Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-12-09

uniformly characterized by remarkable
degree of literary and statistical merit.
ARemsrkabIe Book.
A noteworthy book Of the day has re.
Gently made its appearance from the pen
Of Cardinal Gibbons, of Baltimore. 1t
Is called sour Christian Heritage" and
its aim is to establish the truth of Chris.
tianity. As the writer says in his open
ing chapter, 1t is in no sense polemical.
To quote his own words: "It does not
"deal with the controversies which have
"agitated the Christian world since the
'roligious convulsion of the sixteenth
century. 1t does not, therefore, aim at
sviudicating the claims of the Catholic
"Church as superior to those of the sep
"arated branches Of Christianity" The
cardinal expressly disclaims any hostil-
ity to his Protestant brethren, but earn
estly invites their assistance against the
common foe--the infidel and the agnos.
tic. He plants himself upon the broad
ground that all Christian denomina-
tions alike are interested in estab-
fishing the divinity Of Jesus Christ.
The work is fascinating from the opening
chapter to the last. Its literary style is
admirable, the learning brought to bear
upon the subject is various, profound,
recondite and convincing. The old and
the new testament, the poets, philoso-
piers and theologisns, both of ancient
and modern times, are ransacked for
evidences of the universal belief in q
God, and the arguments for the divinity
Of Christ possess force highly conirma-
tory of the faith Of believer. calculated
to shake the disbelief of an infidel and
to disturb the complacency Of an agnostic.
The charms of rhetoric are employed by
the writer with unsurpassed skill, and
while there is no parade of erudition
there is perfect well spring of learning
underlying his argument. 1t is a book
not to be underestimated from any intel
igent point of view. Even the robust
and fippant wit of an Ingersoll is
powerless to destroy the force oil
this calm, eloquent and admirably
sustained argument for a God and for
q revelation. After reading it an inf del
may remain an infidel still, and an ag-
nostic may cleave to his agnosticism !:
but if any man were wavering on the
confines of either, and were to come
across this work, it would in all proba-
bility determine him to be believer,
certainly so in nine cases ont of ten.
Speaking OF his Protestant fellow citi-
1ens in connection with their common
battle, the Cardinal says: 81 am glad to
acknowledge that most of the topics
discussed in this little volume have
"often found, and still fnd able and
'zealous advocates in Protestant writ
"ers." And again: "Aad far from
"despising or rejecting their support,
"would gladly hold ont to them the
fright hand of fello owship, 60 long as
"thsy unite with US in striking the COM
"mon foe. 1t is pleasant to be able. to
"stand sometimes on the same platform
with our old antagonists"
These are enlightened sentiments, and
are underlaid by a profound truth.
Christianity needs the arms OF all her
doughty champions in this day and
generation, whether they were wont, in
the old days, to swear by the Dual or
the King James version Of the new testa-
ment. The cause of unbelief is making
converts by the hundreds of thousands
In every decade. We do not allude to
the bold and truculent people of the
Ingersoll type-hardy blovistors and
blatant propagandists of intidelity, but to
those who, all things considered, would
rather be Christians than not, but who
simply cannot bring themselves to &C
eept any creed. This Indifferent class
do not stand around and below out their
lack of faith. They are very quiet about
it; and, in general, one has to be very
intimate with them before one finds out
their views. Perhaps the interlocutor is
himself of the same way of thinking, and
a chance word reveals their community
of idea, and condolences follow. These
people do not geek, unlike those
of the Ingersoll type, to make
proselytes to infdelisy or aguostic.
ism. On the contrary, they would
not for the world disturb any ones gem
uine belief, and look upon the existence
Of such state Of mind with lively and
sympathetic interest. They simply can't
believe and don't believe, and there
an end.
Unless something is done, to remedy
this state of things, fifty years will see a
majority of the American people agnos-
tics--at least big maj ,rity of the mas
culine portion Of the population. 1t is
high time that joint crusade-intel-
lectual, of course-such ss that Cardinal
Gibbons suggests, should be undertaken
by all Christian denominations if they
desire to hold the fort. Christianity is
absolutely stronger, richer, moro infu
ential than it has ever been in the
United States, but relatively it is not.
The ratio is running heavily against the
believer. Under such circumstances, as
the Cardinal suggests, il il we'll to drop