New-York tribune., 1909-01-30

svo pp xviii r.. Charles ScrlOAeA
MODERNISM The Jovett Lectures. .,,lss lsS with
PreYsce Notes and Appendices 12mo' pp' ''i'
Charles Scribners Sons
CATHOLICISM AND INDEPENDESCEnn PsfTe Belns
st,,SieS in Spiritual Liberty BY A- -
Emo, pp. xi Ia Longmans. Green K CO.
AsFD5EvALIsM Reply TO cardlnsd 9Io Tong
TSZ George TyrreL limo, PIP. Vill' -"- e
mans, Green q Co.
Arart from its functions Of authoritative ue
Hverance on grave matters, the Papa4 encS oiiC"'
,,,t forth in the autumn Of 1907 and known oy
a. r,e,,iT,p- words as "Pascendi Dominica Gregis
has given marked impulse 10 literary ac'lVI's'
,7-,sra are circles indeed where it has proved an
effective closure on debate. that ecceslastcal
Journals like the ~Armonie della Fede" have an
,,ounced The Modernists are no more ->eNel
theIess it is doubtful if the Pontifcal mailles'o
could have silenced half so much dlscusSioh AS
Il has stimulated, and seemingly many 'oNsUeS
are yet to be unloosed- The dignihed olsplea0
IRE Of an encyclical is not usually oHecteN
against some farthing matter dlsposaole oul 'A
hand. and one is not surprised to learn that the
movement. apostasy or renaissance to which ms
holiness has attached the irrevocable If made
ouate name of Modernism has during the last
ten years been gradually gathering force and
volume throughout those sections Of the Roman
communion which are most open TO the living
influences Of the time" When permitted 10
speak for itself Modernism in its very genius Is
devotion 10 the Catholic faith in terms or the
p-esent age. When described by the Holy
Father il is 'the synthesis OF all heresies."
In their understandable and sympathetic ac-
counts Of the rise Of fellowship within the
ifold OF the Catholic Church Mr.. Lilley ana NJ
PAM ssbatier agree in the view that far from
being system formulated Of set purpose Mod
er=lis-n is 81 entirely spontaneous attempt tow
ACKNOWLEDGMENT Of faith of present
dav churchrnen. Its theological liberalism Is
constructive in aim and not to be identified with
some species OF moral laxity misnaming ltseh
tolerance or with opportunist 'ndlnerence
posing as breadth OF mind. Toward the central
dosnas ats attitude Is as submissive as that OF
a fanatic saving the difference that the sub
stance Of faith is distinguished from the symbols
in which that reality is enshrined; SO that II
rejects no dogma and transforms all. The ven
cradle ceremonals are not despised: they are
1ioyed aad cherished for their wealth Of meaning
and for their present power. There is profound
reverence for the past combined with an appre-
citation Of the present which Incorporates and
transcends the past. The animus OF the move
rnent may be said also 10 make for freedom OF
-snouiry and against the menace of mortmain In
the estates of truth A further note Of Modern
ISM is a social passion that feels keenly the
shame Of the fact that the Church has been at
tines so wlQelN aiS0aJe0 4lAS VI IilSli-
And in soma of its more adventurous minds II
hopes against hope for the day when the bishops
OF the Church shall be restored TO their right
dignity and authority as brothers, not servants,
Of the Bishop of Rome and the disposition of
the rragisterium come into fuller accord with
the Catholic conscience.
So numerous have the Modernst writings be
come that the author Of the encyclical despite
his excellent equipment for such task. has
confessed II hardly practicable 20 subject them
all to censure. Mr.. Llley provides a useful
photography without attempting survey Of the
entire literature, and he chooses some cutstand-
ing documents TO make I'D a dOSSier Of Modern
ism. On his list are the writings of Senator
Fogazzaro. The characters Maironi and Seva
in III Santo" are living types Of the sense of
social responsibility and Of intellectual fidelity.
NJ lie Roy's important work. Dogma and Criti-
cism," has shown the value OF dogmas TO be not
speculative, but religious. Baron Won Hugel has
written Of the real humanity Of Jesus, and has
reviewed the Papal commissions decision re-
specting the Mosaic authorship Of the Penta-
teuch. OF this decision Protestant scholar,
friend Of Baron Won Hdgel, has observed that
the commission found itself able to decide in the
affirmative a question which had been settled in
the arena Of Biblical scholarship In the mega
tive. AS among those Catholics In France who
deplore the failure OF tte Church to understand
the power and needs Of the people. Mr.. Lilley
quotes NJ Denis and the Ablse Six, who feel that
not few Of the clergy lack interest in the in
tellectual problems of thu age. and that while
they have nobly dispensed charity they have not
Iabored for social justice. Foremost Of Cont
mental Modernists stands N. Loisy, the daring
and original thinker. who is known equally as
Sevcut and humble soul. This respected scholar
has felt compelled insist that, be the conclu-
s.ors of historical inquiry what they will. they
cannot be formulated at the bidding OF some
theological principle. and we are not at liberty
10 dictate to history in any interest. however
sacred. His inability TO accept the developed
speculative Christology Of the fifth century be-
cause IL employs the terrninology Of philosophy
which no longer holds does not hinder NJ. Loisy
from confessiHg with the universal Church the
sdorins faith that Christ Is God, faith that
can bs established through that presentation Of
the life and teaching of Jesus which the most
rigorous criticism has left
The famous little orange colored books pub
s,shed by the frail hermit Of Belleyev" enable
Us VI. Sabatier thinks, to know Modernism at
fts heart. lie assures that In the Quarter
latin Loisy's books have been selling faster than
the novels OF the day. "Quelques Lettres,' the
fourth volume of the series, admits us to the
Intimate society Of one of the apostles of Mod
srnisrn and helps to understand the influence
which this humble priest-ce petit pr6tre de ricn
dc foaG-living in out-of-the-way village in
Champagne is exercising over the whole Chris
tian world. an influence which he himself is the
lest to realize When, after some generations.
the tine comes write the history Of the moral
sn6 religious renewal which viii characterize
the early twentieth century.-it is in this book
that lis origin and programme will have TO be
studied"