The sun., 1890-01-26
Some NEW BoOKA


on the nflmltlNO TellklOnb Vi DtO-
pies, viewed In relation to other ancient reltg-
TONS. and to the spiritual religion Of the Old
Testament and Christianity. The lectures
constituting tho first course and dealing with
the fundamental institutions OF the Semites,
are now with some important additions pub
lished In this country by the Messrs. Appleton.
Times have changed since tho lecturer was
called to account by the So called Free Church
for accepting some OF the conclusions reached
by tho Biblical scholars Of Germany and Hol-
land and since he was forced TO surrender the
post which he occupied in Free Church edu-
cational establishment. Now he Ia Professor
oiArabic in the University OF Cambridge. and
IN invited to discourse upon religion, not In
Free Church college OF subordinate importance.
but before the ancient university OF Aberdeen.
Although he has come to bo universally recoR-
nized as the foremost Semitic scholar In the
United Kingdom, the invitation to the city
whore he was once subjected to undeserved
humiliation, must have been rs deeply graft
fyiE-. 10 DR.. Robertson as was to Carlyle
election to to the Lord Roctorship Of the
University OF Edinburgh.
We may do we'll to bear in mind from tho out
cot the distribution OF topics in tho three
courses OF lectures the first OF which Is now
before US. To the FIRST course and to half Of the
second course is assigned the elucidation OF
the fundamental institutions common to all
b0mltlc peoples, anu, tnerOlOre, presumably
developed by the Semitic trunk race before its
furcation into various branches. Chief among
those primitive features OF Semitic heathensm
, are the forms Of sacrifice, the religious feasts.
and the priesthoods. In the last half OF his
second course the lecturer purposes to discuss
the nature and origin OF the Semitic heather
gods, their relations. the myths that surround
them. and the whole subject Of religious belief.
20 far as 1t Is not directly involved in the pre-
viously examined observances OF daily re-
liRious life. The third course, 1t is expected.
will be left free for an examination OF the part
which Semitic religion has played in universal
history and it's influence on the general
progress Of humanity. 1t is obviously the last
two divisions OF the lecturers theme In which
the general reader will be most interested. But
for scientific and fruitful treatment of the
subject 1t is needfui for the student to follow,
the order Of religious development, and to
begin. not with myths. much less with
creeds but with the rituals which lie at the
base Of all primitive. as distinguished
from the positive. or book religions
We understate the fact when We say
that ritual and practical usage were the basis;
they were rather the sum total OF ancient re-
ligions. On this point DR.. Smith remarks that |
Religion In primitive times was not system |
OF belief with practical applications: 1t was |
body Of fixed traditional practices to which |
every member OF society conformed as mat |
ter OF course. Men would not be men II they |
agreed to do certain things without having q |
reason for their action; but in ancient religion |
the reason was not first formulated as doc
trine and then expressed In practice. but. con-
versely. practice preceded theory. Men form |
general rules Of conduct before they begin to |
EXPRESS general principles in words political |
institutions are older than political theories,
and in like manner religious institutions are
older than religious theories" In another
place We are reminded that when we study the
political structure OF an early society we do
not begin by asking what is recorded OF the
first legislators. or what theory men advanced
us to the reason Of their institutions: We try to
understand what the institutions were and
how they shaped mons lives. In like manner,
in the study Of the Semitic religion we must |
not begin by asking what was told about the |
gods. but what the working religious institu-
tions were. and how they shaped tho lives Of |
the worshippers."
Admitting that the long and difficult inves-
tigation undertaken in these lectures may be
successfully prosecuted from the view point OF
the student OF comparative religion. why. some
may ask. should people in general be concerned
in the results Of such an INQUIRY What bear
ing have such researches on the religious inter-
ests ofthe community at large2 This question
is Professionally answered by DR.. Smith partly
in the preface and partly in the first chapter Of
this book. It is not, he says. more fully recog-
nized In the circle Of professed scholars that
right understanding Of the religion OF the Old
Testament is the only way to a right under
standing Of the Christian faith than 1t is that
the doctrines and ordinances Of the Old Testa-
ment cannot be comprehended until they are
put into comparison with the religions Of the
nations akin to the Israelites. An effective
comparison OF the kind was impracticable 30
long as the historical order Of the Old Testa-
ment documents, and especially OF the docu-
ments composing the Pentateuch. was unas-
certained. Now. however, that the growth Of
the Old Testament can thanks to the labors OF
such mon as Kuenen and Wellhausen. be
traced from stage to stage 1t Is not only pos
sible but necessary for further progress to
compare the Hebrew religion with the re-
ligions OF the races cognate with the Hebrews
by natural descent. and historically In
constant contact with them. It is true
that the positive Semitic reliRions-Judaism.
Christianity. and Islam-were not evolved
like the ancient heathen systems under the
action OF age-ong and unconscious forces. but
spranR from the teaching OF great religious
innovators. who deliberately departed from
the traditions OF the past. Behind. however
these positive religions lay the old uncon-
scious religious tradition. the body OF religious
usage and belief which formed part OF the
into which successive generations |
Of the Semitic race instinctively grew up. The
positive religions were not written ON tabula
Tasa. A new system finds itself everywhere in
contact with the older ideas and practices
which are In possession OF the ground. 1t can
obtain lodRment only by appealing TO relig-
ious instincts and susceptibillties that already
exist. and 1t cannot reach these without taking
account Of the traditional forms In which re-
ligious feeling is embodied and without speak
ing a language which men accustomed TO the
old forms can understand. All this seems in
disputable, and 1t follows that to thoroughly
even a system OF positive religion.
10 understand 1t in its historical origin and
form as we'll as in its abstract principles. we
must know the traditional religion that pre-
ceded 1t. Take. for instance. the New Testa-