The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-11-28
ARE YOU READING iT7
Robert Elsmere. the Book Of the
Day, Creating a Mild Furore.
The Ministers are Reading it-sene
Have Preached Sermons on
it-Liferary Sensation.

Matthew Arnold's pedestal was
lonesome and they have taken a
niece Of the celebrated Engsishnan
and put her on il, - said the Rev. DR..
ID. J. BErrell, pastor OF Westminster
Presbyterian church. in his sermon
last Sunday night. He was speaking
Of Robert Elsinere," book which i
being read and commented on By the
readers OF Minneapolis, As well a. OF
other cities. more than any ether that
has appeared recently. Many people
have asked me what | think OF this
book continued DIR. BGrreIi. II
know that Gladstone has reviewed the
book and has called it great. but s cat
may look at a king. and don's think
so. II any one asks me what I think
of the hero, Robert El<mere.
say that think he might wen
pose as the original specimen OF bifur-
Gated clam. He knew nothing and
believed nothing except what the last
man told him" This book. which has
been called, An ANALYSIS of the Mod
ern Theological Revolution is the
topic OF conversation in many circles.
!
Rev. Mr. Simmons and the Rev. Mr..
Shutter. have made il the subject Of a
sermon. and many OF the strictly or
thodox ministers have read and pond
cred over the book and tried 10 guess
its effects on the minds of those who
may read it from literary curiosity
rather than from any deep-seated idea
OF forming a creed for themselves on
the teachings OF the book. 1t is the
popular thing to have read the book
and be able 0ff-hand To give an
opinion, not only as to its lite
rary merits, but as to the effects of its
philosophy on the average reader
The book created a sensation in Eng
land last spring and is considered by
many in this country as the best novel
since Daniel Deronda. The author is
Mrs. Humphrey Ward, a niece OF
Matthew Arnold. Her husband is one
of the London Times staff. This is not
Mrs Wards hrst contribution to Eng
Hsh literature. as in 1884 she published
a novel called Miss BrethertonH and
later she gave to the world some trans
lations from the French, entitled
Amiel's Journai"-the reyeries of a
professor at Geneva. These works did
not create anywhere near the sensa-
ton that Robert Elsmere has. Miss
Bretherton" was characterized by Lon
don reviewers as a sketch of Mary
Anderson, devoted to the private life
OF the American actress.
" Robert Elsmere' is a student who
comes from oxford wearing the dress
OF a clergyman and habit of think
ing He is unable TO give reasons for
the faith that is in him, or that is sup
posed TO be in one of his order, and he
begins course Of study TO find out
just where he is standing. He is a
doubter and he tries TO settle these
doubts on an intellectual basis. His
study is plain headwork His soul Is
honest and he makes fight to get on
the broad plain of the truth. He has
been criticised as going TO the wrong
camp for his ammunition and allies,
and instead OF ~associating with the
great minds who have done battle for
the truth in his own generation, he
gets into the ranks of those who have
given up Christianity, and then tries,
single-handed. to bring the position he
is after out 70 where he can walk upon
il.
Robert Elsmere's doubt is one that
questions the authority of Christian
ity. He wants TO know what sort OF
literature the faith is built on. He
makes literary criticism of the Bible.
The outcome is that he surrenders 10
the teachings of rationalsm, and at
the same time does not become an
atheist. He lost one religion in the
battle. but gained another. Robert
Elsmere is suggested TO represent the
average honest spirit of modern critic
ism. The Rev. Heber Newton is
quoted as saying that If lac believed as
Robert Elsmere did. he would not oc-
cupy a Christian pulpit.
The book is looked on by thoughtful
readers in Minneapolis through glass
es OF widely different colors. Most
readers think il has great lit, rary
merits Its theology and it, effects are
the point of difference. The book has
been prohibited from several English
libraries.
"If it had first been read and re-
viewed in this country instead OF Eng
land +" said lawyer 10 Tribune man
who asked what he thought al it. lit
would not have created half the sensa-
ton il has. They are not used 10 that
sort of talk over there, while in this
country we have had our Heber New
tons. our Prof. Swings, and our DIR.
Thomases so long that we are in a
frame of mind 10 read Robert Els
mere and not lose our heads. It's
English. We know and of course the
Anglo-maniacs get into line with their
cousins across the water.
President Northup. Of the state uni
versity, was asked il he had read the
book. He said he had begun it and
had looked over the closing chapters
OF it, but was not prepared to express
an opinion as to its possible effect on
the reader.
81 DO notice this" he said, ''that
many people have read it, and arc
now discussing its theology quite
learnedly, who have probably never
thought il worth while TO read the
Bible. Ii would he well, perhaps, ii
they devoted as much time To the
Bible as TO Robert Elsmere. before dis
cussing fine points in theology
The Rev. II NJ Simmons was asked
what he thought OF the book. He
said:
was aIittle disappointed in " Robert
Eismere'-but only because the gem
eral and unusual praise OF the book
had raised nv expectations so high.
IL is certainly a remarkable work.
Both its delineation Of characters and
its presentation OF principles are very
powerful Perhaps it exaggerates the
evils in both unbelief and orthodoxy
and it IS difficult 10 suppose either
that such a character rs Langham
ever existed, or that Catherine could
have been So obstinately blind to her
husbands higher visions. But Rob
erts own character is a natural as it
is noble. Perhaps his attempt to
solve the religious problem of the age
bV making society "reeonceive the
Christ" is somewhat visionary:
and ii seems so when the authoress
saws that in "all that is most
prosperous and intelligent among
the working class in London,
church and dissent are nowhere,
Christianity not in possession. But
il Jesus teachings could be reconceivcd
and made real. the solution would he
reached and Roberts effort to found
that Brotherhood of Christ forms a
touching and hopeful lesson. This
wide sympathy shown for him Is a
still better proof thar his work was
right. More significant than ANYTHING
in the book. i this wide welcome
holds that miracles do not happen;
although he teaches a purely human
Christ. a purely human Christianity,
and even SAYS, Christianity seems TO
he something small and local still
more than 10000 copies OF the hook
are said 10 have been bought by the
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