Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1890-05-03
BOOKS AND AUTHORS.

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DIR. MuBnESsERc, ny william wilber- |
force Newton, d. d. American Religious
Leaders. Houghton, Mifiiin 4 Co., Bos.
ton and New York.
The Lancaster critic must first forgive
DIR. Newton's evident contempt Of the Lam
caster Of 1926, before he can review his
book on DR.. Muhlenberg with Justice but
ifhe can forgive this he will pronounce
the book well worth the reading. The
author speaks of tho book as study rather
than as a biography, but II really Is
| eulogy. However, even a simple biogra-
| ply Of this good, great man, must be
| eulogy. We all know Of his greatest un-
| dertaking, st. Luke's hospital, and the In.
dustrial community Of st. Johnsland. His
| character was q close combination OF
strength and love there was wonderful
attraction In his personality, which made
him eminently fitted TO be an educator and
leader Of boys he thought and wrote lit
tie about methods OF instruction, but at
taclied absolute importance to the living
spirit OF tho teacher. The Rev. Labertus
Van Bolskelen in "The Churchman,'
speaks Of tho Flushing Institute as " the
only true Christian family school Of our
| church, And so II was then; II really
was teacher of that whole church. DR..
Van Bokkelen goes on TO say: " Seed was
sown Of which we are now reaping q
rich and blessed harvest" We can point
| to the Colt school at Concord rs portion
| ofthis harvest.
The story of his oversight and care Of the
| poor while rector OF the church of the Holy
Communion, and his personal rninistra-
ton to the patients Of st. Luke's hospital,
would fill q volume; sympathics with his
poor first suggested the idea OF st. Luke's.
st. Johnsland was the child Of his old age.
Dr.Newton, in speakin ing Of this community,
says, notwithstanding its instant and
permanent success as an industrial com
munity, established upon principles Of gen
uinely Christian socialism, II has had no
imitators. II is tho one type of institution
alism, growingout of his personality, which
the temper OF the time has not suffered to
spread"
The chapter on DIR. Muhlenbcrg's church
manship Is extremely interesting, but one
must read the whole to appreciate 1t a
short roview will not answer.
Tolstoi says ait In the life which tells, I"
and DIR. Muhlenberg's life was sublime
Mr.. Gladstone's definition of duty must
have been his motto "Duty Is n power
which rises with us In tho morning and
goes to bed with us at night. II Is tho
shadow which cleaves to us, go where we
will, and never leaves us until we leave the
light Of life."
The frontispiece In The Arena for May
Is a finely executed photogravure of the
Rev. Phillips Brooks, tho distinguished
Episcopal divine. The opening paper on
L "A, nj ~ 10 IF N
ordinary interest. Rev. II. Heber Newton
contributes a paper on THE Dogmatism
OF Science" in which he shows how
through successive ages science, instead of
being the open-eyed child Bacon would
have IL, has too frequently assumed to be a
pope.
The engraving of tho Madonna and
Child of Giovanni Belini in the April
Century is yer and one of the etch-
ing engravings OF Joseph Pennell in this
? number, IA harbor scene, is wonderful fol
minute perfection. There Is good article
ON the slave-trade OF tho Congo Basin.
TuE CRAZE OF CHRISTIAN ENaELHART
by Henry Faulkner Darnell. Appleton 4
Co., New York.
: The hero, Engehart, whose father was
Dane, and mother the daughter of
merchant of Louisiana, hears the lecture o
2 ono of tho greatest scientists of the age
Prof Wildeshatt, and il deeply impressed
with these words: "The fact that a human
I intelligence has once occupied certain
physical organism, and been surrounded
by or participated ill., at an earlier period
: a certain concurrence or sequence of cir
! cumstances, would seem to be no in
superabe argument against the possibility y
we say possibility-of its occupying the
same or similar organism aud becoming
cognizant once more of these very circum
stances, under the same or other conditions
Otherwise, whence the marvellous intui
= tions,as many term them, respecting scene,
and incidents which we have never
witnessed In this body and yet of certain
, familiarity with which we are distinctly
and deeply conscious?"
! Christian Engelhart seeks an interview
/ with the professor for the purpose of find
: ing out If he can throw any light on sub
.. ject by which he is greatly impressed; III
startles the professor by giving him som,
of his experiences. The Scotch would say
he had been endowed with the gift, goot
/ or evil, of second sight, but our author,
theory is that these experiences, or what
! ever wo may call them, have already tax OF
place in some previous state of existence
and now come before him as memorie,
and warnings out of past that was pas
before Christian Engelhart AS Christian
Engelhart.
Tho book differs from most of tn,
books of mere dabblers in metaphysics il
this one particularly questions whether
the spirit existed II. its previous existenc,
under similar circumstances.
After the death of Christian, which take,
| place in the manner he himself foresees
the professor questions himself "Was the
scene of suffering simply to be changed
while it, under other or similar circum
stances, must strive and suffer YETI" Tn,
professor in his one interview with Christ
ian confesscs he would sacrifice all wealth
fame, fortune, life II self, tor II satisiactor,
, answer to his researches on this subject
, and Christian tells him he can solve thi,
problem and will.
) Prof. Wildeshaft afterwards believes ht
, has sent the young man to his death
and his agony and remorse are strongly
drawn. He destroys all papers and record,
/ In reference to his researches, returns I,
| the active practice of his medical profession
, working among the poor and wretchet
without recompence, trying to give life I,
/, many in atonement for the one he hold
, himself responsible for taking and in tn,
4 n q. =. a