Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-02-04
THE ETHICS OF RELIGIOUS JOURNAL

We find in the Christian Adrocdte the
following paragraph, which we reproduce
for the purpose of analysis: An utterly
"vicious and worthless book, pretending
"to be history of Christianity, published
Gin Chicago, and carefully kept out of
"the hands of Christian editors, was COM
"mended some time since by some papers
cas- suitable textbook for our common
"schools. At the time we did not notice
sit, for the reason that we knew perfectly
swell that there could not be in the whole
"world board of school directors igno-
Grant enough to do thing so astound.
"ingly stupid and wicked. We honor the
editorial fraternity too much to suppose
sit possible that there is one of them
that would seriously think of putting
"such book in any course OF study. For
amazing and transcenoent lies it rivals
"tGulliver's Travels, but is devoid of wit,
wisdom or literary merit" 1t should
be very bad book to merit this denuncia-
ton. According to the Christian Advocate,
it is vicious, worthless, mendacious, stupid,
wicked, witless, silly, and devoid OF liter
airy merit. The work referred tots Waite's
''History of the Christian Religion, to
the Year Two Hundred" We have
reviewed the volume in these columns,
and have recorded our opinion of its mer.
its in somewhat different language to
that of our religious contemporary. 1t
is, in fact, very remarkably candid, eau.
tious, conservative production. Indeed it
is in many respects little other than COM
pilation of historical documents and cita-
tions. The aim of the author has been to
collect everything that threw light upon
the growth of Christianity up to the end
of the second century. He is not the
orist. He has not written for the purpose
of supporting a particular line of argu-
ment. He has advanced absolutely nothing
which Is not amply supported by histor-
ical proofs already fully accepted by
scholars. The conclusions to which he has
come are simply those to which alone the
historical evidence must impel every can
did and unbiased searcher after truth.
The book is neither " vicious nor worth.
"less." It is, on the contrary, as virtuous
as the earnest and honest pursuit of truth
can render any inquiry, and it is as valuable
as the clearly stated result of conscien-
tious and thorough research of that kind
must always be. In saying that it con-
tains amazing and transcendent lies
the Christian Adcocate has been guilty
of dishonesty and SANDER, for the
charge is wholly untrue, and could
only have been preferred by one equally
ignorant, reckless and mendacious. It is
however only too painfully evident that
the Christian Adrocate denounces Waite's
History of the Christian Religion
because it fears the truth, and not at all
because it apprehends the dissemination
of lies. But as our pious contemporary
has thus alleged the presence in the book
referred of amazing and transcendent
" lies." perhaps it will go SO far as to sup
port its statement by mentioning few of
these falsehoods. We will not ask for
many. Two or three will serve our pur-
pose, or say at the outside half dozen.
VIII our reverend contemporary under
take to furnish so much evidence in vindi-
cation of its calumnious charges, or will it
acknowledge that it has made very dis
graceful exhibition of itsslf in this con.
nection? A so-called religious journal
ought to be at least not deliberate falsi-
fer of facts, yet that is what we are COM
PEELED to charge our contemporary with
having done.