The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-12-22
Literary Notes.

Chancellor of the University of Net0 York. He
saws in his few lines of Preface, that the essay
was written ten years ago, when he had no
knowledge of the history of the doctrine of
Christs humanity. but prepared the paper solely
from his own researches in the Word of God.''
Since that period he adds, that he had made
himself familiar with all the early and later con-
troyersies, and he sees reason to alter word
he had written. The question as to how Christ
"could reduce Himself to the dimensions of hu-
manity," and yet the Godhead be maintained in
its integrity, he considers beyond human reach.
But he holds, and aims to show, that the hum
bling of Christ consisted in such putting off of
His Godhood. that He was made hesh-not as
son,ed flesh; and therefore, that He was an in
FAINT, child, Just as others-that He I" grew in
wisdom" which he argues means nothing, if
Christ had the omniscience of Deity at His birth
He affirms that the Scripture narratives no
where teach that as to His humanity, Christ was
omniscient-that to assert this, is nothing but
the old HISTORIAN heterodoxy of the existence of
two persons in Jesus. 1t startles me to hear
DR.. Crosby avow that Christ did not positively
kno,0 Satan to be Satan when he first began his
temptations in the wilderness; or that He did
woman healed of the issue that the Divinity
was dormant, and that not until after the resur-
rection, did He declare Himself "the Son of
God with power" 1t is a surprise to find this
Theology of the Presbyterian minister in these
points, tally with those of the authors of Ecce
Homo and The Manliness of Christ. We have
been able to see little but error in Prof Seelev's
ideas, and have dissented wholly from Mr.
Hughes account of the early years of our Sa-
vlour. But 1t is not our province to enter upon
such question as this. We refer the consider
alton OF DIR. Crosbys essay to grave theologians.
In the multitude of books prepared nova
days, for the young, it is refreshing to find some
consideration had to proper Sunday reading
Messrs. Randolph & Co.. have Just issued a re-
print of an English book called All True. BIZ
DR.. MacduIay, Editor Of Sunday at Home. The
volume has nearly 400 pages, and contains a
vast amount of interesting narratives of a reT.
glous cast, stories of missionary life, covenanter
tales st. Bartholomews Day, Gustavus Adolf
plus, the heroic Moravians, Providential De-
lverances, and a large teaching drawn from his
toric incidents. There are some curious admis-
sions for Sunday book, Robinson C,,usoes
Island, (e. g., Coronation of Queen Victoria
(which to an Englishman, may have seemed a
very religious affair.", Waterloo r evisited. and
some others: But on the whole it is full of good
interesting reading and is so varied. that it
would be strange if the several tastes of the
young people of a household could not find an
propriate qualification. 1t is illustrated by a
good many wood cuts, which will serve to make
1t still more attractive to young eyes,
For these holiday times, we have endless
books for the children: some fimsy and empty
enough, some of a merely sensational kind and
plenty" that are as ephemeral as Christmas
greens. Here is one of valuable quality from
the Roberts Brothers press-Stories of the Sea
Told By Sailors By E. E. Hale. (Sl.oo) Mr..
Hale wisely says in his Preface, that our youth
are too much fed on story-books. and that some
thing that would win them away from them
TO- even stories from history, would be boon.
Hence these :" stories of the sea-" and for the
most part they keep the language of the original
writers, which is great desideratum We give
the titles of few of them: Columbus r et,.rn
from has first Voyage. The Spanish armada
The Buccaneers: Sir Richard GreenyiUe: Pit
oa1rn's Island Paul Jones Nelson and TLnfnL-
gar. There is just faint semblance of nara
tive, IN the conversations of circle drawn
around the readers chair-only enough to give
certain conference to the narrative and I'M
part modern freshness to the stories There is
Just at present, something which we would be
gao 70 construe into protest against the ter
rlole influx OF hction,-a disposition to return
TO the standard Literature of the past, even for
the juveniles. Mr.. Towle has Just brought out
modernised Marco Polos Travels Mr.. Sidney
Lanier, industrious Southern writer has
given the boys, FTois8@ IS Chronicles and old
Sir Thomas Malory's King arthur, and even
G,tIliUer and Baron Mlnchausen see the liobt
again, in fresh editions. This is ENCOURAGING
and we hope the boys will like what Mr.. Hale
has set himself to do for them, so much, that he
will have such following of readers that he
will go on with his project, as he promises con-
ditionally to do.
Modern Society. By Mrs. Julia Ward Ho,0e
(Roberts Brothers. consists of two papers pre.
pared by an accomplished woman who has seen
and known that whereof she affrms; and there
fore her dieta are clothed with authority The
hrst essay IS protest against the abuse of
wealth-against the senseless folly of fashion
against the silly craze Of the Daisy Miller class
OF Americans abroad, who bring nothing back
from their travels, but hankerine after foreign
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