The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1878-01-09
RECENT PUBLICATIONS.

above named, contains part of the series of the
Boston Monday Lectures, which during the whole
of last winter, attracted, at every Monday noon,
crowds of the scientific, and literary aud profession
al men, of the city that prides itself more than any
other, upon its intellectual culture" naughty
Boston"-as Mr.. Cook calls it.
The object of these lectures, as we are told in
the few brief words of introduction is to present
the results of the freshest German, Euglish and
American scholarship on the more important and
difficult topics concerning the relation of Religion
and Science. The lectures on Biology oppose the
materialstic, and not the theistic theory of EVo-
luton"
So popular is this work of Mr.. Cooks that al
though it has been out but a brief period in book
form, it has already reached thirteenth edition
a clear demonstration of the deep hold this strong
controversy between Regonists and Scientists, has
upon the public mind Mr.. Cook is very fear
less opponent: he goes boldly forth and meets the
foe on his own grOund-''carries the war into AT
RIGA, and by his aggressive attitude, shows plain
ly that he feels that Religion has nothing to be
afraid of-nOthng to shrink from, in the haughtiest
attacks of the most eminent of the philosophers
1t is not to be questioned that religious men some
times give the so called Scientists, an advantage
over them in argument, by the irresOlute and de
predatory tone they assume. There is nothing OF
this about Mr.. Cook He hassomething of the spirit
of David, even while he confesses that be stands
before Goliah and many and many time, as
will be evident to all careful readers, he grasps his
opponents sword, and Herewith inhicts deeper and
more damaging wounds, than even with the smooth
stones of his own arguments. This constitutes
perhaps, the strength of this book-the skillful
way in which the theories of Huxley, Tyndall Oar
win and others, are made to reco upon themselves
and upon each other; in other words, the incOnsis-
tencies of the claims of the Scientists
The unscentifc reader, in going through these
lectures, may arrive at general outline of the
theories OF the various schools SO rich are they in
quotation; and may find ready to his hand, the
weapon wherewith to demolish the materialistic
dogmatist. AS the lectures we're taken down by a
stenographer, and are published from the notes SO
taken. some matter not exactly included in the
lectures proper, is thus retained, which is styled
Prel,tdes These PreludeS are so bright, and show
such a range of culture, that one can hardly wish
them away and yet they do seem somewhat ex-
traneous, as does the retained mention of the fire.
ouent applause of the audience. The lectures are
in themselves considered too strong to require any
adventitious aid. For the sake of those who have
not seen the volume, we will subjOin the titles Of
the thirteen lectures given. l. Huxley and Tyndall
on Evolution II. and III. Concessions of Evolu-
tionists. ". The Microscope and Materialism.-
V. Lotze, Beele and Huxley on Living Tissues
vi. Life, or Mechanism-Which? VII. Does
Death end all? VIII. The Nerves and the Soul.
X Is Instinct Immortal? X Bain's Material
ism. XI. Automatic and Influential Nerves.
XII. Emerson's Views on Immortality. XIII.
UlriCi on the Spiritual Body.
As we have said, Mr.. Cooks culture is of very
wide reach, and he thus is able to illustrate and
enforce his pungent arguments by proof furnished
by poets artists statesmen, esssyists indeed every
sort of thing becomes powerful in his hand-eveD
the current literature and events of the hour, to
help to beat down what Carlyle calls, this Gospel
of dirt
ARTIST BIOGRAPHY is the title of pleasant and
improving series of small duodecimo volumes OF
printed aud tastefully bound which is being issued
by the Osgood house, Boston. Four have already
been given to the public Titan, Raphael, AL
recht Dorr and NurillO, and the uncommon excel
lence which characterized these, is guarantee fol-
the successful accomplishment of the whole series,
oh - % khoi 81 he 20
inmate, we believe, with Washington Allston, our
one Southern Artist who attained a worldwide ce.
lebrity. We have been specially taken with the
life of Allreoht Durer, who has often been called
the painter of the Reformation He was the
warm friend and admirer of Erasmus and Philip
MelanCthOn, and the eloquent eulogy he pro
nounces on the death of Luther is evidence Of the
way he estimated the great RefOrmer's work. Mr.
SWeetser the compiler of these Biographies, has
made very judicous use of the vast material gath
cred by other hands, and he has the satisfactorily
OF keeping everything in due proportion, so as to
present the mau, his work, and his times in right
equilibrium. Each study is we'll wrought out-not
long enough to allow of the introduction of any
material aside from the subject, and yet with o
sufficient canvas to portray all features necessary fol-
the ordinary reader. This series, unlike many Of
those now put forth, will have an enduring value
THE LIFE OF Our LORD, IN THE WORDS OF THE
Four. EvANGELIsTs. A. ID. +. Randolph &
Co., New York.
Dr. w. M. Taylor introduces this compilation
with brief note which covers all that need be said
for proper understanding Of the design in hand.
1t is simply the Four Gospels arranged in chron.
illogical ORDER and interviewer to form continuous
narrative" Of late we have had many LiceS o.
Christ. not one of which, (even Canon Farrar'
aud DR.. Thompson S, J is free from objection on
one score or another. As DR.. Taylor intimates,
the divine simplicity of the only true Life is in
danger of being lost sight Of and suggestions are
thrown in through the whole course of these nara
tives. which are purely grstuitous, and are without
Scripture support. " 1t has been with a spirit of
the utmost reverence that this combination of the
Gospel Narratives has been attempted" and he
enumerates some of its characteristics:
l. The division of the text into chapters and
verses, and the division Of the page into columns,
thus preserving the familiar Bible form.
q From beginning to end, the exact language of
the Authorized Version has been employed.
g. But few words have been supplied, and when
necessary to resort to this expedent, in order to
the continuity of the narrative they have been en-
closed in brackets.
f. In regard to the sequence of events, different
ways of reading have been suggested.
The book is then harmony of the Gospels pre-
Sented Consecutively, and, as we can testify from
our own experience in reading it, very positive
help in comprehending the life of our Lord in its
entirety. To minister's we should think it would
be great acquisition to have every incident in the
human sojourn of Christ, and every utterance of
His life, arranged as chronoogioally as it is posi-
BILE for the harmOnsts to agree upon as the natural
sennanna and so nresented 70 the nrn ont tho