The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-11-27
"ROBERT ELSMERE. "


TO the Editor OF The Appeal.
Sir-I had no idea when writing the re-
view Of Robert Elsmere," which appeared in
The APPEAL Of Sunday, the 18th that was
posing MS combalant in the fields OF religious
controversy. | certainly had no such inten-
ton then, nor have ! now Discussions
like these arc futile and Improbable, and
invariably end as thcy bcgin--neither side
convinced.
"CnristianuS" however In the S iD,i'ar OF
Saturday. seems TO have been greatly dis
turbcd In regard 10 certain passage OF mine
In the review in question, and, though fear
it IL waste Of time, and hardly worth while
To try to satisfy Il could never conyincc)
him on this point, yet noblcsse oblige con
strains nae to make the effort lie thinks he
has found big creyico in my armor, /
merely wish to show him, in n few words,
| that the links are all compaCtly welded, the
mcshcs thoroughly intact, Notwithstanding.
lie says the meaning Of the sentences tire
mcndOus, though effective blows at the mar
rowucss Of religious dogma IS "hidden in
indolinitcncss, aud left wholly unsubslan-
| ualcd."
First " all, "Chrisiianus' has not read my
/ review very carefully, otherwise lac would
not fail To perceive that the assertion he
! calls am allegation unproyen, even unsup'
ported. " is fully warranted and clearly sub.
I suntaicd at the start by the Yowod pur'
pose with which the novel was written.
| The assertion Is still further sustained and
strengthened by the opinions Of leading
| critics at the secular and religious press oy'
crywhcrc In the country, who, whether
| favorable or adverse, all ngrcc upon the
great potentality Of the book IN pruclaim'
/ inr reason 10 be mighter than revelation.
/ II this wors I, not AN effective blow al
the narrowncss OF dogma why does the
orthodox pulpit howl and rave in such bib
ter dcnuncation Of Robert Elsmyro'
as dangerous aud subtle pitfalI
for tho mwary hut believing soul
| Why did the trustees Of the Fps
wieh Library, England, exclude this move
from g. shelves " they did not regard II "a
n dangerous book and highly effective In
stumcnt Of propaganda" with precisely
such startling facts aud many more which
might be dcduccd 10 fortiiy my position, q
was not necessary to bring what was intcndc.
as comprehensive and literary review dowr
90 DO smlll q detail ns personal observation
and knowledge. "thristianus' has the sam,
opportunities that or the public have {,
obtain such information. ItcouId make bu
| liu. " any difference a. to the weight o
value to bc attached 10 Mrs. Wards motive
whether meant 10 convey the idea Ia ih'
sentence "Chnsdanus" finds fault with, tina
there hal 'b,cn number OF instances o
| pcrycruon from revealed religion o
or "that the argumcntatlyo processes Of tn
| work clearly show the uutcnahlcncss of ia
old faith"
lnicrcntally, from The agitation Of IN
public mind aud the Idcsprcad intcWs
manifested in Robert Elsmcrc," any rcado
ought to certainly be- able TO draw either o
both Of the foregoing deductions.
Mrs Ward wrote with bold pen an,
heroic courage I have ondcayorcd 10 IL
the samc 10 the opinions hold OF a. Mr
Wards aim from the start b. o. clear as th
MONDAY sun, aud u needs no elaborate IN
tcrpcta,iun on the part u the reviewer :
. instruct the reader what Is meant Snlwal
theology b. fast growing docropd; the worl
u passing through the thrUgs OF d gre.
change in religious and phllosophic though
~ nn able writer recently wrote. "Whcr
b supernatural religion has slain its tens, 'l.ol
+ crt Elsmrrc will slay It, thousands"
Christians" says furthermore that Mr.
Ward doc, no, give revealed religion "a
trial" and that not one among The chamctc
b representing the Christian belief are "ma,
q intellectually capable of meeting aWumci
4 ~ overcoming difficulty" lie then ~
cro,ls 10 mention them by name. buginnii
with Catherine. Who i the living embed
j. mcnt and po~oniGcation of thc Thirty.nil
!. Article. With thc soul aud courage ola M,
t,r. Who would walk unhinchingly 70 d
l. stake Tor the ,akc 1i the faith within u,
. Whore is thcuastrpugrran and more c1nsistc
=, Christian typc' Then there " the Rev. N
"a NcNcomc, the hiuaIlsL hnaiical aud lev,
b 90 in bis c1nlAtpu ui spirlt and nscctlcisI
+ ns perfect a representative of riiualism, N
, blank leaf between Rome aud England,
/, could possibly be- portrayed.
Is The Vicar Of MorcWcll Is another disiin
w and familiar everyday typc 81 the orthod
5. minister in the Church u England, Viii
IN Mrs Ward could not we'll overlook IN q
l,ctug together the advocates u reveal
" religion
Every one Of this orthodox elements
a. Tie. aud iho has chosen The strongest th'
q wa 90 hc bal. n they ore but 'pgmic
al unequal to match the intellectual giant
i, representing hcioroloxy, what Is the eau
Dogma, lettering, Wrapping and trammclI
~ ou the one side, freedom oi thought aud =
't- s0n on the other J. l..