Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-11-26

ments. and for great conquerors and rulers.
As regards the genesis of the various dog.
mas the statements given will be found
very interesting and suggestive. For ex-
ample, the first ailusion to the immaculate
conception is found in the Epistle of Ig.
natius, A. ID. lis, or say ninety years after
the death of Christ. This is a very long time
for SO wonderful doctrine to remain undis.
covered, and it is far too long period to
make the foundation of such doctrine upon
facts possibility. Again, the belief in the
miracles OF Jesus was as late in appearing.
It was not until the theory of his divinity
had been invented that his supernatural
powers began to be imagined. MIR. Waite
says: The belief in the miracles of Jesus,
"a belief which became common early in
:" the second century, was naturally con-
Injected with his dedication. and his assign
ment to supernatural origin. A being
who can disregard and overthrow the laws
" of nature, must needs be god, and god
"must be begotten by god. Thus the
three doctrines may be said to postulate and
HAUNC SeSA OSACls Inc LA5S AASASASA Va
the.Iniracles of Jesus occurs in a writing a
hundred years after his death. Says Mr..
Waite: "a hundred years Of silence, by
Christian writers. is at least wonderful, if
"such miracles were then believed. And
equally wonderful is the fact that no Jew
'ish or heather historian, during that
"period, has recorded that such events were
reported Of Jesus and believed by his fol-
flowers"
The doctrine of the resurrection appeared
first about seventy.f FIVE years after the death
OF Christ. This also is very long period for
SO remarkable a doctrine to lie unutilized.
The earliest view Of it denied resurrec-
tion Of the body, moreover. which was not
thought of until the second century. The
dogma of the Trinity was unknown to the
Christians of the first century, and probably
to those of the second A belief in the i'm
mortality of the soul was not prevalent in the
first century, CT indeed until much later.
Mr. Waite shows that many of the so-called
to Christ, had their origin, or at least their
parallel, in heather religious creeds existing
long previously. Thus the dogma of i'm
maculate conception, of a divine savior, of
atonement, of resurrection from the dead, of
the Trinity. and of the Logos, or Word, are
all to be found in religions ante-dating Chris
tianity, as are also thoss of original sin, fall
of man, and endless punishment.
IL conclusion Mr.. Waite says " It may
"be repeated, that no evidence is found of the
"existenee in the first century of either of
tie following doctrines The immaculate
conception the miracles of Christ; his ma
"terial resurrection. No one of these doctrines
sis to be found in the epistIes of the New
Testament, nor have we been able to find
"them in any other writings of the first GEN.
fury, As to the four gospels, in coming to
the conclusion that they were not written
" in the first century we have but recorded the
conviction of the more advanced scholars of
"the present day, irrespective of their rei-
"gious views in other respects with whom,
the question as now presented is, how early
I" in the second century were they composed%'
A very careful chronological table of the
Christian writings is given, and this will en-
able the student to Judge for himself concern
ing the value of the statements made by
Christian apologists regarding the events and
doctrines of the patristic period. Mr.. Waite
has written throughout in perfectly impair
tial and candid manner. Having no theory
to maintain he has been able to allow due
weight to all the evidence before him.
Making no pretension to tie position of an
original Inquirer, he merely claims to have
examined all the authorities, and to have
taken the mean of them. The conclusions he
presents are therefore those which are most
strongly supported by evidence, and conse-
qusntly the most credible.
The very temperate and dispassionate tone
of the author, and the systematic way in
which he has marshalled his facts, arranging
them into periods, and patiently examining
all the authors of each period before proceed
ing to the next, suggest the value of the work
as a textbook. 1t is just such volume as
might be introduced to the schools with adj
vantage. 1t has no tincture of sectarisnism
about it. 1t is written to prove no faverite
theory. It is not intended to affect any just
beliefs. 1t is as purely and honestly histor-
ical as any work can possibly be, and it
embodies the most important conclusions of
the ablest scholars of this and all preceding
ages. 1t is, in fact, succinct and valuable
summary of all that the records of eighteen
hundred years have gathered together in re-
gard to the origin of Christianity. Every
firm believer in that religion must welcome
such compendium, and must be willing that
the rising generation should learn these
truths, which are so necessary to the firm
establishment of confidence in any creed
And we need not hesitate to express the
opinion that whoever peruses this book care
fully, and so becomes master of the funda-
mental facts of Christianity, must, if subse-
quently he embraces that religion, rest his be-
lief absolutely and entirely in a faith alto
gether beyond and outside of reason.
THE FOREIGNER IN CHINA. By L. N. Wheeler, D. D.
Chicago: S. C. Grggs & Co. Sacramento: W.
A. & c. S. Houghton. Price, 81 So
The object Of this book is not quite APP
parent, but its effect is perfectly tangible 1t
exhibits the foreigner in China as an ex-
tremely grasping, greedy, overbearipg, tyran-
nical andgodless being, who not only i'll treats
the Chinese whenever he can, but who fills
the cup of his iniquity by turning the cold
shoulder on the missionary. In fact the book
is written by missionary, and therefore it is
necessary to take what the author says about
his class with several grains of allowance AS
regards his historical sketch of the practices
of the mercantile and military foreigner in |
China, unfortunately there is less room for
doubt as to the truth of the presentation.
Indeed the truth in this respect is almost as
bad as it could be. The Western nations are
exhibited in as thoroughly heather guise as
possible. They are shown to have behaved
most UNANIMOUSLY towards the Chinese The
shanafuI tale of FnoIaod,s ,n,rdaro,,s 80