Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-06
nE,IcIoys OF ArTHoRITY. and the

RELIGIONS OF AUTHORITY: and the
Religion of the Spirit. By Auguste Sapa,ieE,
lar dean of the Protestant Faculty of Theology
I'm the University of Paris. Translated by
Iouise Seymour IIoughton New York; Me-
CIure, Phillips * Co.
In the midst of the great religious tur-
moils which France has experienced during
the past few years, one clear. dom haht
note cas- been heard commanding attention
and respectful hearing even on the part OF
those in whose ears it sounded as dseor-
dant This was the voice of Auguste
Sabatier, bespeaking cons. deration for the
''rel gion of the spirit" as he s-yled the
philosophy which he set off against the
theolC gies upon which religious organic l.
tons or churches are based. In 1871 he
publ shed his Outlines of Il Ph'iGsj phy Oh
Religion Based Upon Psychology and HIS
tory" clearly in preparation for TIE pres
ent work. which engaged him throughout
the latter years of his life. He had nm shed
this volume when stricken with his last i'll
ness. but it lacked the polishing touches TO
prepare it definitely for the press, and he
expec;ed TO spend three months in its re-
vision after returning from journey TO
Egypt which. however, he did not i've TO
accomplish. He died in April, 1901.
Tins the work, which underwent very
slight revision at the hands of his associate
workers in the University of Paris. named
by him as his literary executors, stands as
his final word on a subject in which he had
for We IRIS been reg3 rded 4 leading ex-
plorer. I4abatier's influence was ever for
unpre JUDGED inquiry and analysis. He was
violently assailed by the dogm1tists. and
he always welcomed controversy, for he
had armed himself with a great store of
historical ammunition He was regarded
by European churchmen as their most dan
geroUs antagonist because of his endless
resources. Yet Sabatier was not an icono-
clast, and far from an agnostic. Through
out this volume pulses great spiritual
sentiment, a strong faith, a belief in the
beneficence of the order of things. a love
/ for CT ristianity. But withal the intellect
! is never subordinated to the emotions and
the philosopher reigns supreme as he seeks
to trace law and system. Churches are
requisite. because of the inherent necessity
! of organization and leadership. But error
may and docs creep into them. and some
times confuse their best purposes and lead
even to false ends.
THIS Sabatier, whose method is that of
the analyst rather than the advocate in
this work, seeks to make plain his enduring
confidence in the Immortality and univer-
salty of religion of the spirit whatever
the creed or the name, or the form of gov
eminent, or the scope of doctrine. He be-
heves the papacy will continue for long to
come. but he does not believe 1t will last in
definitely. He likens 1t to a temporal power
which, drawing It's vitality from the hui
man agencies which compose it, follows the
natural law of growth and decay.
The work, which is translated in eXcep-
tional!y capable style, must necessarily ar
rest the thought of the reader 1t is not
addressed to him as a challenge, but as
contribution. 1t is valuable as an historical
analysis of the evolution of the Christian
religion however it may be considered as
bearing upon the prejudices of the holders
of creeds and the subjects of church gov
ernments. 1t is, finally, an appeal for
broader basis of individualism. as express
ed in Sabatier's own answer to the ques-
ton: Is religion an inner inspiration up
springing in the human consciousness. or is
1t an external, supernatural institution de-
vised by a higher power to guide and edu
cate our minds?
EXPANSION OF THE REPUBLIC Sc
R Hn;,> Price Hi S OF ROCKY 1" {,
pc!al Reference to the Expedition of Lewis and
Chrk BY Reuben Gold .ThwaItes author of
maps. New York: u. Appleton & Co.
The story of the conquest of the Rockies
IS one of the most thrilling in all the varied
record of the exploration and development
of the continent of North America. From
the day when Balboa first crossed the d.
vide at Darien and gazed upon the waters of
the Pacific to the driving of the last spike
in the first road to be built across the Rock
ies is story of continuous. brave, sacrifc-
ing effort. Its romance has never been fully
appreciated because the whole great story
has been told in detached phases, but now
in this volume it is all brought together. in
proper proportion and with helpful illustra-
lions. The conquest of the Rockies was the
result in large measure of the persistence
of fiction enduring as that which first
led Columbus across the Atlantic in the be-
lief that he would reach India thus. The
greater part of the enterprise of the early
ill, ,faI 10
endurance of this belief that America was
merely a portion of the Asatic continent
and that with sufficient diligence a way to
the renowned marts of eastern trade might
be found. Out of this grew the tradition
that one of the American rivers ran west
ward to India, and this persisted for half
century after Bering had sailed from the
Pacific to the Arctic ocean. and thus dis
proved the theory of the contiguity of the
American and Asian continents. While 1t
lasted the explorers continued their search
for the waterway between the oceans, ever
as later Adventures. with better geographi-
cal Information and more reason. sought
the northwest passage" This rendition of
the remarka BILE story of Rocky mountain
exploration is told compactly and yet with
OCCASIONALLY expanded passages appropriate
to the more significant phases of the rec
ord. The whole bears with interest on the
Lewis and Clark expedition. the centenary
of which is shortly to be celebrated on the
Pacific coast with appropriate ceremonials
THE STORY OF THE NATIONS ME-
DIEtAI. ENGLAND; English Feudal So
ciety from the Norman Conquest to the Middle
of the Fourteenth Century. by Mary Bateson.
associate and lecturer of Newman College.
Cambridge. New York: G.. p. Putnam's Sens
This great series of works is continually
being heightened by reason of the discov-
cry of new points of view from which spe-
cialy fitted writer's can approach the task
of telling the story OF the groups into
which the people of the world are have
been arranged. The story of England has
been already told IN five different aspects.
and now sixth is afforded by this render
ing of the social state In the island during
the middle ages This Is no political his
tory 1t does moi deal with conquests or
wars or changes in the relations between
the people and the state. 1t treats of the
manners and customs of the times. the
methods of business and agriculture, the
arrangement of houses. the comforts and
discomforts Of king and peasant. the plans
! OF castles and churches. the tendencies OF
architecture and of intellectual pursults-in
short. the fun wide range OF the social ac-
tivities. Thus ii becomes an important
addition to the series, for il graphically
deals on the basis of exhaustive and
scholarly researches. with those matters
which after all are of the most vital in