New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-08-29
RELIGIOUS BOOKS.
Sermons, and a Study of the
apocalypse.

penter and P. II. Wicksteed svo. PIP. 343. I'm
Ierted by Charles scribner's Sons.
TIE SPIRIT N MAN Sermons and ,, Selections S5
pp IL zzS. Charles Scribner's Sons.
TIE DRAMA OF THE APoGALYPass6E I ~ 4 KF2-
cAL cHRcTM Isl e it or IT'S TINE BY
Frederic Palmer. Emo, PIP TX, ~ Inc Mac
milan Company.
The authors Of Studies IN Theology" are Uni
eariau clergy1nen, and the viewpoint Of their
essays is naturally that of the religious liberal
DR.. Carpenter is Case lecturer on comparative
religion at Manchester College and author OF
we'll known work on THE First Three Gospels
Dr. Wicksteed is a University Extension lecturer
OF the same college and w-iter Of repute, esPe-
ciaIIy as an interpreter OF Dante These essays
are mostly reprints Of addresses given at Man
chester College or before various Unitarian
meetings The two most striking among the
twelve included arc those on THE Religion OF
Time and Eternity" and THE Place of Immor-
taIity in Religious Belief" the former by Dr.
wicksteed and the latter by Dr. Carpenter In
the former essay there is interesting explana-
tim OF the reaction of the Church Of England
toward medieval practices and ideas Dr.
Wicxsteed points out that this is but one eddy OF
O. considerable current Whereas the average
person has in past time thought OF the Mlddle
Ages as mere playground Of dry ana useless
schoiasticisra and has been accustomed to de-
rive all our modern progress from the Greek and
early Christian roots that lie back of medieval
times this essay insists that such cutting out
Of q great slice Of history in the middle is i'm
possible and irrational
DIT. Wicksteed points out the losses we nave
suffered IN religion by dlvorcing ourselves from
some OF the medieval ideas He suggests that
sn returning to some Of them. as we now seem
70 be doing the only safe and profitable method
VIII be to enter into a sympathetic understand
xns OF Middle Age conceptions in order on the
one hand TO recover the valuable lessons that
vgs have missed. and. on the other, to be able 10
contend successfully with the errors OF creeo
and practice that in some quarters are being re-
v1veo- The eternity sense" that was the dolnl-
mating spirit Of medieval religion, and of all
life in fact, at that day. was the spirit OF a
great truth which we must recover if we are to
have any religious foundations at all. The time
sp.rft" Of present day religion. that initiates
by going that fuiness Of life which 1t cannot
grasp by abiding" is to find its rest and com
rletion In the eternity sense that "by abiding
Erasps" the actual enjoyment Of God
DIR. carpenters essay on THE Place Of I'M
mortality tr Religious Belief summarizes in a
fresh form the best accredited arguments Tor the
future existence. especially dwelling upon ule
unfinished aspects of life as the promise Of its
whether we are 70 live again not since we do
live now, we are bound to work and sacrifice IN
a noble career. which is far better, even though
n "a never according to our notion, to be COM
uleted The other essays are The Education
OF the Religious Imagination THE Significance
OF IJnftarianisrn." 1.-The Fear Of God and the
Sense Of Sin" place Of the History Of Religion
IN Theological Study Three Ways of Saliva
ton" THE Liberal Faith" Relation Of Jesus
TO His Age and our own THE Place OF Jesus
in History" SOCIOLOGY and Theology" The
ology and the Service Of Man" Religion and
Society" They all have interesting material
and are written in clear literary style They
constitute. on the whole. a valuable Unitarian
contribution to theological thought
1.-The Spirit in Man: Sermons and Selections, ."
is the result of general gathering up Of frag-
ulentary manuscript left by Horace Bushnell
including nine sermons nearly complete. There
are besides the sketch Of an unfinished treatise
on Inspiration by the Holy Spirit" twenty
eight selections Of some length from sermons
that were left by him in more or less I'M
finished condition, a group Of letters not In
cIuded in the Life and Letters" sixty pages Of
"aphorisms' CLEANED from Bushnelrs various
writings and photography. The ordinary and
habitual working OF Bushnelrs mind could be
fairly understood If one had only this volume Of
valuable by those who so admire this great
American preacher that they wish nothing Of
his literary and religious writing to be lost to
view Beyond this there is little here TO satisfy
any reader who might desire to follow subject
through TO It's conclusion, most Of the matter
being go fragmentary. Hiatuses are frequent.
and much Of the material bears the aspect Of a
draft or outline that never written out
Those who have, or have read. Christian Nurt-
urs," Mature and the Supernatural" Moral
Uses Of Dark Things or Sermons for the New
Life" win not regard this volume as any essen
tsaI addition to Bushnell literature, A preface is
furnished by the editor. Mary Bushnell Cheney.
The procession OF treatises in exploitation Of
the most uystifytng of human books, the Apoca-
iypse. or, as named in the Bible, the Book Of
Revelation. never seems to halt One would
think that nothing remained to be said in view
OF the nearly appalling number of those works
that adorns or numbers the Biblical literature
Of many centuries But Mr. Palmer has never
theless made a book so fresh and well CEN
ceived on this seemingly outworn theme that 1t
Is likely TO be read with interest by those who
begin It's pages Here is a really rational and
analytic survey OF the Apocalypse. containing
also an Inspiring estimate Of its spiritual values.
The author regards the book as a drama in
five acts. The first four chapters are treated
as a prologue and salutation- The acts in order
arei Cd The opening OF the Seals Of Fate.
Chapters Twill; CD The Blowing OF the
Trumpets Of Woe. viii-xii: 90 The Establish
rnent of the Kingdom. and Its Results, xii-xv;
"a The Judgment Of the Earth and OF Rome,
xy-xix: CO The Marriage Of the Prince of
Heaven and the Glory Of the Kingdom, xix
xii The remainder Of the book constitutes