The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-04-14
SOME NEW hooks,
The Beginnines OF Christianity.


hanity is n problem OF supreme difficulty and
absorbing interest. Whether We approach it in
the icy cynicism OF Gibbon. or with the vindic-
tive bitterness OF certain contemporary ration
aiistB or with the Protestant aim and spirit OF
Dean Milman, or even with the patient, judicial
curiosity Of Jecky. IL must be owned that
tho explanations So far offered for this sTpris
ing phenomenon fall short OF exhaustive
solution. and leave on the mind n shadow
Of disappointment and unrest. We rise from
the famous chapter in " The Decline and Fall"
with distinct conception Of cooperative causes.
some Of which may have furthercd the growth
~ the new religion but II was by no means
tdOuta rdsd on which these agencies were TO
work ana W. miss In Gibbons exhibit an
equally precise spprnisencnt Of the counter
lorccs-a full and caedid recognition OF the re-
distance overcome. En-. too. when VIC follow
Mr.. teaky's remarkable analysis Of the etato
Of things in Rome during the infancy
and youth Of tho Church. we are tempted
" think the city Of the CWsarp, II II
could not have borrowed tho Christinn's faith.
would speedily have invented it. But this in
ference encounters the stubborn fact TINT 1t was
AUST here. namely. In the cepital of tho empire.
and among the very classes portrayed spe-
eially amenabe " spiritual changd. tnus the old
Paganism proved ia the end most deeply and
impreRnably rooted: whence We conclude that
something has been overlooked in Mr.. Leckys
survey IL IL we'll hereioro uat aiier nearing
huch ABOUT Tue natural causes Whlch pro
hoteu INC rise oil christianity we should now
hear something about the natural obstacles
which confronted IT. This Is one Of the Objects
contemplated bya comprehensive anu pains
TAXING WORK, OF whlch a hrst volume ~ now
published - The church aud the GeniIe
World al tie First Promuloaton II ne Gospel.
by the Rev AUG. j, THEBAUD y. j. II is the
hu'hor cnpna' purpose 10 uouuoe from " re-
WOW o' the lmpoulnehls surmonhleu' anu oi
the wclHht anu variety OIL opp"sins Ior'es over
porhe ny the sospei propas"hu"' PROOF Oh "s
r"pe'"'''" 'i,N',i' ,"'u W None'""' DN"'
ih'ei position III us oehaii' f"r MS "ppnc"uoh
~ Tue Hcts' ia .hoii theoioticHi pehrlhks' W.
hust REFER INC ruanor 10 III" DoVk hsoi' OUT
W. may ihulcate 10 .hc merely historical
suue" NO" ",uc ho'u LOT reh'cuoh IN
"h "p'h ia 'he s'"io Vi sus@esu'e ua"'
e'hoe'eu anu sIl'eu III 'his Nolulhe' Ihere
no uoupt unl even uose VINO ueehhe'
on prl"ri srouhus' 10 see direct intervention
o. lloN'uchee III the acceptance no less tnhh
j" "c IuWc"t"h Oh thris'ahV' "ouIu SUI
'"hccue tn"t hiuler'o AL httempts 10 eluvluht'
us progress ia the carrier ana decisive stages
h"No p'eh historically d"ecuVo-partiai anu
n"'n'Ne r"h'r tA"h p"hary ana nhal anu
t'ny VIII "eeome any puIemic Wrter whose
,rn,i, ,.i,, SON. ,l,o,,,,.s ,,''i - r.,
hrmu'"e WIN 'ohpio'eh'ss anu rlgor inc con-
,t,v u,nv ,oin n ,ou,h.tona t,r snacions h,,,
,,s,,,nd - inn,lo,,,,a, ,h.,',ris onb la,. h,.,a
,,l snr. th,. t,unLati,ns ~ n so,isf,,,,or,, .,x
,.s,,Ia
Ps'u"h
,,.n.t.r.d.,,bI,. to ,ho ca,h,iic .,.hnIorshtn ~
Au,r;co /, .,,.s,s ,t,, Ioorni,,, ami :, sincor.
,nrroso ~ candid ir,,irv m au,nor dis-
- ~. f,,,,na,, a,',,ai1,,., ,,', .rI,, Iii
.l,asicul and nutri.ti,' writers and thn ,yhnl,
,nIy ~ .hurnh cnn,,,,n,,tor. o,d his,or,an.
lut olso with tho n,n,o ,.ons,.i.,,,,us md win,
Mia achievements ~ nod,r, ,.ri,ici.,, md dis.
.,y,rv Tho n.r,,i,oI or ro,i,n,l,.,i,,1,i
nJynnc.d in n vivn, book hny,, no, d.,srrnd hin,
fron WEIGHING Ito arynnnn,s and nrna,in,, hv
it, r,s.nreb,s 10 thosr ,Yb, in,ooino ,bo,
aotholi. nol,nics And !, oonyanion, A.
i,.nore th.,r mo-, don,orous on,a,,on,.,s
IL will no n surprisn 10 v,,,v n Jos,i, P.,hsr
,l,ssec,na with nnti.nce and acu,.n,,ss Inn,
W thout anv ofrensivo .xbihi,ion of rancor mr.
disdnin the conclusions Of nhilosonhical skop