New-York tribune., 1885-01-09

county, and for that species oi h'cia'"'' v"
depended chiefly upon England, where tne hi",'"-
facture Of fiction in lengths to suit purchasers na'
long been ali established industry Ai'o.,o"A
authors in turning their attention to STORY r'"s
have not only achieved brilliant success. but have
distinctly improved the standard quan'y VI .n
product. Mr. Bishops freshness. vivacity anu
b,mor Give him n high rank in the new schooi,
and sucb pieees as Choy Susan" " The Battle Oh
Runkerloo and Braxtons New Art IN tho
present volume are excellent specimens Oh MS hso"-
uty ana his literary accomplishment.
SOME HERErIcs OF YESTERDAY. BY 3, e. ralin Mahn
RICK, DID. 1Gmo., PIP. ix S2o' honsn'on' 'i''''''
This volume consists of course oi suhuay even
ing lectures delivered at the Mount vernon Church
in Boston. and Dr. Berrick modestly dlsclalms ior
them any special character OF originality vi 10
search They were not prepared he says ioi
students, but his object was to animate ana cui''
,be vonng men and women of his congregation by
stories of the reforners before ana aiter Lu,n'''
" N led in the great revolt against tradtionasm
and authority" His subjects reach from Iatiler'
the mystic of the fourteenth century, to John
WosIov The right which these men have estao-
Eshed for the world is that OF "perpetual lniei-
lectual readiustment," and we turn to them not 50
mucb for instruction in positive truth as Tor en-
courapement in the independent and questioning
sn,rit which submits to no authority IN rei'g'oh
except that of God speaking directly to the lhiVu
nal soul and which will probably Lead us hereai.ci
TO still broader light and clearer bnowed9e' lh's
beiua Dr. Herricks position. it is easy to understand
the temper in which he has approached his many
faced theme and we must bear 1t Ill mnd wheh VIC
are TEMPTED to complain that some oi MS charac-
terizatons are hasty and inadequate. Ihe hrs'
and last OF his heroes however, arc not well chosen
Tauler was not n hereto, neither was Wesley
Both sought 10 rouse n sluggish ana irrengous
world to fer of piey and purity of ie' ana oo'h
recognized the teaching authority of the churches
I'm whose communion they preached and died. III.
Herr ok refers to Taulers dsobcdieuce of the Papal
ipterl,ct upon strasburg rs heresy; but it cannot
fairly be called that and we must remember that
the poptin whom he dsregardcd was one OF the
French Popcs of Avignon, greatly diseredtcd III
Germany on account of his political course. In
that disorderly time a considerable part OF the
Church was always in disobedence, so lar aS
matters of discipline were concerned yet thc
priaciple of authority remained unquessi0ncd. Az
for Tanler's preaching, it was not doctr'hai ana
therefore not heretical Mystical theology Is iouhl
in all Christian denominations, and has nonrished
IN none morc luxuuaDty some say oAiraVaSahty
than IN Catholicism Wesley was always ihehpe'
of the Church-of England, and his work was 10
kindie the rame oil religious ont"uai"7"'' many w
s,impIoto tho intellectual and quassceptica habit
of free inquiry. Cranmer is included among Dr.
uerricKs beretics distinction for which his share
in Protestantizng the English Church certainly
qualities him. The reverend author does his best
for this hard subject but can hardly make ol hlm
an example of spiritual independence. Wiciii, liuSS'
Melanchthon Knox, Calvin and Elder brewster are
more tracable.
The style Of the lectures is animated and easy
and the occasional lapscs into ineegant coIioqual-
Ism were probably moro agreeable III the spoken
delivery than they are in the printed page. Zach
of the twelve dscourscs being necessarily short Dr.
Herrick has wisely treated the biographical por-
tions rather lightly and has tried to give clear
view of the condition Of the time and society Ill
which each man lived and the character OF ms
influence upon il. This method is admirably
adarted to a popular series and accounts for
Great deal of the favor with which the lectures
have been received.