New-York tribune., 1894-01-21

other ,unatic to be Alexander the Great Inc
re,ipion Of the Unknowable must be absurd Ne
cause here is Humanity ready to be worshiPpeu'
OF course Mr. Ward goes into details. ana i'ane'
an admirable essay polemically. as we'i % III
a literary sense. under the fancifui u"e' -"
Clothes Of Religion" But 1t Is hard 10 see mat
is gained by controversy over mere '"sa''
Whether one accepts does not accep' N"'''
tianity in any Of its forms. he cahho' ie''''''
blind to the defects Of such substitutes io' ie
lgion as a vague reverence for the Unkhowaoie'
or a glow OF sympathetic respect toward h'a'-
kind In the abstract
II Is certainly true that the strongest prac''".
argument for Christianity Is the ever-rehe"eu
faith which 1t inspires. The ages chanse' o"'
generation IS all mysticism and shadowy specu-
Iation the next hard-headed and pracuca'.
one century runs to metaphysics. the next seems
10 have a disorder Of the intellects ever! uihe
the subject Is mentioned. At one time mahNihu
swallows every kind Of miraculous story win
tho hungry eagerness OF a starved dog. at an
other the simplest and best-attested statements
Of history are subjected to jealous and resent
ful scrutiny VITA all these varying moods oi
humanity the religion Of Western cVih|a'oh
has had TO deal; and II has dealt win 'hehi'
maintaining substantially the same a'u'uue
toward the world. There have been times wheh
the evidence 1t offered for its divine rght seeiheu
to men irrefragable; and others. Ike the pres
ent when the existence of God the immor'ah'y
Of the SOUL the prospect OF future reward anu
punishment appeared to mapN uncertain. 10
Mr. Morley's assertion that Christianity will be
destroyed by being explained Mr. Ward retorts
that a phenomenon which IS beyond the en-
planation Of an age of criticism, faith which
can coexist with a keen appreciation ot 'he
force Of that criticism. has in II an unexplained
element which iustifies its vitality. Those
in whom this faith persists witnesses
to a truth which must outlast disbelief. MI.
Ward in the essay entitled witnesses oi 'he
Unseen draws "A parallel between the agnosti-
csm of the present time and that of the ilrst
ages of Christianity and having shown now
faith was then inspired in men by the lndiNlduai
testimony Of those who sun 'red for what they
believed he appeals 10 witnesses now, TO Kant
and Cardinal Newman, and Lord TennYson'
against the intellectual sce?ticism Of the nine-
teenth century. He shows how RELIGIOUS people
have changed in their views Of Kant looking on
him as "a power distinctly on the side OF faith
In the high purpose Of human life,' whereas he
was formerly regarded as wholly sceptcal In his
influence 4 prophet of scepticlsin IN an age oi
belief. he has nov become "a witness In sCepti-
cal age TO mans moral nature and its cOnnrction
with the unseen world" Then Mr. Ward cites
Professor Huxley to prove that Newman also
had experience that covered the whole f"ld OF IN
fidelity: but h adds on his own account that this
experience was attended always by a certainty II
faith and trust. TennysOn. Especially sensitive.
rs he was. 'to the intellectual conditions of his
time" and giving fun expression. as he did 10 It's
doubts yet agreed with Kant and Newman In
the lesson Of obedience. of action not weakened
by disbelief. but nerved by faith which Is an
evidence 10 itself. As II is difficult for all 81 us
to get this lesson out Of Tennyson's poems. IT
should be stated that Mr. Wards Interpretation
had the poets approval
The volume also contains appreciatiVc ESSAYS
on Cardinal Newman and a series OF rather In
conclusive dialogues on THE Wish to Believe"
The calm. equable temper shown throughou. the
book il it's best re- e"ommcnda'ion to readers who
have a taste for religious controversy.