The sun., 1909-02-07
SOME NEW BOOKS.
Enc, cloppdia Of Religious Kno~ieds

Enc, cloppdia Of Religious knowledge.
We have before us the FIRST volume Of
the .Neu Seho6-Hersoo Encyclopedia o.
Religious knowledge edited by DR.. SAM
TEL MAcAuLEY JACKSON with ten asso-
clatas and comprising contributions from
more than 900 scholars and specialists
OFunk 4 wagnalls Coz, To convey some
idea ~ the Importance Of this work we
ehould mention that at its base lies the
.Reai- fur protestantische
Theoloaie und Krche," associated orig
iraIly With tae name Of the late Prof
Herzog and now with the name Of Albert
Hsuch, professor Of church history in the
University of Leipeic and author OF the
authoritative History Of the Protestant
Church In Germany; secondly, that 1t
gives in condensed form the information
contained in that comprehensive work.
and eaJses such matter directly from the
German original in most instances. al
though occasionally while the topic Is
the same the American treatment is inde-
pendent Of the German; thirdly. that 1t
comprises also much matter contributed
by an editorial stsf OF specially secured
contributors: and iourthly. that In Bibli-
cal matters 1t limits it's titles to those OF
the German base. 30 that 1t should not be
considered Bible dictionary. although
the Biblical department covers the prin-
cips subjects which such dictionary
would contain The first volume carries us
from sAschen" TO -Basilians, and weshall
endeavor 10 eKemplify its usefulness by
narkin how the contributors treat such
subjects as- agposticism. tho Apocrypha
or the Old nd the New Testaments; Arian.
isnn. the relation Of the cities Of Asia Minor
to Pauline Christianity; st. Augustine,
and finally, Assyria and Babylonia.
A short article on "Agnosticism- 10 con-
tributed by De- Rreckinridgs Wsrhsld,
professor NJ didsctc and polemic
theology in Princeton Theological Semi
nary. In a footnote 10 the article we are
reminded that modern agnosticism took
its start in the philosophy Of Kant and
ran its course through Hamilton and
Mausel "a culnipate in the teaching OF
Herbert Spencer; its most authoritative
exposition il given in their writings and
in those Of their followers. DR.. Warfield
pronUInces the word -agnosticism phil
ologically Objectionable and philosoph-
icslly unnecessary but very convenient
term. H. was invented (ls89) as a desig-
nation OF a sceptical habit of mind then
quite prevalent. II is defined in the Ok
ford Dictionary as a doctrine which holds
that "the existence Of anything beyond
and behind natural phenomena ia I'M
Co. lNo
knowable. and especially that a First
Cause and an unseen world are subjects
OF which we know nothing" The term
-agnos,icism" is thus equivalent to the
common philosophical term "scepticism."
although expressing the phase Of thought
denoted by both terms from the point Of
view Of its outcome rather than that Of
its method some have maintained, in
deed. that the true agnostic is not he who
doubts whether human powers can attain
to the knowledge Of what really is. or
SPECIFICALLY to the knowledge Of God and
spiritual things. but he who denies this.
For Dr. Warfeld the essential element
in both agnostioism aud scepticism is that
the doubt or denial rests on distrust Of
the power Of the human mind to ascer-
tain truth -Agnosticism is, in short
a theory Of the nature and limits Of human
Intelligence. IL is that particular theory
whicl question: or denies the capacity
os human intelligence to acquire assured
knowlerfge, whether with respect TO all
tpneres Of truth or in it's religious appli-
cation with respect 10 the particular
sphere Of religious truth" In other
words agnosticism represents that ten
cency Of opinion which regards what men
IA general consider knowledge as more or
less misleading and therefore more or
iess noxi }us. The consistent agnostic-
IIuxley, for eJample--consider current
Leilefs regarding things which he deems
essentially unknowable as mere self
o,eoeptions. from which he exhorts men
70 cleanse their souls as from cant. DR..
Narfields personal conviction is that ag-
nosticism impovershes and in its appli-
cation 10 religious truth secularzes and
to ths extent degrades life. "Felicitat-
ing itself on peculiarly deep reverence
fer truth. on he ground that it will admit
into that category only what can make
good itg right 10 We so considered under
the most stringent tests II deprives itself
Of the enjoyment ri truth Ivy leaving the
category either entirely or in great part
empty" To PIT II in - slightly different
wav On the ground that certain knowl-
edge OF God aud spiritual things is unat-
tainablc sgnosticism bids man think
and feel and act as IL there were no God
and no spiritual life and no future ex-
is'sree. IN pr. Warfe.d's opinion it thus
deceneEates into practical atheism.
49,; n .....
No. fsw.r Than seventeen pages are
allotoed 70 tho Apocrypha ~ the Old and
the New Testaments. The contributor
~ the article on the Old Testament Apoc-
rvpbs is Dr. Emil Schurer. professor in
the. Cniversity ~ Gottingep, while the
author Of the comments on the New Tes-
lament Apocryphe is DR.. Rudolf H. Hof-
mann. professor IN the University Of
Leipsic Prof, Schnrer considers seri-
atm the thirteen compositions which at
cne time OF another or ip one version or
another have been included in the Old
Testament The first Of these il the book
which IN Greek Bibles is called II. Ezra
nd 10 Latin Bibles III Ezra, The whole
is pronolncei "a worthless compilation.
rho main part Of which ia identical with
fhe canonical Ezra Secondly. ve have
The so-called Additions 10 Esther Prof.
Schtrer finds il difficult to decide