LITERARY NOTICES. 



559 



System of Politics " a book which ably 

 vindicates the sufficiency of individual 

 initiative in a vast number of matters 

 that have been laid hold of by the state. 

 The present mania for legislation Mr. 

 Donisthorpe attributes to the inexperi- 

 ence and want of historical knowledge 

 of the classes who now control the suf- 

 frage. Errors which the more thought- 

 ful and instructed members of the com- 

 munity have outgrown still look like 

 truths to the less thoughtful and less 

 instructed. The watchword of the hour 

 is individualism, which simply means 

 personal liberty and personal efficiency 

 carried to their highest point. Let all 

 who believe in this do their utmost to 

 make the truth prevail. 



LITERARY NOTICES. 



Christian Theism: Its Claims and Sanc- 

 tions. By D. B. Pubinton, LL. D. New 

 York and London : G. P. Putnam's Sons. 

 Pp. 303. Price, $1.75. 



The author of this book, who is Pro- 

 fessor of Metaphysics in West Virginia Uni- 

 versity, in presenting his thesis, has had 

 three objects in view, viz. to construct a 

 progressive argument logical in its method 

 and correct in its general conclusions, and 

 likewise defensible in each individual part 

 and item of it ; to free the subject from or- 

 dinary obscurities and difScultics ; and to 

 present it, " without dodging any of its pro- 

 found problems," in such a clear and simple 

 manner as to commend it to the general 

 reader who is willing to think as he reads. 

 Christian theism being presented as a fact, 

 making positive, bold, radical, uncompro- 

 mising, and universal claims, the author pre- 

 sents as arguments in support of it: Intelli- 

 gence in nature, the eutaxiological argu- 

 ment ; volition in nature, the teleological 

 argument ; the personality of God, or the in- 

 tuitive argument ; the goodness of God, or 

 the historical argument ; the unity of God, 

 or the monistic argument ; and the infinity 

 of God, or the causal argument. As " anti- 

 theistic errors " are combated materialism, 

 pantheism, positivism, and agnosticism. The 

 last system is regarded as " an ingenious 

 combination and modification " of the other 



three systems, which in its present phase has 

 taken shape and name from Herbert Spen- 

 cer, " the great agnostic of modern times," 

 a study of whose works " produces a pro- 

 found conviction of his depth and patience 

 of thought, his breadth and profundity of 

 scholarship, his fertility of imagination, and 

 his frankness and earnestness of purpose." 

 This system is reviewed in an attempt to 

 show it to be logically self-destructive. A 

 comparison of " Evolution and Christian 

 Theism " leads to the conclusion that most 

 of the objections to the former scheme lie 

 not so much against evolution as against the 

 mechanical form of it. " Nature is not a 

 machine, for it is plastic, progressive, im- 

 provable, while a machine is neither of these. 

 Matter can reveal higher and still higher 

 forms of organism, but can never create 

 them. Matter, motion, and force, without 

 a directive idea, can do nothing toward ex- 

 plaining a rationally developed universe. 

 But why exclude a creative and directive 

 idea ? Let that idea be God. There is not 

 a single fact in nature against the existence 

 of a personal God or the occurrence of an 

 act of creation. There are many facts in 

 favor of both. Why not admit that God 

 made the world and sustains it in being? 

 That admission would not blot out evolution, 

 but would view it as a possible or it may be 

 probable method of God's creative and prov- 

 idential work." The question would then be 

 not " evolution versus creation," but " evo- 

 lution the method of creation." The ques- 

 tion of immortality is also considered. 



The Land and the Community. By S. W. 

 Thackebat. New York : D. Appleton & 

 Co. Pp. 223. Price, $1. 



This work bears the indorsement of 

 Henry George, who supplies it with a pref- 

 ace. In its original form it was presented 

 as a thesis to the University of Cambridge 

 for the degree of Doctor of Laws. The 

 essay has been expanded and arranged for 

 reference. It is commended for the fullness 

 and clearness with which the historical and 

 legal aspects of the question have been 

 dwelt upon, the attention given in it to the 

 matter of compensation, and the religious 

 feeling and conservative disposition mani- 

 fested in it throughout. It serves the office, 

 according to Mr. George, of a clear and sim- 



