New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-05-03
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
SOME MODERN THINKERS.

ESSAYS ON SOME OF THE MODERN GUIDES OF
English THOUGHT IN MATTERS oF FAITH
BY Richard Holt Hutton 12mo.' pp. 800 Mao
milan 3 Co. .
This volume contains essays UPON Carlyle, Cardinal
Newman and Matthew Arnold, George Eliot, and FREQ
iric Dcnisop Maurice The author has reputation es
} critic which these papers, cohectod now from 'no
periodicals In which they originally appeared 10 some
bxteno sustans. His standards arc conservative ITO
n never brilliant and seldom deep strong respect
for oonvenonates perv AIDES HIS thought. is prob
able that no quito acknowledgements such minds as Car
ly,es and Matthew Arnolds. and questionable whether
he has fathomed the character OF Cardinal Newman.
me essay in which no contrasts the two great oAord
thinkers Is ingenious and, In some respec's'
striking, but tho parsdoxes which pcrpiex
him arise ofteDcr from MS own hmita-
tons than from tho inherent difficulties Of the
xituation Newman and Arnold types representing
strongly Differentiated intellectual constitutions, and
MI Hutton himself evidently belongs In ono OF these
two catogories Enthusiastically to DO scarcely capa
bic Of the other Tho order OF mind that
demands tho spiritual repose only attainable by I'M
plicit confidence in authority neither understand
nor be understood by tho order Of mind to which tho
need of gertrude is vital The former cannot
endure tho ceaseloss dubitation which the jealous
guest Of frsthand truth entails The latter cannot
Tolerate the apparent satisfaction with ncertitude which
oharsctcriscs the tranquility Of the former.
Matthew Arnold. moro than any man of his day,
tho strongest tendencies OF that zeses no
wrote Of so much The popularity Of his culture was
thst IL blended tho bodest nnovs om Of raonalistic
criticism with inherited spirit Of reverence owing
nothing to intellectual processes. He was sccptcai
boosuse his education made him so. He was moued
with strong reverentia feeling, because he came OF
Christian ancestry Hence too the apparent incon'
sstouces IN his criticism. Holding intellectually tho
sso doctrines with Herbert Spencer. 1t was not pos
sSle for him to rcogato tho whole supernatural ques-
In ealu of
he was impelled by heredty to postulao the stream
81 tendency not ourselves which makes for righteous
lcssp In fact Matthew Arnold marked transition
p4nt in modern thought he stood for the middle stage
fpf change, In which tho influence OF the past,
ftyough too much weakened to control the
,ttescnt, retains force enough to check the
development of the philosophy and to involve its
moro conservative opponents In contradictions Cardi
nal Newman on the other hand typfes the ultra-con-
servave eement7hlch prefers unverAable assurances
to dstractng inquiries, which consequently puts intu
fion before reason and faith before demonstration
rhe contention between these types Ia as Inevitable
the contention between Ormuzd and Ahriman. 1t is
1t bottom however disguised. the struggle between
rnatenalism and spirituality, struggle which must
last long radical differences OF mental constitution
permit ..e-r
Mr. Hutton's criticism on the two great oxford
thinkers however is concerned chiefly with externas
Hs penetrates to the primary causes OF tho differ
ence between them. His Carlyle and George
Eliot arc equally ingenious and equally inconclustve
There is indeed certain tone IN his remarks, which
matthew Arnold would have been apt to ascrbo to
Unborn Philstinism tnumphing over culture. Tho
Essays undoubtedly pleasant reading, and exhibit
: mild shrewdnsss and gift Of surface analysis. But
kAey do not 90 to the root Of tho matter and they
pontan evidence enough Of the writer's OF
cope 10 render any further inquiry into the Of
lthoir fnsuf1ciency quito superfuous.