New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-04
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
COME RELIGIOUS BOOKS.

p Du,,on 4 Co. issue n small book by Bishop
Arthur Cleveland Coke, entitled Holy Writ ana
Modern Thought Though the Bishop Is far from
being n pcssimist he strongly condemns some W"-
denotes OF modern thought. Young men, cSpcoahs
no believes are tempted TO think it bravo to DOUBT
or basphcmc. They forget that 1t Is heroic to say
IL believe" To which it may be replied thal Il
vounc men actually do believe. II may or may not be
heroic for them say But II II Is ther misior-
tunc not to believe. it might conceivaby De huch
more brave, II not more heroic, for them 10 aNow
their unbeiof Belief IS not something that rational
human being can regulate at Will, even II lie Is a
member OF church and yet that is the unconscious
assumption OF many wise thcologians who write about
the tendencies Of modern thought. The Bishops anu
tudc toward the higher criticism OF the Bible may
be inferred from the following sentence: To take
hold OF any writer with whose works the world has
been charmed for ages, for the purpose OF degrading
him DENYING his existence. dsputing his author
ship, this higher critcism7" OF course it is not
The good Bishop is simply demolishing man OF
straw but he does 1t with all his accustomed deX-
terty and grace.
Longmans, Green & Co. publish in book form
the Rev. DIR. Morgan Dix's Bishop Paddock Lectures
for 1902, under the title "The Sacramcntal system
Considered the Extension of the lncarnation.'
This title would indicate to one acquainted with
theological terms that the book contains good sun
church doctrine. If the learned authors pre-
elections were not well known. There Is no doubt
that he speaks well within the truth when he says
that historic Christianity has always made much oil
sacramento doctrine. But there Is just as little
doubt that the tendencies of modern thought even
within Christianity. away from this conception
of religion Nevertheless, there a great many
devout souls who have not bowed the Knee 10 the
Baal OF modern thought, and who stlli hod 'he
old simple belief in the sacraments rs means Oh
grace To all such the general position OF Dr. DIX
will commend itself. But few Protestants will agree
1,i- hioh Sfin,nt NJ he
ments," such confirmation. absolutioh ana
unctlon
william Lakewood Sons. Of Edinburgh. issue
aTbe Distinctive Messages OF the Old Religions
by the Rev. George Mathcson. prominent PrSsDN-
terrain minister OF Edinburgh. That there shonld be
anything In the old religions worth wiring = DUCK
about much less that they shoIld have any message
for Christians, would have seemed strange ana
shocking View not many years ago. But the
science Of comparative religion has been making
great strides recently and the interest n Intelligent
Christians In other relicus systems has been greatly
stimulated. Mr.. MahesDns book is not only IN inc
with this tendency, but 1t will do much 10 en-
tighten those who inclined TO follow II. Iherc
are few assumed leaders Of modern thought WHO
think 1t philosophical 10 hold that all religions are
equally true and equally false. such an attitude
they imngne lifts them far above the common mass
of men VITO have 10 face the pulling facts OF
history In order 10 gain some glimpse OF the truth.
Mr. Matheson is not Of these superior beings
He believes that Christianity Is divine; but :or tha'
very reason he Is willing to acknowledge whatevcr
Of good there may be In other religions lie does
MT attempt here TO give any minute history OF re-
lieions but 10 photograph their essential spirit and
show their relation TO the facts Of human expert
cuce. THIS he does In way at once honest ana
reverent and what he has to say Is well worth read
ing A. d. F. Randolph Co. are the American agents
Of this book
A. C. Armstrong & Son issue the first volume OF
the Rev DR.. Alexander Maclarens expostory treatise
on the Psalms which he has prepared for the FIX
postor's Bible" The author needs no Introduction
to American readers. For many years the sermons
Of DR.. Maclaren. of Manchester. England have been
read and appreciated almost as much in this country
as in England Everything that he has written not
only Gives evidence high intellectual culture, but
Is deeply freighted with spiritual message. by
temperament therefore. no less than by many years
of study he Is peculiarly fitted TO write an eXposory
commentary Of the Psalms; and the result, as evil
denced by this volume, will not disappoint the eX
pectations naturally reused by it. 1t throws mucl
light on the ethical meaning Of the Psalms, while
at the same time 1t does full justice to them rs the
lyrical expression Of the ancient Hebrew race
That Henry Ward Beecher remarkable OK
postor of the Bible would be proved il proof wer"
needed, by the collection OF some OF his Old plymouth
Church lectures, edited by John r. Howard, ana pup
lished by Fords Howard d Hubert under 'he uu'
OF "Bible studies. Thousl these lectures were
delivered In the autumn. winter and spring o.
1s7s.ls70 they are almost as fresh and up-todate
as though they had been delivered las; month Nc
one will need to lie told that they are penetrated
through and through with the modern spirit, ioi
Mr.. Beecher In peculiar sense prophet o
modern religious tendencies and, Therefore, as II
everything else he reflected tho thought OF his Gay
concerning Bible. In these lectures he discussed
some Of the most important Incidents IN the biblical
story with all that insight and luminous cando
for which lie was distinguished. HE book may
well find place on the Shelf of the biblical student