The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-09-03
JUDGE HARpEN,s BOOK.
1t Is Receiving Many Ravorabl
Notices.

IAN Inquiry Into the Truth of DogmatiC
ChrisSisntty," ia receiving many fiatteTN
ing notices Tho following appeared in
the Atlanta Constitution:
THE author of this volume is the we'll
known late city Judge of Savannah, who,
after a long service in judicial capacities,
Is now, in the prime of life, an active
member Of the savannah bar. His posi-
ton and character, and we might add, If
it were necessary, his lineage and family
are of the best. His great-grandfather
and his ancestors for three generations
were South Carolinians, and his great
grandfather was the first captain of the
Beaufort Is c. Artillery, and later the
senior colonel Of Gen. Francis Marion's
command, comprising the district of
Charleston to the Savannah river. Judge.
Harden is also member of the South
! Carolina Society, of Cincinnati, and first
! vice president of the Sons OF the Revolu-
| ton in Georgia.
! 1t is not little unusual, even remarlxa-
| BILE, to find man of strenuous business
] life and professional pursuits who pre-
| serves his interest in literary things
| still more remarkable to find one who
thinks and reflects deeply and maturely
! on the theological, metaphysical, moral
| and religious themes such as are involved
| in this volume Such an example, though
] ~
ment it gives 10 those, who, amidst the
! hurly-burly and rush of modern life, even
! III our relatively easy-going south, would
| still live in the spirit As such, if for
no o'her reason, one might well hail
Judge Harden's book with enthusiasm.
'Man shall not live by bread alone, - nor
even by money or what money can buy.
There is higher life even here, and there
is probably higher life hereafter for
which such thoughts and studies are as
here embodied will, we fancy, be worthy
preparation. ti i."H
Opening and reading the volume, how
ever, we are-and we feel sure others
will be-struck by the serious, earnest,
! reverent mood in which the whole dis
| cussion is conceived and carried forward.
This appears on every page, but ii is well
shown in the dedication-to the authors
children-"With the earnest soulfu
prayer that If there be error in my views
the conviction of il may be brought to
mN mind before it can possibly effect
theirs" And it may be said, in word,
that though treating directly of what the
author calls 'Dogmatic Christianity the
tone Of the discussion is nowhere dogmat-
lc, but is, on the contrary. kindly appre-
ctative of opposing views, and plainly
! that Of an honest seaFcher for truth.
As the title indicates, this discussion
takes the form mainly, after the first ten
| pages, Of a debate between a Catholic
| bishop and the author, conducted under
propositions advanced by the author
| touching the church, its authority and
| influence, free will the divinity of Christ
and the Bible, with which are blended
and interviewer, with skill but fairness,
the counter views of the bishop.
The tone Of the author, we have OBJ
served, is kindly it is also fearless
Dealing with high themes, our author
does not mince words when his argument
is at stake. In this respect he has done
what so few have done or seemed able to
| do-preserve perfect control and serenity
of temper in theological or moral hand
to-hand controversy. The odium theo-
logicum is not thing of the past. We
| doubt if it will ever become Isuch
Strange as it may seem, no fact is better
authenticated or more universal, time
out of mind, than the personal ran
cor inspired in most minds not only by
theological controversies but by contro-
versies over the most ordinary questions
| of morals and ethics. From all this
Judge Harden's book is free; and this
would be high praise if we could give it
no other.
But the literary merits of the book are
considerable. 1t is simple in diction
clearly arranged in matter and not re-
dundant, often aphOristc always per-
spicuous, and rarely dull or inflated,
The learned bishop, the protagonist of
the church in this wrestle, does not al
ways preserve his balance. Towards the
judge he is invariably respectful and cour-
teous, but towards historical characters,
notably VOtaire he falls into the license
of viliicaton, wtnch has gone on so long
but is never cFeChtable to any educated
man, mueh less 10 one who is versed in
literature and history. Few, very few
men in any age have deserved better of
their kind than Voltaire 1t is the YER
dict Of our best American scholar that TO
Voltaire Europe owes to-day more than TO
any other one man, the degree Of freedom
of thought and CONSCIENCE which prevails;
but here we lind Judge Harden's good
bishop repeatedly calling Voltare, in vul-
gar tornis, liar, unworthy of belief"
guilty of palpable untruths, " and all the
stock epithets so handy for fishwoman
but so disgraceful TO a gentleman or
scholar.
To us the most interesting single chap
ter in this volume is the one entitled '"rhe
Divinity of Christ" Judge Harden's DO
sitions here are, first, that Christ did not
claim divinity or divine descent; and, sec
ond, that he taught no new or superior
ethics The first position is maintained
with much acumen and research, but the
| second position will excite the more inter
est as well as incredulity Judge Harden
expressly says Of Chrlst's ethical teach
ings, especially the Golden Rule, that
they are the embodiment of all true re-
ligiOn and are probably the grandest eth
ical conceptions of the human mind in any
age" but he adds, 'they are not new"
Here we do not think our author makes
good his claim. That here and there
ethical views or hints of ethical views or
doctrines similar to those of Christ, may.
be found in Pagan and classical writer's,
we admit Socrates, Cicero Pythagoras,
Confucius, are great names of great NOR
alists, but to one reading them,
their thoughts do not rise 10 the
height of the New Testament nor their
precepts TO the words Of Christ in His
best moments and discours6s. II is well
TO see arrayed, however. as Judge Harden
has here done, the evidences of the deep
ethical consciousness and consensus Of
mankind in all ages Underneath all diff
ererces OF time, circumstance, education,
nationality, or what not, runs the clear,
silver stream Of moral thought, ethical
feeling, ethical aspiration, ethical Law
the same in essence in all time-our best
proof Of the moral destiny of man and of
the possibility Of future moral perfection.
We heartily wish our time permitted
full review and analysis.of this book 1t
is good to read it, good to study it, good
for the heart and mind, and we commend
1t 10 the reading public, and here close its
p&ges with no little gratitude TO the au-
4. -. Il. A.