New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-08-31
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
NEW NOVEL

4 A
,rIopA PETO Novel. BY LAuEEscE 0Lir p at
r3,or of Irene Magillicuddy. Piccamiy' e'o'
iSmo. pr. 242 Harper Brotners
~, Oliphaut's new novel not only exnio''S Ms
.s;u In randi and brilliant narrati'e;-t siso
go. as vehicle for conveying To the woriu many
rf HE theories on religious and sociai prooie'ns'
Thar these theories are lofty In their Da'ure .noso
who know Mr.. ELEPHANTS career Will understand
,frwsmav credit him with the sentiments which he
...rss The most admirable characters in his novel
.--o.. Il il evident that he does not believe in the
ss,',nromscs of modern life and thought. He de-
80. that Christianity should be the SIMPLE open,
tharou OH going Christianity preached by Christ,
unaloyed by selfshress arti6ciality and love oil
,uxury. We cannot do better than to present some
paragraphs in which he gives expression to his
snirtua philosophy and to his hopes for the regen-
Grafton Of society:
sThe doing right according to the popular stana-
ard ~ n rule so FAR from bringing suffering OF hgs
popularip; but the popular STANDARD very svw
Just think what mess people wOaid get ihto u
there we're no standard of right at all Bnt u - az
low. He who practised the highest morality tne
world had prcsente 70 ~ war cr"oan n% ~ 10
tween two meu who prsci,sea tue Warning TO those
ho call them sell YES by HE name II we may Judge
by the difference which exists between his preach
i"s P e Kn,t6. / think your Judgment is rather
h,,sh am sure there are plenty of good people in
society who sincerely try to follow the teacnng Vi
Thrisf and " no are all the more respected Tor II:
sOh the world allows them.t0 try. PROVIDED tne e
don't sucreed it feels rather consoed by their isil
If the best people o trS sd to ,i be-
evidently an ideal one. anu imposslo'c III .,oa
fact so the ordinary mortal gives up .ne suput
hu,uan effort and accepts things as theV arc VIII
- sc;ence Mi the more at ease. And In one sense,
rbey are right 1t IS an impossible stsndara except
with a reconstructed society: and IN order W TO-
III.
Tsnce anv attempt at radical reform necessarily
hr;ngs Won into collision with IT: so long as the
are TO log% tUe a,rusc mo-
rajity of Christ and the selfish morality OF the world
the reforuer must expect Gers sc rrS INC
But il 1t IS hopeless, why do you WISH 10 enlist
Ali, RI In so futile an enterprise
al don't say it is hopeless except Tor the solated
;odixid al On the contrary. the rollglous neon
sisfencies of Christendom are pressing themselves
40 forcibly on the more enlightened minus anu
quickened consciences OF the present Gay. Una. we
popular theology, which, nnfortunateiy. nnus nS
expression ia materalisp agnostIcisiu. posiuVlsm,
and other PHILOSOPHERS, attempts at the solution OF
t%s social and moral prcblem-predestlned to fail
ure 40 far as the hesrt-needs OF humanity are con,
cerned but all evidencing progress IN the moran
consciousness of tnat saho po"@"'J ""'oN wv
mands satisfaction" ~. A..
1Thsn You wish me to understand, KEITH that
the demand of humanity for nsnef %Gs s.ass
nosticIsm postivism. and all the other lrms feil
"a satsfy-may be met by some system OF clnics
which YOU propose to inaugursteT
aPardon ms: I say that humanity demands a
morality which is impossible without social recon,
struction. deny that the popular theoIogy anu
frre Christianity are synonymous. 80 Tar as tnelr
essential morality in their application 70 daily ire
"a concerned: and MAINTAIN that. in order u SUD
stituts the Christian standard OF morals IOT tho
nonnlar one. Won must reconstruct society. In the
degree in which this conviction forces Hse'1 upon
many minds will combined attempt become pos
sDe: without couioineu a'Ve"p'' ""s P'"'''' ~
aulf ia
SUI" well then said Matte. it resolves tslf into
the one question, How do you mean TO reconstruct
sThat is exactly the question into which IT does
resolve itself and which am July prepared TO dis
hyhtensd selfishness s not tue basis upon which
soc,ety should be constituted and VINO are READY
to substitute for 1t that principle OF nhnihcnng
altruIsm which is the foundation OF pure chris
tianlty" ala ,.rot. with Chris
"Then you would only Cooperate Win Nhi's-
aOn the contrary. Nearly all the best Christians
know do not call themselves by that name.
only use the term as applying to the ethical system
nf CbrIst-as the theoretically the most TAMIL
isr TO the whole civilized w0rl0. would cooperate
with all VINO prepared to live Tor the highest
moral ideal at any sacrncs o. west nn ia% form "es
social nucleus, where such an attempt "ouio 10
possible"
Irrespective of their belief God. SUPP osing
for instance. that an agnosc were 10 WISH 10 JOE
you would you admit timP .,
till he tried higher life than Is possible 10 hl,n iii
his present surroundings what new faculties might
not de velop within him The theologian VINO om-
bedded in O selfish social system, says, know.
with nv limited faculties that there Is a Ooh. may
he az wrong IN his appreciation OF the nature of
that Being as the agnostic who says kno" that
you have faculties. and never can nave any lac
nltes for knowing whether there be one The
one believes 10 q Deity of his own imagining, ana
conditioned on his theological and social eoviron
men a1G .fe nloced uUder totally new moral con
ditous higher than which have hitherto been
attempted in actual realization, new anu nlEhei
snrifual faculties might not be evoked, which
should reveal to both new ana unsnspecteu petty.
The theologan has no more right 10 say that the
faculties of man have attained TO their 1uliest ca
nactv for the Deity, than the scientist
has 10 say that there s physical unit 10 DIS on-
servation of matter. and that he mas reached ~.
Wbx these men who attribute our existing faculties
IN nrocess of evolution should he tho first to limit
that process the past and denv that We are capa
lie OF morally and materially continuing toevolve,
has always been mystery to me. But the law Of
The evolution which they themselves evoke WIZ DC
their salvation and the aeg,es IN w hs ,ne
aud loftest motives must they evolve toward their
Cod" .,.
fa,rlv eptered upon the new dictionary process y
She has unconsciously been struggling IN tile
right directlou from her childhood; like your own
c,od old Hannah, Matte: and think that you
must yourself admit that her ntuitivo faculties are
developed to very remarkable degree"
So then the sum and substance Of IL all is, that
socety is to BIO reconstructed, altrustc basis.
by persons undergoing an evolutionary process,
through efforts Of self-sacriice, and that you aud
Hannah, and Altiora are to inaugurate tins great
work ~ -
Not quite so. am happy TO say there are some
hundreds consciously preparing themselves Tor tbs
work. but il is evident that the process is SLOW
one. The united effort must depend upon the prog
ress made by each individual; and 1T Is only when
a sufficient number have passed through expert
ences and attained sufficient development for the
ultination of new results. that the Work eau be
said to have fairly commenced"
"What 10 the nature OF these experiences ana Oh
the resultsf" asked Matte.
aThere you ask question to which l am not at
liberty to reply. hope you will not think me rude.
bnf could no more describe to you the expert
nents or the results than could discourse to a
New Zealander on the laws OF electricity or at