The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-04-19

AoSVo, duu us QOCITlueS, 50 IIldI uOI u lIdS-
ment of its ancient substance remained. "
This is not a mere unsupported allega-
ton; the reviewer goes into the particu-
lars on which this weighty judgment OF
condemnation is founded. He gives a
rapid sketch Of the opinions of Dean Stan
ley as set forth in his last work. Ewald
is the foremost of Protestant theolo-
gians; Charming is the greatest Ameri-
can theologian. One of his main author
tiles is Renan-his "St. Paul" and his
e" Life of Jesus" Matthew Arnold is his
special friend. The Sabbath no longer
rests on the authority of Moses, but on
the witness of nature as expounded by
Prof. Tyndall's admirable address on
the Sabbath, at Glasgow Mr.. Lecky is
cited with high appreciation. The great
spiritual influences which have been ex-
erted over men have come from Angus
tine, Erasmus, Shakespeare, Hegel, and
Ewald. Walter Scott is characterised as
one of the principal writers who has fed
the religion of England" When the
blood of Christ is said to cleanse from
all sin" the meaning is, that we are made
morally good by the power of disinter-
ested affection. Of the Holy Ghost, he
says: 1--WE may be certain. that no sect
now existing, whether belonging to the
so-called orthodox or the SO. called hereti-
cal churches, could find any difficulty in
accepting in their original form, the alb
stract and general phrases OF the creed
of Constantinople in which the Biblical
doctrine Of the impersonality and neu-
trality of the sacred Influence is set forth. I"
Children are baptized-not because they
are bad-but because they are good. In
FAINT baptism is the recognition of the
good that is in them. Ifany one, whether
he be called Christian or not, believes
in mercy, and compassion, and in the toll
GRAFTON and justice due to those who are
of another religion, he has received
Christ. "This figure of cleansing or wash
ing, which occurs often in the Bible in
connection with blood, seems to be taken
not so much from the Hebrew worship,
as from the Mithriac or Persian sacri-
fees" He mentions with indifference,
If not approval, that many terms used in
st. Pauls epistles to the Romans and Gal
atians on Predestination and Justification
are now very rarely heard in ordinary
pulpits." The essence Of the religion of
Jesus Christ is not faith in crucifed Re-
deemer, but toleration benevolence, en-
thusiasm for humanity.
Professor Hodge sums up the results OF
his examination in the following words
(some OF which we have already quoted)
Let all judge whether they are true or
false.
These great topics are discussed with the
characteristic cearness, and grace, and rich
scholarship of the Dean, and in many portions
his work Is as instructive interesting. And
yet simple fidelity to the common Master and
to the common faith of all the historical church
es demands the distinct utterance of our iudg
ment, that from the entire mass all the charac
i0OiN anu ulStlnSuIoulLS el6ueuIS OF Ile re-
hglon of Jesus Christ are quietly eliminated
and that the residuum barely comes up either in
content or in spirit to the baldest historical
Socinianism. There is no place found for the
incarnation of Divine person in human nature.
The Catholic doctrine of vicarious suffering and
expiration is explicitly denied The transcendent
holiness and punitive justice of God is ignored.
The personality OF the Holy Ghost is denied,
and his work in regeneration and specification
explained away under the most ordinary nat
ural analogies 1t is not the doctrine peculiar
to his own national Church, to which he was
sworn 1t is not the accidents of dogmatic specu
latlon or definition, but the very essence Of the
religion of Christ common to the faith and life
of all Christians, that is here so consistently de-
MED or ignored. In the exercise of that power
which his practical talents, his acquisitions, and
his unparalleled advantages of position gave
him, &c cdthedrG Of the Central Church of all
the Protestant world he finished his life by de.
llberately substituting the essence of natural
deism into the place, and Disgusting it under the
sacred name and symbols, of the historical reli-
gion Of Jesus Christ Claiming that the essence
Of Christianity is simple morality, he did this
immoral thing. While protesting to render
version of Christianity as purely spiritual he
5piritualized away its facts and its doctrines, so
that not fragment of the ancient substance re-
manned"
The attempt to make great poet out