New-York tribune., 1878-03-15

is the fruit of choice culture and poetic gifts
THE NATURAL HISTORY OF ATBEIsM BY JOHN
sTuAEr BiAcK1E l2mo. III. 1853 serisneT Armstrong.
Professor Blackie does not undertake in this
volume furnish consecutive, metbodcal treatise
tie great theme of philosophical discussion 10 which il
Is devoted hut presents series of desuOy remarks OF
suggestive character not always profound not always
geImane TO the question at issue. though usually eo
Gucpt and focibe, and often set forth with lively Illus
tIatons lie INDUCES, times, IN his naturaltase
for humor ard when his logcs fault finds
il caustic pleasantly Tie tendency OF his book, the
whole is uniavorable to dOgmatisn be adopts liberal
construction Of doctrine which appeals to imagination
quite much as To reason; but he never
fails 10 he ingenious persuasive, plausible If no,
convincing lie seems 10 be less at home IN the
analysis of principles than in the discussion OF personal
ideas with Unborn love OF controversy, he drives
straight at the weak points OF his antagonist and a.
ways makes an impression, If he does not eluc.date
truth Professor Blacke is OF poet and satirst
than philosoper and Il Is only Just to take him
his ground look for ptby and pun gent cTiti-
cism rather than for conclusive arguments. He haE-
dies bis flashing rapier with brillaney and effect but
would be out OF place in the charges Of the heavy brig
ade Atheism lie regards disease Of the speculative
faculty Ii reappears from time time the forms OF
old beliefs shaken and the new ones have not yet
had time TO work themselves into definite shape The
Of mind which it indicates is like the physical
chaos which ntervenes between the destruction old
world and the creation OF Ii is simply defect
IN the reason, much as the want Of eyeban
IN what looks like an eye, or the want Of
beard i'll what looks like man." But the charge OF
atheism Professor BlackIe contends, is frequently
brought without foundation The most cultivated part
Of the human has always been the side OF thesm
Nor the belief III God found wanting among the lowest
types of humanity. A certain theistc pety not always
recognized by the missionaries may be detected under
grotesque mummeres and disgusting practices. ii is
not uncommon, moreover among ourselves hear
branded atheists because they DO not profess
the prevailing kind Of thesm Spinoza has called
atheist though ne did not deny God, but rather de-
MED the world The true ground OF thesm, according
to the author is the order and harmony which pervade
the universe True the laws OF order are not equally
comprehensive. But nowhere is disorder If this
found TO exist ALL the world wOuld cease TO be
world; reason would dissolve into a general Bedlam;
notbipg would remain but bind weaving Of
tissue Of uninteignt forces But this the actual
state Of things The more penetrate into the work
ings of Nature the discover the presence of
pervadng Unity This principle is God The multi
pcity Of movements n the machinery of the world is
the manifestation of that selfexIsent, selenergzing
alpresent, allcontroing, all-moulding. reasonable
Unity, whom we justly call God Any other theory Of
the world. the author is either nonentity
sense He takes strong ground, however against the
doctrine Of creation Of nothing. This dogma Pro
fessor Blacke maintains is not found in part OF the
Bible. 1t grew up in the Jewish Church. ana Las been
stamped with authority by orthodox CnIistondom,
from pious desire to magnify the divine omnotence,
and from the timid stupidity OF clngng 10 the letter
instead Of breathing the spirit OF Scripture" Modern
thinkers object TO the doctrine the ground Of its in
consistency with all known experience 1t is
the vulgar Imagination" says the author, (which
delights to represent the Supreme Being as
sort Of omnipotent harlequin, launching the iat
OF his voiton as the nimblo gentleman In the panO-
mime strikes the table with his wand and ont
man. or a monkey, or something else ont OF nothing.
This is mans crude conceptions but Gods ways are moi
mans ways; and his way is evolution" Nothing,
continues the author, is created out OF nothing The
present grows out OF the past. the future grows
of present; therefore, necessary essential
growth by inherent reasonable force Is the proper ex
preston of The Divine tact Of the Universe. To u.s. all
existence Divine miracle; and the continuity Of
miracle In the form OF growth is the eternal form OF the
Divine crcatyeuess. The absolute duaIsm Of mind and
matter, which Is IN the received orthodoxy Of the
Church is not recognized by exact science. Nowhere
do find mind acting without a material instru-
ment. Nowhere is matter absolutely divorced from
the action OF inherent forces-forces acting ae-
cording TO calculated law, and which are
only another name for mind. But this view
Of the constitution of the universe Professor BIackie
remarks, is condemned Pantheisn. Pantheisp, how
ever he contends. has nothing 10 do with maerialism
or atheism. IL simply denies the existence OF two
opposite entities IN the world OF Divine re.
ality, while IL asserts the existence OF only
The conclusion OF the authors reflections
may be briefly summed up in his words: 1.-The de-
sign OF God is one peryading inherent, sefacting. un-
avoidb'e AS the thoughts in the mind of great
poet always shaping themselves out by constructive
and intutive design into organic imaginative
structures called poems, the eternal iceas Of the
Divine nind are always shaping themselves forth py