New-York tribune., 1886-03-18
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
.pCunrACON FARRAR.

SCENONS AND Alli'iSI'.Nf'' =
BY FREDERICK W. FtRRAR d. lri r. IN n -; 5vn ndU
deacon ana Canon Of Westminster Win an ini'"G @Gf
tiOn bv Phillips Brooks ID. ID. l2mO' Pr Ai'' oof'
+. z. Dutton a Co .e
Archdeacon FarraI leaves US III THIS parting eh''
n nle,Sant souvenir OF whit proved 10 many oil u.s.
aud we hope to him. pleasant VISIT In nus Ser
mons he never attempted either to fatigue tne I''oi
lects of his entertainers by urtimey discussion VI
religious difficulties, or to make their hesh crecp
bv too drastic searching of consciences; ana IN
his occasional addresses and lectures nc was careful
perhaps little too careful, not 10 perpcN us ne
was always intcllighl always genial, aud thousn
never startling vet never dull. TO a large Grass Vi
educated peop'e a preacher of tins rank Is u'cPiS
interesting; and as Dr. Phillips Brooks ]hd'cioSS
remarks "they who have long counted MN tht'l
friend and teacher, and who have now cnloVeu inc
privilege of looking in his face and listening To MS
voice. will treasure these words which lie mas
spokcn especiay to them" The elements of Arch
deacon Farrar's popularity are quickly discoVere'
in almost any one of his sermons. The first diS-
conrse in the volume on Christ's Lesson from the
Lilies and the SparrOws.' is typical example NO
search is necessary for the lesson that we are nv
TO be over-auxious abopt worldly things since "od
Who cares for the sparrow will care for us TOO the
lesson is explained IN the text itself; but 'ne
preacher repeats aud adOrns the thought Win 80
rich flow of imagery with such gorgeous pictures
of lower-deCked fields scarlet anemones among
the corn. CrOCuSeS gOWluS Win N'S'''''O
flashing wings among the oleanders, eagles and peil-
cans. kingfshers and rollrr-birds rainbcws ana
neacocks grass dew-drops. and ameth stine cion"s
thot like the Scrvaut-maid whom Mrs. 'arI!ie
took to sec Madonna ut the National OaIleIN' W. |
can only cxclaim. d" My, how eXpenave' Inc SGT
mon is in fact am exercise in rhet0rcai ahplh'"
tion; and in the mouth of good speaker OF aII"c'-
i've presence il is well suited to keep congr'Ra
zion alert The eXceSses of the literary style Wond
be less striking during the warmth OF delivery IMAM
IN the cruel light of cold print and tho neral con
sideratons which seem lt'lc too trte ana "oVl'uS
for new book might have very different eject
,vb. II enforced from the pulpit whore truths can
never be too old This is not a serious age. INC
majority of churchgoerS want nothing more ol tue
preacher than sort If moral entertainments ana
if he can make laudabIe emotions agreeable 10
Iaodicclp generation perhaps it is as well not 10
find fault with him for a tropical eXuoerahco Vi
language, or a ford taste in decorative poetry
AIthough he is Il high fuuctiOnary OF a church
which claims uviuc authority to teach. we sAonId
hesitate to attribute to Archdeacon Farrar any
thing like a systematic theology He Is preacher
Of seutin ents rather than of doctrines, and IN tue
expansive liberaty of his opinions he Is qulfe III
sympathy with the modern spirit which turns away
inpatiently from d0gmaS symbols, ana philoN'
ophIcs 10 fix It's contemplation upon the beauty
and usefulness of wellordered life. tie dI>msS's
the greatest difficulties of faith by prnn0uaclhg
them of no consequence. To the hardest questions
tonchin. the mrauiHg and vcIacity OF Scripture he
is content with answering We do not know lh"
chief duties Of his simple code TO trust IN Christ
IN conouer sell and to be tolerant and chartahle
toward Others Il is folly to care Tor rdenomna'lohal
differences 1t is arrogance to claim that our own
form of Christianity is better than anoth"rs. Inc
sermon Not a Sectarau Christ is preached upon
ST. Psul's indignant question to the Corinthians
Is Christ divIded ~ The Archdearon seems 20
have criouslv msapplicd tins text, for tine apostle
was not teaching that differences were unlmpor-
taut on the contrary. he was urlug the Corinthians
80 bc of one mind and opinion; bnt whatever
may be thought of the appropriateness of the ques-
tinu there is no doubt that the sermon sei Is tie
utteIauce OF a representative man of our time Inc
sentiment, are those which distinguish the common
oii-hand treatment Of religious questions In Eery
all our secular periodicals. and even the phrdSeo"ey
is nearly that with which we are familiar III the
talk Of daily life. Thus Archdeacon Falrdr IS
always in touch with the majority. For that very
reason he Is not a stimulating preacher We need
not 20 To- him for sub me anl solemn thoughts upon
Lipb themes. for profound speculltion for clear |
reasoning for startling calls to the sleeping con
science. His function is to clothe in purple and
gold the conmoup aces of current moral sentiment
Ii Is useful office: hut il docs not belong to the
noblest school of sacred eoquence.
In the llttrOlS addresses We crl SUI I"l'
than in the sermons the lack of vigorous thought !
and of real literary art. The lectures On Modern
Tducltiln and on Dante" are the most lmpoi- /
tant of these coInpo>itons, and neither of them has
a .erions value. In the first Dr. farrar makes Il /
glowing cucomium upon Greek, Latin and the prac- /
teal Sciences and commends the broad reach OF the
modern university system. In tie second he offers
little more than synopsis OF The DIVINE Com |
elv" with running observations, which. though |
doubtless sound are hardly brilliant enough to JUS
tifv the lecture. II would not have occurred 10 a
thorough critic to weigh rhe Divine Comedy by !
such a medley of unequal standards a. Words |
worth's " Excursion" Gorthcs " Faust "PITimN !
Progress" and " Paradise Lo>t' or 10 aS>nre MS |
with so much emphasis, that II is better thar any |
OF them. And what can Dr FarIar have meant 10y |
comparing it with poems full Of s.ientlic and the
ological knowIe tge like those Of Lucrctius, ana
id, ais of perfect conditions like st AugustincS
'Citv Of God'"l Does the ATchdeacOn of West
minister look upon the atheism of LucrrtIus as
"theological knowledge -! As for The City OF
Cod il he is under the impression that It Angus
tine described in that treatise an ideal of perfect
conditions" like Morc's Utopia We fear that
hi. reading of the work has not gone much beyond
the title.