New-York tribune., 1898-01-01

4
Leonard Woolsey Bscon oo'aYo Pr. $50 Inc
Christian Literature Company
So ehensive ard critical n survey of this
most interesting neia hos been made tin now.
while different portions or Il have been well WORKED
up 1t is an immense mass OF material that Dr.
Bacon has dgested and condas into four hun
dled pages. animated and suggestive. While ooser-
want of due hrevty. and for the rnost part AWARD
ing proportional recognition to the various eie-
ments Of the narrative II IL seldom that tnc
writer relaxes the curb on his natural prociivlty
10 sharpness as in his criticism on Emetsons re-
ply 20 Ware gay and Skimpolesscs- lhoeS'
the reply quoted on page 200 as an illustration Vi
"nippancy" will probably be understood otherwise
By those who understood Emerson better. Inc
shot fred at the Boston aboltionists with MI
Garrison for reckless rantng" which mace
name Of honor ''odious." will provoke some Viso'-
ons replies. i hardly well thus 10 oraw ''e
sword IN history OF Christianity. But those VINO
know DR.. Bacon will forgive him some rev iaPses
~ .h,s SOY, from grace IN consideration OF the
many more which he has strenuously avoioeo e e.
IN HE treatment OF the Unitarian schisfn' III
Bacon is a Trinitarian Congregationahst' out he
inti,nares that the orthodox would not have neeh
worse OF in keeping Claiming and his frienos III
their fellowship. while these In turn. woulu ha'o
been better able to check erratic tendencies
Without undertaking Channins's vast influence TOT
the ethciz,ng Of religious thought, II seems 10 u
that Bushnell marks the epoch OF new theoiosS
in America This essentially consists in the con
certon. new this age. that the supernatural
that ia 20 say God is Mt the heart OF nature ana
IN al world processes. rs well as outside ana epo'e
This is even more radical than Channinss ethica
and Intellectual Improvements or theology' anu
Unitarian critics Of the orthodox neeoed IL as
much as the orthodox themselves. II was bush-
nnIrs merit among American thinkers TO have
opened this Mne OF thought DR.. Bacon mentions
the epooh-makng character OF BushneHs nooK
t'Christan Nurture'O, but fails TO marx oisunc'iS
its epochal significance. hundred years peloIc
an equally momentous tuIn!ng-point was III tnc
work OF jonathan Edwards. DR.. Bacon fecords
Edwardss part In promoting the religious reviVal
known as the Great Awakening" He does not
measure his more wlde-reachng influence as an
innovator upon Calvr.st theology. In fact' fu-
wards logically upset Calvinism by his substitution
OF love for sovereignty as tho central element IN
the idea Of God Subsequent innovators Cnan-
ming. for instance. only carried out EdWaross .
premises ]; deserves note that he was In America
q. least. the father Of theological ra.ionalism
A variety Of inveterate misconceptions Is cor
rected in DR.. Baoou's pages Tho sharp contrast
between the original Congregationaiiss Of the May
flower Church and the Puri.ans who later planted
Boston-a contrast favorable 10 the former-neeos
the reiteration given 10 It here The charge OF IN
tolerant exciusivencs. brought against the Massa-
chusetts Purtans IN the matter Of Roger Williams
and others. DR.. J. O. Palfrey though Unitarian.
has rebuttsd IN his History o. New-EnSiand
DR.. Bacon pith.ly says OF Il that me rignt 40
pick one's company In hazardous enterprise !s
not 10 be corfourded with the wrong OF baEishnS
a man from his native homo for opinions snke
The Purtsns II IS soid first fell on their knees
,oen on the abo-tg;ne-" Or. Bacon defends the
arst coion.s.s as generally observant OF Chris
tan duty TO their pagan nsigheors Tnal 'he
Christian conscience In those days acquie'ceo IN
the rght:r,ness OF siavehodirg Is rebutted ny the
history OF continuous protest ngalnst 1t. dating
from a Massachusetts, enactment OF lGh Cotton
Ma.h,rs denuncat!on OF slavery was actually eK-
purgated by the American Tract Society 20 suit
the degeneracy OF conscience before the Civil War
Charles Sumner as quoted by Dr. bacon oe-
.crbad NJ Garrison md his friends as more aarnl-
ful 10 the anti-savery cause than all It's enemies
DR. Bacon names them among minor causes OF that
chanrA OF front on the slavery question which look
place az the South about the year 1893. The chlel
cause" he finds in panic terror growing out OF
the slave insurrectIon In Virginia In ISL. Never
was there a more revolutionary change on point
OF morality or theology than when Southern CHRIS
,ians who had till then found their Bibles con-
demring slavery. all at once found them SANCTION
ing IT, II Is within bounds TO say that this apos-
,asy" OF the church TO ant-ChristeH position is
chargeabe with all the woes OF the final aboli-
ton OF slavery by the sword. The Civil War
cold never have occurred but for the detection of
the Southern churches from their original prin-
ciples.
Or Bacon's tribute TO the Baptsts indicates his
irnnar;iality as a historian. On one hand he sus-
tains the right OF the Massachusetts, men IN pam
fishing Roger Williams. He fnds II vndlcated and
illustrated in ths course OF things In Wiliiamss
clysum at Providence. On the other hand he ac-
cords IN the lnheri;ors Of Williams faith the honor
Of having done more than any others 10 estao-
iish the American principle Of the equality OF all
sec.s before the law. The active labor IN this
cause was mainly done by Bapts's." who thus
sscured zone OF the largest contributions OF the
%ew World 20 civilization and the church uni
versal" The same freedom from prejudice Is mani
fest toward Roman Catholics also. Since the Par
l;ar,ent Of Religions held at Chicago he con-
s,ders the idea OF realizing Christian union In any
exclusion Of the Roman Church has become OBJ
solete and antiQuated.
Although Dr. Bacon is no stranger to the joys
OF combat and is we'll endowed with ths GIT OF
irony favoring many racy sentence. ne is 10 lie
commended !or the general dispassonateness and
cstholicty OF spir, with which ne has performed
a task fraught with many provocations 10 man
OF strong convictions. His work Is likely 10 prove
eoualIy serviceable to tho student and attractive
TO the general reader,