New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-12-18
RELIGIOUS EVOLUTION.
REVIEW OF ANCIENT PROGRESS IN THE
STUDY OF DIVINITY.

vii 400 G. p. Putnam's SONS
rn,s hook Is the working out of an ioea wiz"
no. erst mt in words by st. Paul. ana III '"ou
arm times has been set forth pest !" III. ,
Introduction to Neanders history Vi .,.,o.
Nv Neander did not go back "a ii''o '''' 49,.
preceding the Christian era Ihere ""' "
IL, ovonora+ivelv little material for an es'i-
80 -, ,he primitive civilizations of Egyp' anu
At, Put IN so far as these had been 'ahe" Wy
into tho life and philosophy OF the
reces Of the Mediterranean BASIN lie
,ben, fully and his brief essay Is an ep''o"'e ~
the science Of history from the Chris''a" p'''''
Of view. nro,ersive
Mr.. Taylor's plan is far more comp ,s,.
than Neandcr's. but the result -
80 Same lust because the plan is compre-
hensive there are lapses IN IL whic" '""
remed,ed with the present knowledge OF 'he
,S.. - .,,,. among the antique religions ana
,,,..,,or. The whole discussion begins WIN
.,,..,,or which divides men Of Oriental learn
-, ,,h.,ber tho culture OF Egypt was oioer
.,, .hat NJ Chaldaea or subsequent 10 It,
A. Tov,or,s opinion is that probably Chaiuae"
nod on older civilization than Egypt But as '''e
carly influence OF one country upon 'he o'''
cannot be determined. their culture D
considered separately. In substance 'nese
much alike Worship was tinctureo WIFI '""e.
II took on the appearance Oh co''p
which the deity or deities were 1orceo " o'e.
human wishes. AS ii was near ha'u'.'
took something from the SITUATION oi '"e
countries In Egypt where there was 's'
ease less was thought OF the mdhe""" ~
n,oniac aspect of the supernatural po"e''
,o,,or If personal faultiness was not developer
there as il was among the swamps anu ca"a''
near the Persian Gulf The individual man WIN
havQ
virtues TO be emblazoned on its walls ana i''s
ootass;or according TO the Book of the Dead
~ &C a negative one in which offences were as
o,.;med Underneath the innumerabe DEANS
r., Observance there lack or proiouio
,borpbt II is possible that here the deiect Is III
the record ~ VIII
.rbere are sentences in the Book of the Deaa
which Mr. Taylor himself. on renecto'i' "''s".
accept as presupposng a consderaple emu "
abstract thought. But in every such 'ase ''O
reasoninc behind the conclusion mas oee"
omitted. The Egyptians were not alone III 'n''
nractice of ignoring their own metaphysics -.
contrast with them the old Bapyiohiane anu
the later Assyrians filled their psalms WIN oo"-
fessions Of sin The mysterious STROKE Vi US
COS was 90 common with them that they could
not eyade the sense Of personal respohsio''''''
Rut the relief expected from the gods TOOK
e,oo, form The Chadaean view Of the future
m IL.
life was more gloomy than that OF EGYPT anu
,hav had the legend Of the Deluge ana OF the
aastruction of the human which was ao-
cant from Egypt Here. again. Mr. Iavlor' Us
veu as others may have overlooked the oeiuse
NJ blood which in Egyptian literature threat
ened the destruction of humanity IL IS Ir'sn'-
full enough, and the little drama among INC
gods that accompanies II remhos one 'e'
strongly Of the Chaldaean story or the I 'oon'
Put with all this sense Of mystery the Esyp'
tians and Chaldaeans advanced but re" s'epS
toward a spirtualized manhood the same Is
true Of the Chinese as viewed by MT la!io''
though they reached a fuller ethical CONSIST
orcv through a faculty of formulating the prac-
teal principles Of life" He adds: "Assyr'ans'
Babylonians. Chinese and Egyptians through
all their centuries. show no capacity lot sio"''
bevond an elementary humanity.
+, thesa neoples were bound down TO the
earth II was the office of the Aryan in lndla 10
nerfect the thought Of infinite freedom from ali
that is material and mortal and changeapie.
In Vedic tines he worked at this thought whhe
devising a multitude of gods and a wearlsome
bondage of caste. Buddhism destroyed Tor
time this untrustworthy scheme or thought
II was a revulsion from unreahty' however 81
vigorous that 1t overturned things real. III per
oa,ved tho narrowness IF caste and the folly OF
pr,est,v sacrifices and scetic penances. But IN
taking an agnostic position 1t defeated the pur-
nose of its founder. II gave no comfort 10 the
u,ndoo soul seeking release from its limitations
Practically 1t abandoned this life lot the very
dreams which Gotama deprecated. The I'M
movable which he would have let alone was
the one thing which Hindoos were bound to
seek little before the time Of Buddha per-
hans. another Aryan prophet sought to raise
l,y q
Invisible deity; but his system was vitiated by
an evil spirit barely less powerful than the goo
he worshipDed.
Only among the Hebrews does Mr.. Taylor ma
the idea of an infinite divine personality worked
out completely. In Palestine the inner life was
made ready for Christianity. On the other
hand the Greek culture. beginning where the
old races Of the Nile and the Euphrates left or,
rsrfected the humane side Of life. 1t made the
most in every way OF man In mind and BODY.
In art in poetry in philosophy. 1t gave MIN the
mastery of reason and Of thought balanced ana
rronortioned. Then came Rome with a genius
for law and and government with Greek
culture ready to hand she created the environ
mont in which a new religion embody!ng all
the atta,nments Of humanity could live Not
without a struggle. however. The impulses
which had made the Empire necessity as
AGAINST the Republic were felt in opposition to
Christianity Mr. Taylor takes the ground OF
a defender Of the Roman power as prosecutor
NJ the Christians Christianity was something
which could not be provided for beforehand
TIE adherents of necessity acted Illegally. and
the laws were enforced against them But II
was only In exceptional cases that the Emperor
or his officers took the initiative. Christian
opologists felt the misery OF their position but
IN their arguments they were apt to ignore the
vary noints which Government officials like
p,inv the Younger had to consider first
Viewed as an argument. Mr.. Taylors work has
its defects His refusal to post sequence be
tween Chaldea and Egypt leaves those civiliza
% oo.t,nf thor {e adj mr.