The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-10-31


 Smarcely has one volume of the Cath ollie Encyclopedia been reviewed and the more timely of the thousands of articles taken note of for the leisure of quiet evening, when another volume Is ready for inspection and approval. Little more than year ago three volumes were the total of the published work, and now Volume 1 is taking its place beside the others on the library shelf. With splen- did regularity volume has succeeded vol- ume, and in far less time than 1t will take to read and digest what is already imprint the entire 15 volumes will be fin- ished, and this greatest of modern Cath ollie literary movements will be an ac- complished fact.
 Five thousand pages, each one crowded with information and alive with interest," are included in these six superbly illus trated volumes Within the alphabetical range of Aachen- Gregory they set forth the history of Catholicity, it's doctrine dogma rites and usages, detail the biography of famous sons Of the onurch, present the Catholic view or contro- verted questions, explain Catholic phllos- ophy and constitute, as far as they go, a complete scholarly summary of every thing included in the wide range of Catholic activities. Enough of the work has been completed to enable the world of letters to gauge it's worth and useful ness, and it has already come to occupy a unique and honored place in the ency- clopedic held-unique because 1t Is the only source of information in English on the matters it has made It's own, honored, because 1t represents the high est learning and most painstaking labof of three continents The intellectual treasures which have been waiting in the rich storehouse of the Catholic church are being poured forth in splendid profusion and the realization of what this means has caused the Catholic En- cyclopedia to be placed on the shelves of public libraries, on the priests library table, in the editors sanctum, and in the home of the man of affairs Those who have watched the careful progress of the Encyclopedia and have come to a realiza- ton of all that portends will not wonder at the enthusiasm with which the press, both religious and secular, has greeted each new addition to its volumes. With hardly a dissenting voice, the literary periodicals of the entire civilized world have spoken in a vein aptly phrased by the Literary Digest in its review of Vol 5: "The Catholic Encyclopedia i'm presses us as one of the best modern ref erence books. . . Admirably arranged, comprehensive in range of subject-matter, generally scholarly, dignified, and, as far as comports with conviction, impartial in tone, it is monument to the wisdom and temper of the church it represents"
 The standard of excellence maintained throughout Vol. has led us to this re- statement of the general worth of the Encyclopedia. Beginning with a scholar ly article on "Fathers of the Church, by Dom John Chapman, which impresses us as one of the best contributions to patristo bibliography which we have seen jn some time, this newly issued portion of the work proceeds forward alphabetically as far as Gregory XI."
 "France," by George Goyau. associate editor of the Revue des Deux Mondes. and Germany" by Franz Kempers and Martin Spain, professors of history at the respective universities of Breslau and Strasburg, are the two articles of great est historical importance in the volume, and, by laying special stress on the events in which the church has been concerned, cast a new and interesting light on the history of the two countries.
 French Ldterature and German LAt- erature' are sympathetically treated by Rene Doumic, lately elected to the French academy, and Arthur F. J. Remy, professor of Germanio philology at Co., lumbia university. The article on French literature, in particular is worthy Of more than passing notice, as 1t sums up the progress of letters in France better than any work we can recall.
 Among the many valuable biographical articles, "Fenelon,' by Antoine Degert; "St. Francis of Assist" by Paschal Rob- inson; Garnet" by J.. H. Pollen; "Ghirlandajo.' by Louis Gillet; and Gal lileo," by John Gerard deserve especial notice The picture of St. Francis. drawn by Paschal Robinson, affords an excel lent idea of the great apostle of poverty and humility, and the manner in which John Gerard discusses the supposed con fict of church and science is lucid and convincing.
 "The Liturgical Use of Fire" by H. Leclerq; ''Flabellum." by Francis Merch- man; "Gallican Rite" by Henry Jenner; and Gradual and Greek Rites," by Adrian Fortescue, liturgica1 contribu- tions of no mean importance the last named summing up the difference be- tween the rites of Alexandria, Antioch and Constantinople.
 Under the title of God" P. J. Toner considers the subject both in it's theo- logical and philosophical aspect, and. after presenting the classic arguments for the existence of Supreme First Cause turns to the conception of the Deity afforded by Revelation. Grace" by J. Pohle, first takes up the nature of actual grace, and after passing to it's properties closes with a summary of the controversies on the subject, with espe- cial attention to the relationship be- tween grace and free-will. "Free-wilP' is considered by itself in another part of the volume by Michael Maher, and is a very clear and able exposition of 8 difficult subject
 The biblical articles in volume are especially happy. The "Epistle to the Galatians" by c. Aherne, gives a suc- cinct account of the north and south Galatian theories. explains the purpose of the epistle and discusses it's textual difficulties A. J. Maas Is the author of two scholarly contributions. "Gerealogy in the Bible" and "Genealogy of Christ" both of which very thoroughly cover their respective ground. The 20-page ar Geography is to all intents and purposes a monograph on the subject of which it treats, carefully planned and ably writ ten, and the complete typographical list with which the article closes as well as its extensive bibliography will prove of great assistance to every student of the Scripture.
 The F'ranciscans have been well taken care of in this volume. Besides the life of St. Francis of Assist, already men tioned, Paschal Robinson has contributed a synopsis of what the name Franciscan implies, and explained the various orders included under this general head. Liva- rious Oliger has added a four-page article on the Rule of St. Francis, and lastly, Mi chael Bihl has treated 'Friarsmonor' at great length and discussed the .heretical