New-York tribune., 1885-01-04
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
mn sToRRs ON CHRISTIAN EVIDENCES.

=
DIR. sTORRs ON CHRISTIAN EVIDENCES.
THE DIVINE oRIeN OF cHRTSapfs RR s. necaasa s4enn
E' Ii. D. Royal svo., PIP. XIV, GA Anson d.
+. Randolph Co.
The able and profoundly interesting statement OF
certain evidences of Christianity presented Ia tnis
imposing volume, comprises course Oh ten lectures
originally delivered before the Union Iheologicai
Seminary In New-York, repeated III Boston anu
Brooklyn, and Iow revised, somewhat eniareeu'
aud supplemented by ian appendix OF hiustra'Ne
quotations nearly as ample as the oouy u
the text. In age wheh thc'o
so stropea a tendency On one side TO deny the
teasonableness of any religion whatever, and on
anothor side to treat Christianity system OF
nbilosophy and morals on level with other great
creeds purely human in its origin, developed OUT.
of the national instincts or composed out Oh pre-
existing materials, and destined TO give way ~"
higher religion of humanity IN an uhoeheV
inc aoe like this the need of vindicatlug funda-
mental truth is no less pressing than 1t was 1our-
teen hundred years ago when ST. Augus,'ne us
cussed the historical effects OF Chris'''ni.s
in his "City of God" Skepticsm moves III
a circle. Ancient error discredited centuries
aoo revives and fashionable taste goes back 10
old beliefs. as we'll as to old brass androns IL is
fortunate that Christian scholars are ready to re-
snrvey the ancient fields of controversy with spe-
cal reference to the modern forms of doubt ana IN
credulity and the Church has great cause tor sal
isacton where the duty is undertaken III the frank
moderate and enlightened spirit which distih-
guishes the work of DR.. Storrs.
The learned author has avoided the common mis-
take of overestimating the cogency OF the line
of argument to which he has chosen 10
apply himself. The final evidence Tor Chris-
tianity he declares, must be personal experience;
and in the absence of that it is impossible to obtain
absolute demonstration, coercive OF lntehectua'
assent. by merely external evidence. His carefully
worded title only claims for Christianity that Its
divine oririn is indicated" by Its historical
effects. But this indication is strong enough 10
carry probative force to any candid and morally
sensitive mind :; and it is therefore of the utmost
importance to show that, unlike all other religious
Christianity has teen vindicated by It's outward
results. taking the state Of human society as IL
papably was before this religion was declared Id the
world and comparing il with that which has since
appeared have exhibited to you my conviction
that certain peculiar and transcendant elements
have entered the governing life of mankind through
this religion; and that its effect thus far has been
to elevate and purify to uplift and set forward in
n wholly unique mode and measure, tho race to
which an impulse was brought by it immense and
commanding"
Tho first great change wrought by the religion
of jesus Christ in the condition OF the world was
the introduction of wholly new conception OF
God. Dr. Storrs draws brilliant and striking pic
ture of the state of mankind at the coming
of our Lord the corruptions of debasing and super
stitious worships, the prevalence OF frightful I'M
morality and the existence OF three controiiing
tendencis in religious thought, all opposed 10 the
idea of divine government. First, there was the
Ia, fhaiaf he lief
philosophers, who recognized either no God at all
or at most only an indefinite principle of order,
lambeut fre-seul of the universe; next, there was
among the common people general disoelief III
all the crowd of pagan gods, aud contempt for
religious rites; and finally, as the old gods
of Olympus were degraded. there grew up the prac-
tice of deifyng the most brutal, sensual and IN
famous Of men, even during their lifetime. until In
the mad confusion of polytheism, panthelsm' ana
ribald atheism the worship of the Emperor became
the only general cult throughout the Roman stare.
Into this dark, noisome world Christianity brought
a doctrine in absolute contrast with all that men
then thought about God putting at instant dell
ance the emperor worship, the polytheistic and
pantheistc schemes of the universe, the popu-
lar jeers and the philosophic unbelief, and
establishing fixed and final conception
of the Almighty which had no precedent except In
the Judaism Of which Christianity was tho fuihl-
ment. Alone of all the religions, Chrlstianity-and
for the sake of convenience we include for the
present under this name its precursor OF the Old
Testament-taught personal God alone of all the
religious systems it taught the unity OF God and
HIS unlimited and sovereign power. AND the
Christian conception of the character aud nature
of God His supreme purity and holiness, and His
boundless love for man was SO radically
different from anything imagined before
and SO Immeasuraby higher than the high
est attainment of the philosophy of the time
that ITS effect on the mental and moral life OF man
kind can hardly be ovsrstated. This conception
certainly can not be traced to any pre-exlsting re-
ligion and to suppose that 1t was invented by the
untettered workingmen who first preached it is to
ascribe to them something like the power of
miracles. Corresponding with the conception
of God was a new conception of man. who from
Christianity first learned the worth Of his own ma
ture and gained n realization OF his dignity as the
heir of Immortality This is a conception which
has transformed the whole face of civilized society.
The new views of human duty presented by the
religion of Jesus Christ are divided by the learned
author INTO several catcgorics. Foremost is the
duty towards God represented by the new concep
tion of worship Wherever this religion appeared
the old forms of external sacrifice passed away on
the instant and gave place to the moro intimate
and inestimable sacrifice of self, In the conquest
of whatever within the soul is alien to God and
conservation to his divine service "-Or, as some
millions of Christians would probably prefer TO
cay, the old forms of sacrifice were displaced
for all time by the sacrifice OF Calvary, worship
became penetrated and filled with love and JOY and
reyerent faiths itentered into the entire conjecture
of life it consecrated to the Most High all mans
active powers The development of this thought
fills one of the beautiful lectures In the
A fine illustration of the reverend doctors alert
aud acute mind viii be found in the poetical pages
which trace to the action of the impulse of