New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-06-21
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

o,,.s Er,,pIs AND THE BROTHERS or
CoMmoN LIFE BY the Rev s kf IL q p. Put
volumes, svo-; Pp XIV, 44S' Will N''
nam's Sons. ,
Mr. Kettlewell Is the first 10 undertake III "uy
language AN extended biography OF the au'ho' VI
the most popular book of devotion IN inc ~oiiu'
w. o,;pion that Thomas Kcmpis did write the
treatise sOf the Imitation OF CHRIST Is no" 30
general that Mr. Kettlewell is JUSTIFIED IN aSsumlne
at least for his present purpose. shat the cohro
yersy on that subject u settled ana he IS rrhV aSo
in thinking that we shall he glad TO know something
more than tile old lives tell about an author VINO
has touched the hearts of many generations IN so
many countries. Little has hitherto been said OF
him except that he was man of most gentle ana
sp,ritafal life VINO loved retirement. and early Dc
came n member of a semi-monastic congregation
called the Brothers and Clerks of the Common iIe
Tho chief emplovments of this community were
teaching the young and copying manuscripts
was before the day OF printing-and tiie Sutno' -
1.-THE Imitation became famous Tor MS sAii WIEN
the pen. There are extant some interesting "o'
commits of his daily routine OF duty ID 'ho co"i-
rnnitv and sketches of certain of his companions
"a 80 materials Mr. Kettlewell has confined
with passages OF more or less PERSONAL character
from Tnomas's various writings to complete our
picture of the man.
The strictly biographical portions of the present
u,rk even though expanded by the help Of a very
dense STYLE form no very large proportion OF the
two octave volumes They supplemented Dy "a
survev Of the state of religion in the tlne OF
Thomas Kempis-that is on Tho CIV" OF the Luthe-
ran ACKNOWLEDGEMENT an account OF the bro'"e'S
aud Clerks of the Common Life, and their influence
r,on the revival of the Christian spirit. xvi
IDENTIFY there was opportunity here for brllaht az
well as a learned essay. We cannot say lhat MI
Kettewcn has made the most OF It, lie Is IND
..ryfurI " "a
not exactly a Roman Catholic priest and religious
~ GOOD standing. Thomae is only mentioned in
cdentallv as il were in q note in Butlers Lives
of the Saints and our bographer adds, there Is
doubtless a reason for this" SO there is; and 1t is
the simple reason that Butler confined himself 10
the official calendar of the canomzed' whiie
Kempis like hundreds of other good men VINO are
hopored in the Church, has not been canonlzed
But VIC must do Mr.. Kettlewen tho justice 10 say
that he repeatedly proves in the course OF has work
that his notion about ThOmas's doubtful orthodoxy
is unfoundcd lie takes up opinions too raShly. mt
he is so frank that ha gives Us the testimony 10 con-
tradict them That the Brothers and Clerks OF the
Common Life were forerunners of the Reiorma-
tiop = theory not original with Mr.. Kettlewei :;
Int we see from this book that they were neverthe-
less most faithful and Obcdient 10 home, both IN
doctrine and in cipl,ne, and that tho essential
principle of ProtcstanuSm was quite foreign u
them. Tho fact is-and Mr. kettlewell does not iah
10 show it--in the most corrupt age OF the Church
when priests wcro leading scandalous lives when
monks were rotting in luxury when the fapacy
was debased. and when tbeoogians were giving
themselves up to barren dispUtahcns. there was
simultaneously in MANY parts Of Europe IN earnest
movement for better things; preachers were heard
exporting to repentance; communities Ike that Oh
the Common Lite were founded; efforts toward the
revival Of spirituality made in the religions
orders themselves. In certain sense all these
signs of reaction may be called the preminarleS OF
the Reformation But ii must be remem oercd that
they were generally movements within the Church,
not in opposition TO it, and most cases we are
sure 10 be nisled if try &c reconcile the teach
ings of the foIerunneTs with the crecds OF Prot
estautism Mr. Kettlewell does indeed admit more
,nan once that Thomas and his companions were
good orthodox Paplsts; but he wastes great deal
of time IN showing that the admission goes against
his grain.