The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-06-15


brought forward and the combinations which I
have given OF my Wow. ~ also the supporting
proofs from single documents which have boon
Indicated lin the present compendl will per.
haps serve for the conviction Of my readers
Also who may. however. properly reserve their
decisive conclusions unth the future publica-
ton Of oil the documentary evidence"
Crecds sf the Day.
Under tho title Creeds Of the Day. or OBJ
lated Opinions Of Reputable Thinkers. BY II.
COKE London. Trubner h co.,. we have we'll.
planned and successful attempt to define what
Is propounded by tho leading representatives OF
every important school Of modern thought re-
specting the fundamental problems OF philoso-
ply. What was the origin OF the world. what
has been Its history. and what 10 it, scheme OF
government What is tho relation OF man to
organized life In general. and to the still more
comprehensive entity which we vaguely deslg-
nate As nature. or the universe2 The author
OF this book. like nll other thoughtful persons.
feels that clear and satisfactory answer
to these Inquiries Is Indispensable to the guild
anco OF tho intellect and the regulation OF life.
and he carefully examines the answer given BY
the orthodox Catholic and the orthodox Prot
estant. a. we'll as by rationnllsts, matsrialists,
and aRnostics Of every phase A moro impair.
tial point Of view than that taken by Mr.. Coke
could not be easily attained. for his mind seems
to have been completely cleared OF proposes
sions or antipathies. and his researches are ap-
parently prompted by no feeling except eager
curiosity and profound interest. Assuredly he
is not Christian. for he cannot accept the
conclusions offered by theooeians; neither is
he content to stop In the curious halfway house
constructed by Mr.. Matthew Arnold for those
who are reluctant to wholly discard the Bible.
On the other hand. the author OF this treatise
proves that no ia not a controversalist In dis
guise. but that he IL really actuated by the
Socrate hunger after truth. not victory for he
metes out even-handed justice to the assail-
ants as well as the champions OF Christianity.
and demands Of science the same exact and
conclusive demonstration for which no had ap-
penled to religion In vain. Ho does not reserve
his crsdulty for the utterances OF those who
profess to be incredulous. md has keen oye
for tho dogmatic assumptions current among
the professional denouneers OF dogma Ho
points out. as Judge stallo had pointed out be.
fore him. that aRnostlcism does not always i'm
ply perfect equilibrium and unwavering neu-
trallty. that not n few Of those who with compla-
cent self-disparasement proclaim themselves
agnostlcs really pretend to know . good deal
that they have not proved. and accept as fun
dRmental laws Of tho universe conceptions
which are far from being impregnably estab-
llshed. 1t Is quite as possible to dogmatize
about the nebular hypothesis as about the
immaculate conception. and q congress OF
scientists lie no moro assured against pre-
mature cancellations than an ecumenical
council. A thoroughly unbiased INVESTIGATION.
like that undertaken in the book before US. is OF
tho utmost value to the general reader. for It
assists him TO estimate how far rationalistic
men Of letters like Voltaire. Renan. and Mat
thew Arnold. and men OF science like Darwin.
Haeckel. and Spencer have succeeded In their
attempts to supersede the Christian articles OF
faith by creeds Of their own.
We shall pass over that part Of Mr. Coke's
book. embracing some 200 pages. which deals
with the Old and the New Tcstaments. merely
remarking that he is unable to regard those
documents as the fruit Of revelation. or to &C.
copt the proofs OF their inspired character al
legged to be derived from miracles and the full.
fllment OF prophecy. We would. however. IL
lustrate the singular fairness Of the authors
spirit-a fairness which Is quito as rare among
the critics as among the defenders OF the Bible
by noting what he hns to say regarding the
attempt OF Prof Max Muller and Mr.. Matthew
Arnold to conciliate modern scholarship with
Christianity. or. In other words to break down
the Scriptures with one hand while they build
them up with the other. There are writer's"
says Mr.. Coke. Justly deserving Of the emlnence
their good work has earned them. who strive to
maintain the sacred character OF the Bible on
the score Of its righteous teaching. Advocacy
Of this kind Is not always free from ambiguity.
1t invites US to believe more than 1t has cour.
age to express. Yet It escapes the sneer Of
skepticism BY committing itself to really moth.
ing" OF course the author has In view Mr..
Arno!d's Literature and Dogma" whose pur-
pose 10 to denounce hard and positive"
spirit and to warn US not to kill our souls with
liberalism" Mr.. Coke 10 far from suggesting
that Mr.. Arnold 10 wanting In STRAIGHTFORWARD
ness. or that he Intentionally eQuivocatss. On
the contrary. Tho 10 the most outspoken Of men |;
he fatty enough declares the popular theology
which rests the Bibles authority on miracle. to
be an obstacle to tho receiving and study
ing Of the Scripture. He believes the
miracles related In the gospels to have
been generated under the same kind
Of conditions as other miracles. and to follow
the same laws; nay he goes 30 far a. to say
that tho assumption with which all the
churches and scots set out. that there 10 great
personal First Cause. the moral and intelligent
Governor Of the Universe. and that from Him
the Bible derives Its authority. can never be
verified. Nevertheless. he afirms that as long
~ tho world lasts all who want to make prog
ress In Righteousness will come to Israel for In.
splration. Why so2 Because their morality ID
pursr. their character sublimer than other
psopls'sf Not ct all. It IL In spite OF their
shortcomings. even in Righteousness itself.
and their insufaclenoy In everything: thoy are
petty and 'unamiable.' yet they possess
. most Extraordinary distinction and
the proof Of this follows In the words
Of BALKAN. God has given command
msnt TO bless. and He hath blessed. and
We cannot reverse It. He hath not seen iniq-
uity In Jacob. and He hath not seen psrverse-
ness in Israel; the Eternal. his God 10 with
him. Mr.. Arnold has believe. no faintest be-
Lief In the words which introduce the passage
he quotes: And the Lord met Balssm. and
put . word In his mouth and said. Go again
into Balak and say thus He warns us against
taking such passages In literal instead ofin .
literary sense Still the Spirit which informs this
and all like sayings. tho Spirit which through
out the Bible makes for Righteousness. II an en-
during power. not ourselves and It testiaes to
it, swn sxistencs by-well. BY what? By max
ing virtue it, own reward By making pleasure