Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1878-11-09
JOHN STUART BLACKIE.
HEWRlTINGS or ALEARNED SCOTCH
PROFESSOR.
His Connection with Prominent institutions
of Learning = His PROFOUND Scholar
ship-ReView Of His Works-An
Instructive Criticism Of the
Character and Influence --
Of a Great Man.
Correspondenee OF the Regis,er.

but some OF his more recent works have
so pleased and indeed fascinated me that
l have thought it might be of service to
some who have not read them TO direct
to them their attention. He is q Scotch
man, native of Glasgow, and is at
present Professor of Greek i'll the
University OF Edinburg, position
which he has occupied for about
twenty-five years He is now in the
seventeen year of his age, having been
born in July, 1909 He studied quite
a number of years in Germanyand Italy,
and was ior ten or twelve years pro-
lessor OF the Latin language and htcra-
,ure in Marischal College, Aberdeen,
from which place he was called to his
present position.
These few facts are sufficient to attest
the ripeness of his scholarship and to
give us the assurance in advance that
whatever may come from his pen will
amply repay 4 careful reading. And
our experience, rs lar as il has extended,
has fully sustained such a preassurance.
He has been quite avoluminous writer;
and when | say this may rather stag
ger the faith in the real depth and worth
OF his works which what | have already
witten has been intended to excite.
Very few men can afford to write many
books, as but few have the resources OF
intellect wide and deep enough to sup
ply so heavy and severe strain. Hence
we find in many cases that where
authors have produced many books
their first was the stronger. There
is not unfrcqucntly afterwards Il
marked deterioration. The whole in
tellectual power, and in its highest
freshness, is let out on the first great
throw. and the man has put himself
out of breath The first-horn is Tor the
most part the strongest. Maybe this Is
not the rule, but il it be only the excep-
ton it has numerous cases under it.
Casting my eye around me on the spur
of the moment, on my own library, l
can see Mills L1gc, Grotc's History Of
Greece, McCOsh's Dirms Government,
NndalPs HEAT os Note OF Notion, Don
aldson's New Cratyhs, aS i'll my judg-
mcnt marked illustrations.
Now am not qualified to determine
how this has been in the case of Black
ic. as am not acquainted with any of
his works that appeared previous to
1872. although he had issued quite q
number | can say, however, that IL in
his late productions there has
been any deterioration then his
hrs, must have been markedly
strong: ior while in those which have
examined there are no specially pro-
found philOSnphic reasoning there is
vet in the most OF them freshness and
vigor OF thought and expression that is
worthy OF an expanded and incisive in
tcllcct, and that would lead one TO con-
clude that his eye has not become dim
OF his natural strength ahatcd.
It was in 1872 that his work entitled
Fo,u Phases Of NproiS made its first APP
pcarancc on this side Of the Atlantic;
and in calling attention briefly to some
of the more prominent characteristics
Ui his thinking and writings | shall
couple with this one OF his still more
recent works-IHe Ndt,roi History Of
itErism lSI'rjLnc> 1879. And as these
are, among his latest works, we may as
sumo that the sentiments expressed i'll
them are among the most mature of
his life. From these two works
alone one can easily learn what the
author is as 4 Christian, and which
Phase OF Morals ne accepts. He evil
IDENTITY has very high appreciation of
yrGctiCuI religion as antithctlC to one that
would make the @RRuns bOnom the
maintaining OF a rigidlv orthodox creed.
He does not seem to have much respect
for a religion that would Vindicate its
right 10 lie and commend itself to men
simply on the ground ni the orthodoxy
III lis iOrmularicS Oi faith. or that would
elevate the metaphysical above the
ethical. Indeed 50 very warm, il not
excited, does he sometimes become i'll
his proteStatiCnS against such a religion,
hat on some pages of these works one
would almost conclude that he would
gladly sweep away all formulated and
authoritative statements Of faith. Speak
ING for instance, OF q too Jealous adj
hcrrnCc To a creed and Il too fiery
zeal 10 enforce, a. among the forces that
have retarded the success Of Christian
itv and brought il many times into dis
rcputc. he saws: at is not the bust
ness of man to define God at all; our fl
mite work in reference to all forms OF the
Infinite is To acknowledge, To worship,
and To obey. But the meddling intel
lect of professional thcOlOgianS would
not allow matters To rest here; they pro-
cccdcd To construct certain curious for
mule Of doctrinal orthodoxy, an intellec-
tual belief in which was substituted for
thrlivingethiCali faith which the heath
rn world had been regcncrated. Men were
now taught TO entertain the thoroughly
unchristian idea that the acceptance by
the cognitivc faculty Of an array OfniCclv
wOrdcd propositions concerning the
Divine nature and the plan OF rcdemp-
lion was somehow or other essential tn
salvation and the non-aCcep-
lance OF which was held as Justly eNclud-
ing the rcCusant from the communion
saints. This was a sad mistake. The
fiery denunciations which 1t. Peter -
Pet. 2:lD and the other Apostles ut
tered against those who "privily bring
i'm damnablc hercSieS. were launched,
not against intellectual hcterodoXics,
but against the lusts Oi the flesh and all
sorts of scnsualism; but now the hated
name OF hcrcSy was transferred To the
imaginary sin of not being able to be-
licve what cOnClayc OF foolish or pre-
sumptuous Churchmcn chose to lay
down, and artificial crecdS were forged
and Illuminated. and flung with stern
anathcmas and boastiul defiance against
every honest thinker who could not
he brought to believe that faith must
show its efficacy principally by its pow
er OF binding reason ana smothering
common sense lFoUr Phases, p. oil.
If We had time and space, we might
quote humorous other utteranccs, cspc-
riallv from his Natural Hi&OrYOf .lh,'iSm,
10 the same effect and in the language
and feeling even still stronger. Now,
all this is doubtless neither more nor
less than one OF those extreme reVOlts
Of thoughtful and learned man against