The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-06-18

Take the Place of ReiigiOn-Preb-
lem of Evil, Love and Self-Sacri-
fee md the Reality of Religion
Other Books of the Week.
Through Nature to God" by John
Ffske . Houshton, Miti1ln 20,
Boston For sale by the st. Paul BOOK
and Stationery company
Three essays having much in common
are grouped in Through Nature to God.
The ESSAYS are on two very old subjects
1.-THE Mystery of EVIL and THE Ever
lasting Reality of Religion" and on one
which Is compare lively modern, the
4Cosmic Roots of Love and Self-Sacn-
flee" Mr. John Fiske is writer OF
charming English, an admirable historian
a taking lecturer among certain CLUBS
aspiring after culture in communal
manner. and If rot exactly phllosopnl-
cal thinker. he is at least a clever IN
.terpreter of those who stand nearer to
the sacred affairs.
The little book is an effort to find an
adjustment for those disciples of mod
sern thought. Who yet feel that wisdom
will not take the place of religion. To
those who have attained faith and COM
fort by any road, there is no special mes
sage, but for those who have been doing
business with such matters as science,
evolution, law, the cosmic process, SUR
syival of the fttest, and all their per-
picking brood, here is a writer who says
that it is a mistake to suppose that
modern knowledge has superannuated re-
l,giru. The old-fashioned garments of
faith may seem a little queer on modern
and crowded highways, but faith herself
is quite equal to the wastes and burdens
of modern life. Mr.. Fiske has dash of
poetry that avails him instead Of the
culture of a deeper devotion, and that
adds light and beauty TO his pages. The
results of the higher criticism, the con-
illusions of evolution, and the data Of
anthropology, are all used as accom-
plished facts in the basis of Through
Nature to God"
THE Problem of Evil is set forth as
q real part of the unity of nature. Its
presence is not accidental. 1t is the bust
ness of the thinker to discover its func
ton That function is to reveal the ma
ture of good, and the reader is intro
duced to a new reading of the formula
of Hegel. that all things hunt in
couples" Our knowledge of sweet is in
contrast with bitter, and We find out
the fact of heat by comparison with
cold In like manner the picture of good
In the world is brought out by the dark
background of evil. But even the chapter
entitled "A Word of Caution does not
prevent the question arising, whether the
benevolence of the world order IS not
.risked BY the perfectly fair question,
has not nature on the whole given US
more evil than is required to bring out
the picture? Whether the physical, psy-
chical. and ethical needs of the race have
not been too richly served? The strenuous
believer in evolution must reply that the
existence of so much evil is the only
proof required of it's necessity. This is
all right for science, but may be hard
on some peoples religion.
{ Love and self-sacrifice are the out
come of the natural process. They are
rooted deep. Motherhood is worked up in
way that lis suggestive of Mr.. Drum
mOnd's- ascent of Man" Mr.. Fiske is
careful to state that the length of in
fancy as condition of human 1evelOp-
ment is his own contribution to the doc
trine of evolution. 1t is a pity, therefore
that it is not stated a little more -eIearly
and closely. The fact of the greater
precOcity of savage children ought 10
have been used in the argument. 1t
would have been a comfort also to have
been told explicitly wherein the fresh
ness lies, for the relation between. conn.,
pleX1uY of structure and time for ma
turity has been commonplace of biology
for generations. The further argument
from the necessity of ethical conduct to
social preservation is admirably stated.
and is one of great weight with all who
have considered the subject When in
-the progress of development the interest
or life passed from the individual to the
social group, the question of altrristic
conduct became political; that is to saw.
morals found for themselves natural
basis. Thus life passed from the preser
walton of the individual to the care of
the family through maternity and -pro-
longed infancy, and the family group was
merged in the larger social group and
as organization became more COMPLEX
1t of necessity became one in which tho
individual good must be subordinated TO
the general good But the DEVELOPMENT
OF man was the final end of life, the de-
NeloIAnent or man is pSychical and So
cial, therefore the roots of love and self.
sacrIice are cosnic. Such, In substance
though not in form, runs the argument
which Is quite familiar to all students
OF social science, with the literature of
winch Mr.. Ffske does not seem to be ia
miliar.
- mai ulSCuSSlOn IS on the Reality
Oh Religion Starting with an approval
or the deism of Voltaire as a kind of a
text out of which to argue that apart
from all questions of revelation the light
OF nature affords sufficient ground for re-
hglon' we are introduced into a new ana
Iogy OF religion, far easier 10 read than
suffers. and, perhaps, quite as useful
az Iedst 10 the modern man. Religion
rests on God, immortality and retribu-
ton. AS man comes to conduct, so he
finds need for religion, The correspond
ence between man and his environment
IN common with other lower forms of
organism Is argued, and therefore is de-
duced the reality of the spiritual environ
ment which man has declared the need
eI ms soul. That book of mixed good
and evil, called Natural Law in 40
spiritual World" Is suggested by the
thought and the argument Mr.. Fiske is.
inclined TO think that here also he has
made new contribution to knowledge.
II he would just think and not trv to
-