New-York tribune., 1899-07-29
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
"A RELIGIOUS TEACHER WITH PRAc-
TICAL MESSAGE.

THE GREAT AFFIRMATIoNs OF RELiiGi4RN. iSi Rs:
An Introduction TO Real Religion not ,rbrnss rp,
ginners but for Beginners Again by lRoHaS lRRs,mdn
r. SIcer. Svo.. PIP. TX, 273. Houghton' "n"'
& Co.
breezy air OF modernity pervades this lit
lie volume. This does not mean that MI shcer
Is either irrelgious or unreligious. or that MS
aim is to secuarize religion, except IN SO iaf as
II is desirable to make religion an essentiai
factor in the secular life OF the world HIS oe
sire is simply to show that the fundamental
,6eas of Christianity have to-day as they al
wavs have had the power Of moulding ana
guiding what is generally called the secular lie
~ man He believes, with many other Keen
observers Of modern tendencies. that many peo-
nle 'especially, perhaps. Christians. are IN oah-
ger of losing sight Of this truth during the
last fifty years the activities OF the worio nave
been on lines largely outside OF the orsaniIeo
Church. The result Of this has been thal the
Church has been disposed to shut itself out
Of any participation in these activities, ano' IN
consequence Of this attitude OF aloofness, IL mas
come widely TO be believed that Christianity
A. a thing apart from the ordinary everyday
life of men. So have sort OF esoteric
Christianity in the Church, which concerns
itself with logomachies over dogmas, or with
the aesthetic decoration Of the sanctuary "hHe'
on the other hand, we have men or leadership
in the world Of business or science who regard
the Church the home Of amiaoie out uiiprac
teal Missionaries. having no relation 10 ,he real
progress or welfare Of the race.
Largely as a result Of this mutual nnisappre-
hension and misunderstanding 1t has come 10
pass that an ever increasing number Of essen
Sially good people find themselves mentally ana
spiritually at sea. Says Mr. Sncer:
"Thev accuse themselves of having aban-
doned religion hecase they cannot join IN the
concert OF expression which creeds and CON
fessons of faith require. Some Of them have
even imagined themselves without faith IN Cod
when their very faith in goodness has driven
them from the worship OF God who, II He is
as He is often described in certain churches, is
certainly not good. They are earnestly out IN
search Of a religion; but, having given up
life preserver that would not float. they are
shy Of losing their right TO strike out for them
selves by tying up to new set of supports; tney
would rather swim and. II need be, sink, than
CHAMBER aboard craft which shows by the
wheeling of it's hard worked pumps that it is
a<ept afoat only by great labor. -. This IT.
tie volume is sent out primarily for such as
these and. although the author does not mag
.tne that ne has met all their difficulties, ne
;dares hope that he may have indicated
method Of inquiry, process OF thought, by
which some of these difficulties may be some
what reduced He has found the things here
set forth not only intellectually reasonable. but
MISC spiritually efficient; and. he belongs to
uhe ministry Of the common life, he sends these
pages out for plain people TO read, in the hope
that they may suggest way Of looking at the
great realities that may constitute some small
contribution to the constructive process which
ts the very service Religion should render to
life"
Mr. Slicer shows how erroneous IT is TO as
sumo that religion has always meant one and
The same thing. Historically, and sometimes
an the case of individuals. 1t necessarily passes
through five distinct periods. The child-man
first apprehends 1t as system more or less
artificial and arbitrary. by means OF which ne
may avert from himself the wrath of capricious
deities Hence arose the custom Of making
offerings to the gods. The second stage is the
effort to single out from among the gods the
one good God, and make terms with Him. Next
comes the consciousness Of sin on the part of
the worshipper after which the fourth stage
is reached in the desire Of the worshpper to be
like the being worshipped And last comes the
highest ideal Of religion. when there is COM
munion between the creature and the Creator.
1t is that last style Of religion, and that only,
that is Of any real use to With this con-
ception Of religion as clew. Mr.. slicer goes on
to define It's function and mission in human
life. in a thoroughly sane and practical, yet
reverent way. What he has to say will not
give much comfort to those who conceive Of re-
ligion either as a complex mosaic Of dogmas
as an aesthetic dream Of other worldliness. But
st has a message, and a most helpful message.
for average men and women who find them
selves integral parts Of the great sum Of ma
terial activities. but who yet crave some
glimpse Of higher spiritual rule Of life. which
shall by it's divine warmth and light trans
mute the earthly into the heavenly.
H,IIE HISTOPX or LA MIND