New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-10-19
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
ANOTHER COLLECTION OF GLADSTONE
MINOR WRITINGS.

LATER GLEANINGs. New Series OF G 81
ings OF Past Years; BY the Kight id n,ic.i Oc.
Gladstone Theological and Eeciesastica| ~
tavo, DID. 42G Charles Scribner's Sons
els not the cleaning OF the grapes OF Ephraim
better than the vintage Of Abi-ezer? Ihis
question of the Hebrew hero Gideon recurs ~
one who looks through these "geanings' Oh
which the eighth volume Is now before U.s. rep
reserting the byplay Of sn active lfe ms
exuberant overflow and surplusage OF mentai
power surpasses the total literary product Oh
many a brilliant mind.
1t cannot be said. however. that these reprints
Of essays from the periodical journals to winch
most of them were originally contributed are all
of permanent value. In the present voiume ie"
of them are destined. except in so far as they
are models for the controversialist VINO "o"'u
be at once urbane and keen. to be OF interest
when the questions which called them 1or'n
have lost their transient Importance the aru-
cles on the cosmogony In Genesis l. the miracie
Of the swine possessed by demons, Mrs. Ward
novel Robert Elsmere." Colonel lngersoils re-
ply TO DR.. Field. and the proceedings az rome
concerning the validity OF Anglican oruiha'ioii'
however valuable for the present transitional
period Of religious belief will have chlehy
antiquarian interest In the future. Tne ques-
ton whether Genesis and geology can be recon-
ciled IN which Mr. Gladstone maintalned the al
frmative against Mr. Huxley. declines IN I'M
portance as the opinion gains ground among
theologians that. after all. the interests OF re-
ligion do not require them to be reconciled IN
Justice to Mr. Gladstone 1t should be said that
he "a ne out of this controversy with more credit
than the partisans Of Mr.. Huxley have repre'
scented Professor /. D. Dana. OF Yale. wrote:
81 agree in all essential points with Mr.. Glad
stone, and believe that the first chapters OF
Genesis and science in accord" Page o.
pote)
The three articles on the history Of the Angi-
ran Church under Henry VIII and Elizabeth
have more permanent interest Deaing' as
they do with the personages and events OF Il
critical period. pregnant with great ana enoui-
ing results and transmitting through centuries
a legacy Of prejudices and misconceptions MI
cladstone's study Of them makes the present
volume worth preserving among the scholar $
authorities for reference. The popular notion Is
certainly erroneous. as Mr.. Gladstone shows,
which attributes the breach between the Church
of England ard the Roman See solely to Henry's
wrath at being refused divorce from Catherine
1t is doubtless true that but for this. the King
warm attachment to the Papacy could not nave
been changed to enmity. But the enmity once
reused found ready instruments In "a vide
spread aversion of the clergy In Its dinerent
ranks to the working prerogatives OF the Ro-
man See, which may be referred In part 10 I'M
patience Of taxation. but which obtained even
with some Of Its highest. purest and ablest men,
bers." One may, in a sense. say here with the
Roman poet. Dux femna facti But IL Is
grossly false to attribute the English Reforma-
fion In which the spread of Puritanism was so
Immediate merely to 1.-The woman In the case
The most powerful element in the anti-Roman
tho fOS n
dom, and the determination to have nothing IN
religion that should impair It,.
The visitor to Abbotsford will recall the carl
cature Of Queen Elizabeth which II pleased
Fir Walter to hang up for derision. over
against this may be set Mr.. Gladstones ad-
smiratiop of this extraordinary woman. as he
calls her. 1t Is the devoted churchman's esti-
mate Of a sovereign who labored to build up
the Church which the policy Of her father and
her brother had depressed and dishonored. The
singular thing about It Is. says Mr.. Gladstone
that she pursued her work from first to last
mainly IN opposition to the Church's rulers.
and without party to support her. Disclaim-
ing ali panegyrc, and admitting the great
Queens defects he declares that what the Eng
lsh Church and nation now are Is due TO
Oueen Elizabeth as much as to any human be-
ing that has ever in this island enjoyed or suf-
fered the stern and bracing experience Of life"
London correspondent has recently told q
story. as Indicative Of Mr.. Gladstone's dominant
interest. that a certain person there had been
writing him letter after letter on political mat
tiers without elicitng reply. but that follow
ing letter on a theological subject drew
pronpt and elaborate response. 1t Is hard TO
saw whether Mr.. Gladstone is fonder Of poll
tics or of theology. In the latter he Is certainly
more accomplished than some who wear the
d. D. The present habit Of depreciating the
ology he sets down as a mere fashion. as ephe-
neral as any that come from Paris. To re-
spect religion but despise theology he declared
as irrational as 10 admire the stars and scott
at astronomy That Mr. Gladstone Is stanchy
conservative and old-fashioned in his theology
Is known to every reader Of current literature
rut there are very few of his type who are
& readv TO go as far as he went with Professor
Huxley In saying: 1T may be we shall find
that Christianity itself Is somewhat a scafod-
ing. and that the final building is a pure and
perfect theism" This idea. though as old as
Origen and ST. Paul. not every one can now
express without mourning the suspicion of radi-
calism But one so faithful to theological ira
ditions as to hold, with Mr. Gladstone. that the
Israelites were under divine command to mas
sacre the Canaanites can say It saliva fde. 1t
IA a curious though common fact that what Is
heresy In one mouth Is orthodoxy IN announcer
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