New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-12-26
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
EARLY CHRISTIANITY.

~ Charles Thomas cruttw'li 81 A.. heS. ss
InerIy Fsilow Of Merton College. oxford. aye
ncr's Sons.
When the leaders Of tho Oxford movement ap-
pea,ed to the early Christian Fathers. ma the
nra, authorities on all questions OF faith ana
ceremonial Il was believed by many that tho
re.ult Of that appeal would be radical revolu'
zion Of modern Christianity. Even those who
had no sympathy with the peculiar tenets OF
Pussy and his followers had an uneasy feel
Ing that these early Fathers Of whom 30 little
wGs then known. might be found to support
the ncw-fnnglcd IDEAS Of the R!tua!ists or Pussy
f,.s az they were Mt first called. Certainly
the R!tualists themselves were OF this opinion;
and the works Of the Fathers which they soon
issued in English appeared to support their
view Since then the literature OF the early
Christian Church has been studied with great
care by many scholars from many points OF
view and while much has been learned from
this literature that throws valuable Hight on
the origin and early growth OF Christianity II
ms been found that the importance and value
OF the Fathers final authorities on doctr!nal
questions were very much overrated by the
leaders Of the Oxford movement. Many. II not
all Of these early Christian writer's were grossly
credulous: they had hardly any conception OF the
nature Of evidence. Their language is frequently
20 rhetorical that no importance can be attached
to their statements. while many Of the questions
they discussed have disappeared SO completely
out OF the consciousness Of Christianity that
their writings have nc value or interest except TO
the students Of ancient Church history. AS e mat
ter Of fact the appeal to the Fathers. Of which so
much was expected. has been almost barren Of
any tangible results The great moot questions
~ Church policy-aS for instance the origin Of
episcopacy-are not whit nearer settlement
because Of the recent increase Of interest in
the churchs early literature.
Nevertheless, the study of early Christian liter
allure deserves TO be warmly encouraged, II only
because Of It's negative results. incidentally.
also 1t throws great deal Of light on the lido
syncrasies and customs Of the Church in the early
ages. II was, therefore. with considerable inter-
est that Mr. Cru;twels ambitious volumes have
been examined, especially as his admirable His
tory Of Roman Literature" had prepared his
readers to welcome another masterpiece from
the same hand. They will be compelled to ad-
mit however, that the work though excellent
IN many respects, does not fully meet their ex-
pectations. It's chief defect is faulty method
of treatment which itself is due to the failure
Of the author to grasp fully the many complex
factors Of the times about which he is writing
close Of the Canon and the beginning Of the
Arian controversy. This period the author d.
vides into these sections. viz: the Apostolic
Fathers the Heretical Sects the Apologists. the
Alexandrian School, and Latin Christianity. The
sections on the Apostolic Fathers and the
Heretical Apologists little more than un-
certain echo OF other writers on those periods. f!
especially Bishop Lightfoot The treatment &C.
corded to Clement Of Rome is especially un- /
satisfactory, many facts in regard to him and his
writings being left unexplained Much the same /
sort Of deficiency marks the chapter on the !
Shepherd Of Hermas. AS to Hppolotus, Mr.. |
Cruttwell makes the remarkable statement that |
the only one of his writings preserved is
the Philosophumena. AS matter Of fact. be- !
sides his work on Christ and Antichrist, many
other fragments of his writings have been
covered. And quite recently the fourth book Of |
his commentary on Daniel has been discovered /
complete. AS TO all these Apostolic Fathers and |
heresiarchs Il may be said that Mr.. Cruttwell /
fails TO give any comprehensive view or their /
teaching their relation TO the age In which .
they lived. He appears to be overwhelmed by I
multitude of unassimated details. This Is es-
pecally the case in his treatment Of the heretcal
sects and apologists. though 1t must be acknowl
edged that II is not easy for any one to-day to
understand much less describe, their complex
systems of and syzygies The student of
these writer's will find nothing in Mr.. Cruttwells
work at all comparable to the works Of Light
foot. Mansel Harnack or Baur.
But while these defects detract much from the /
, value Of Mr.. Cruttwelrs work It u.s. nevertheless.
a useful handbook Of early Christian literature.
containing in convenient compass large body /
Of facts not easily accessible elsewhere. It's !
faults appear TO be due TO haste. and many Of /
them might be corrected in later edition. The /
period OF the Church's history covered by the !
work is Of deep interest to the student Ok
ecclesiastical development. and it abundantly de- /
serves a more thorough and original study than !
Mr.. Cruttwell appears to have given TO it.
DEATH or MANERT BJBEYR1N.