The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1883-06-10
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tlanity during the nfteen centuries winch IN
tsrvened between the formation OF tho first
Christian community and the German hefor-
nation It 10 not uncommon for rationalists 70
refer the young inquirer 70 the volumes OF GID
bon. Indeed, the chapters and parts OF chap
ters in which the author OF the Decline and
Naar' has traced the evolution Of the Christian
Church have been recently extracted and print
cd in separate volume by an American pub
Usher, The time OF course. has long gone BY
when any student OF history could venture to
accuse Gibbon OF inaccuracy IN the narrow
and litoral sense OF the word 1t ID not
the text. but tho spirit OF Oibbon's narrative
which is Enthusiastically and uninstructive.
His sneers and inuendoes. his ironical tone
and aggressive attitude. are rs much out OF
date as tho brutal assaults upon Christianity
by certain popular lecturers. for whom skeph-
cism seems to be invested with the charm OF
original discovery. Propositions regarding tho
origin OF the story OF the Messiah and the au-
thsnticity Of the Gospels. propositions which
Gibbon mover dared to formulate. have become
40 familiar. and, we might add. so credible to
the majority Of highly educated persons. that
their enunclation has long ceased to excite
surprise. or even controversy. In other words
the destructive work OF criticism was per-
formed so leng ago and has been 80 thorough
" accomplished. that q salutary change has
taken place In the posture and temper
Of rationalistic students OF Christian his
tory. They have no longer anything to
fear from Christianity: they regard 1t as
venerable ruin. as. on the whole. a benehcent
though now obsolete system OF Dious impos-
turs, and they are able to examine its monu-
monts and records appreciatlvely. sympathet-
ically. in tho true historical as distinguished
from the polemical spirit. II has become. In
decd. mark OF standardization and puerile
ostentation to discuss Christianity In dis
dainful or yindictive way. and 1t ID blunder.
therefore. to recommend Gibbon TO the young
seeker after truth. unloss the Information to be
garnered from the caustio pages Of the histo-
Ran is supplemented and interpreted BY the
more benignant light reflected from the Impair
tial scholarship and liberal thought Of later
tlmes.
A book which may be heartily commended to
young readers az a complement to Gibbons
survey OF tho growth OF Christianity. or even AZ
Q substitute for 1t. is little volume
published BY Roberts Brothers and COM
prising q series OF lectures delivered at
Harvard College by Mr.. JOSEPH HENRY
ALLEN. Under the general title Of Chris
tian History. FIRST Period. the author Of these
dissertations exhibits the development OF the
Christian religion from Jesus to Charlemagne.
regarding however. Christianity not 30 much
a. a creed or ecclesiastical organization. as an
ethical and social force. We cannot bring out
moro forcibly the contrast between tho purpose
and temper OF the old-fashionod skeptic and
the modern nationalist than by setting before
those who have read yoltairs or Gibbon. or.
who. it may be. have listened to Mr..
Ingersoll. the definition OF the subject which.
according to Mr.. AllOn. should be steadily
kept in view by the scientific historian OF
Christianity. The history OF this religion. he
tells us. like that OF every other faith which
has laid q firm grasp upon mankind. Is to be
studied in the main on its ethical or ideal side.
and not merely In the record Of its facts and
dates. christianity has been not merely .
type. shaping mems lives unconsciously. like
the typo or law of growth OF any organic pro-
duct" This. indeed. it hns been. but not only
thts. We must not forget that 1t has been
wildly conceived in the thought Of Its believers
a. the true and only solution to the great mys-
tsry Of the universe. It has been adoringiy
received In faith as the symbol OF the holiest
'~0-.v v,-..'" "Doi u. 'nvv0Huut III tueuiugy As
U MIR. Allen neither ignores nor seeks to
palltate tho fact that in each of the
three wsys enumerated Christianity has been
held with fanaticism and intolerance. But.
after all. II We would seize the secret OF its
vitality. our main business is to recognize that.
In each Of these three ways. 1t has been held
humbly. reverently. piousy. valiantly. and has
mus been a great power to move the world,
The right place to study 1t Is not In It's errors
tgnorances. bigotriea. and crimes" to which
tho aggressive skeptics who. as we have said.
are out OF date, insist on oonfining our atten.
tion MIR. Allen would have US study Chris
ianity In its great and brave sincerities. as
NV ia syln
stained. fre-scorched. and by its record OF
heroic names. from those who bore tho
faith like flag before tho despotisms
Of Rome or the barbarisms OF Ger
many and Scandinavia. down 10 the last
missionary who died for 1t in field
or hospital; In the lives OF It's great patient
thiAkers. the prayers OF its saints. the glad
tender. or triumphant strains OF It's choruses
and hymns. the fidelity Of many generations of
humble. trustful. victorious lives" Thus We
sec that rationalistic inauirers like MIR. Allen
who approach the subject In Q candid and re-
spectful spirit. hold the right study of Chris
tam history to consist mainly In the investiga-
ton OF moral agencies that Is to soy, OF the
forces which bear on men on the side OF char
ecter and conduct. To describe tho charac.
tsrishc OF religion most important to consider
- AHecting human life. he adopts tho phrase
b"oSAon al. Anon. lNue00. is lar
nom asserting that this nobest OF tho passions
- peculiar to Christianity. but we understand
Aim to maintain that in Christian society 1t has
been longer and more powerfully active than
In any other religion.
Among the useful or striking suggestions
shersd In the course Of an inquiry conducted
upon the sound and fruitful principles lust
mentioned. two or three may be cited by way
OF Illustration. No writer with whom we are
acquainted assigns to tho Communistlo organ.
ixAuon OF the primitive Church-to the GOSPEL
Of socialism which the first Christians preached
to the dislnherited classes Of tho Roman So
ciety-so prominent place among the causes
q the extraordinary and. so to speak. subter.
rsnean growth Of Christianity during the first
two centuries OF our era. Tho power" he
says. OF the organized movement 1t the start
seems best explained by what we are told of
the sociaiistic sentiment and theory OF the
early Church. This. II we will look at
II. was OF itself a prodisious force. Its power
10 commonly seen. not in the we'll educated. nor
In tho well TO do. who. In general. know
nothing OF the socialistic sentiment. and
rather hold II in contempt But look at the
portentous fanaticism 1t evoked in the first