradle of its birth,
through the reported action of Jesus in the
Gospels, through the 'nebulous" philosophy of
the Fourth Gospel, through the illusions of
the earlier Christians, through Paups new
departure and through the notifications
brought in from Paganism. To this is added q
closing chapter in which are considered the
claims of Jesus,to asplace in history. Through
oot his work the author distinguishes between
Jesus and the Christ. The Christ-idea has had
obviously an historical Development; the his
torical status of Jesus is another question:
question which his subject does not oblige him
to touch, but which, he is not unwilling to
consider, in satisfaction of the readers proba-
BILE expectation He doubts if such person
as Jesus is presumed to have been was neces-
sary to account for the existence of the re-
ligion afterwards called Christian. "As an i'm
pelling force he was not required, for his age
was throbbing and bursting with suppressed
energy" Jesus is not necessary to account
for the ethics of the New Testament. They
were, as has been said, the native ethics of Ju-
daism unqualified" The conclusion he reaches
is that mo clearly defined traces Of the per-
sonal Jesus remain on the surface or beneath
the surface of Christendom," or, as he phrases
it in another place. ''the image of Jesus has
been irrecoverably lost" But he does not alto
gether deny his existence. ''The person Of
Jesus, though it may have beeA immense, is
indistinct. That a great character was there
may be conceded; but precisely wherein the
character was great is left to our conjecture"
We have sufficiently indicated the general
nature of the contents of this volume. 1t is no
part CT our present duty to offer judg-
ment Oh the validity of the authors
note a peculiar quality of the author's 8
mind, apparent in this ESSAY, more especially
in his coldly uusy mpathetic treatment of the
fourth gospel, and in his description of the first
Christians, Of whom he discourses as if they
were bugs under the microscope. He is mex
orably terrestrial. He will neither swim nor
float nor fly, nor for one moment leave the
solid ground of demonstration. He clings fiat
footed to the soil.
1t is not to be denied that excellent work
may be done on that level of the commonplace.
and in this volume is done. 1t must be ad-
mitted, too, that flight has its perils; one may
so easily lose himself and his subject in nebu-
lous vagaIies of imagination. So we are in a
strait betwixt two, which signifies that neither
of these two methods is by itself sufficient.
When the philosopher has cleaned the common
level there still remain the truths that are
betaoeen heaven and earth. Unless we concede
that all that is undemonstrable is unworthy of
regard, or that there is no verify in the unveri-
fable, we must apprehend that mind intoer-
ant of the undemonstrable and unverifiable will
ignore some aspects Of religion that are essen
tial to its complete presentation.
The author betrays the mental propossession
now referred to in this remark: Sentiment
is conservative. The poetic feeling detans in
picturesque form the ideas which if exposed to
the action of clear intelligence would be reject
ed as unsubstantial;" which seems to mean