New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-07-02
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

In Organism ana Christianity" CIenry Holt &
Col j. A. Farrer tries 20 show, first. that paganisni
was much better morally than Christians generally
suppose; and secondly, that Christianity. as a
religion and civilization, owes most OF what Is best
in IL to paganism. IT may be at once admitted tiat
there IS con siderable truth both these contentious
But II hardly seems worth Willie TO write book 10
prove 1t. though the fact were fatal Indictment
OF Christianity for It Is nothing Of the Kind Many
Of those who best entitled TO SPEAK lor
Christianity have been most generous n recognizing
what was good ana noble iii paganlsm. and have
candidIy acknowledged debt which Christianity
owes TO II. Moreover, II this were not So
time proved the superiority OF Christianity lor
II survives to-day with vitality greater than IL ever
manifested before while paganism Is rs deao rs
door nall
In face OF this tremendous fact 1t necessary
to spend much time over book, however honestly
written. which would persuade the world to con'emh
Christianity and exalt paganism. In assimE'unS
everything that good In paganism, Chfisuah'N
did not prove It's weakness but Its strength anu
In its continued ability thus TO take TO user elements
OF truth wherever found, lies its value as moral anu
civinzng force in the world to-day. MI farTerS
book will interest students of comparative rehsoh'
hut its tone OF hostility TO Christianity cannot Dc
approved and it Will have absolutely no influence
IN reversing the verdict Of sensible men as 70 'ie
comparative merits Of paganism and Christianity
Two neat volumes uniform with the other WORKS OF
Mr.. Ruskn In the Brentwood edition. comprise " me
Stones OF Vence,g what the author deems the most
useful matter In the third volume OF the old EDITION
being included In the second OF those IN hand Ihec
are only one or two Illustrations, the purpose being 10
publish series OF plates purchasahle In separate
parts ard numbered cOnseChtvely.
In 1.-THE Makers OF Modern Thought MI DaVld
Nasmth has collected the biographies and teachings OF
the men who seem TO him to have led in the struggle
"between science ignorance and superstition during
the five centuries that elapsed between the years 700
and 1900, beginning with Roger Bacon and ending
with Sir Isaac Newton. The beginning with Bacon
seems abrupt TO one who remembers that before MN
there were men Of high Intellectual powers who iad
done much TO move the world along to the place where
Bacon was possble-men like Bede. Erigena, Abclaid
and Averrhoes. Without the impulse given to the
Bacon would certainly have been able TO write
what he did. The lives Of astronomers Included IN
Mr. Nasmiths two volumes taken from Sir David
Brewster's Life Of Newton. The work includes not
merely men Of science, but rcformers Ike HISS ana
Luther poets like Dante and Shakespeare. pubLcists
like Machiavel and GrOus philosophers like liabbes
DESCRIBES Spinoza and Pascal and the inventors OF
printing Specialists in the works of some If the
greatest men in Mr. Nasmths list Will perhaps feel
shat they have labored to extent in vain. Ecr
example anything can now astonish student OF
Chaucer IL will asonish him 10 find the old story about
Wiclif and Lollartsm and the poets imprisonment
told over again. briefly indeed but with all the fresh
ness of credulity. The work is imported by Charles
Scribner's Sons