New-York tribune., 1903-08-08

ii. VI oAOOSSSNNA'
Svo, PIP. 561 E. P Dutton Co.
The title of this book is somewhat liable to
mislead the reader who is familiar with cur
rent religious thinking. 1t suggests subject
just now much discussed in critical circles, the
mutual and interactive influence of Christian
and pagan thought. But this topic is not treat
ed to any extent in this volume. By pagan
ism" is not meant primarily the pagan religions
and philosophers but, for the most part, the
civil forces that opposed and prosecuted the
Christian adherents during the first three CEN
trries This work contains little more than
rehearsal of the events of this long conflict,
recording the persistence and growth of Chris
tianity, in the midst of pagan opposition until
it at length wrote its conquering symbol on the
sky in the fabled vision Of Constantine.
The narrative of the "Acts of the Apostles"
is received reliable. the author asserting
that "its authenticity and genuineness have
never been disputed" This is affirmation,
perhaps, that Professor Van Manen would
challenge, with immediate reference to his ar
ticle on Paul in the Encyclopedia Biblica." The
early patristic literature has been similarly
credited, about as it is found in the ordinary
sources, the material gathered from it. and
marshalled in this book, being much the same
that has been collated in all the standard church
histories as those of Milman, Neander. Schaff,
Hase and Hurst. The narratives are filed out
cations of the pagan faiths. to show the secret
of their antagonism to Christianity and the
reasons why they were displaced. Stoicism. for
example. is treated, the insufficiency Of its
high and austere morality to become religion,
even practical philosophy for the poor, and
for the masses of men, being pointed out, in
contras. with the simple faith Of the Christians,
that made it's way largely because in its per-
sistent reiteration OF the Passion of Christ and
the doctrine of immortality it furnished
tive that all the pagan faiths lacked.
A rather extensive description of the cata-
combs, where Christians and their assemblies
took refuge from the imperial prosecutions is
given, the account being assisted by several
excellent pictorial illustrations. In a chapter
martyrdoms considerable picturesque writ
ing occurs and here, as we'll in other parts
Of the book, we find narrated the sufferings of
the Christians in the gardens Of Nero, in the
arena and at the stake. The deaths of Poly
carp, Cyprian, Fabian, Symphorosa, Cecilia and
many others, under various forms of savage
martyrdom, provide material for kind Of his
torical chamber of horrors" that if they
not Christian martyrs. displaying in their TAX
ing off the heroics Of sublime faith, would
scarcely be edifying to the modern mind.
1t is to be said in summary that this work
is interesting and readable. even though 1t con-
tains nothing that can be called original new.
1t has a flowing and descriptive rhetoric that
makes it easy to read and more likely to attain
to popular than some of the standard his
tories of the early church with which it might
appropriately be compared. AS fresh presenta-
ton of rather well material, it seems
worthy the honorable place that will doubtless
be accorded to it among extant church histories.