REVIEW OF RECENT BOOKS 233 



denies the fundamental verities of the Christian faith has no place in 

 the Christian Ministry, but at the same time we hold that a very 

 large amount of latitude should be allowed for the reinterpretation of 

 the old creeds. 



In "Form and Content in the Christian Tradition" by Sanday 

 and Williams, Dr. Sanday makes the following statement : 



"It is so with the Christian Faith. There are the great truths 

 about God and Christ, theie are the great fundamental experiences of 

 the Christian life. These are permanent and unchangeable. And yet, 

 the form under which we conceive of them must of necessity change, 

 with the changing apparatus of thought through which they find 

 expression. Every age has its own intellectual outfit. It can but use 

 the tools that it has. When it is using the language of another age, 

 it is like David in Saul's armour : it loses all its freedom and efficiency 

 of motion." 



The author naively suggests that because there is much variation 

 in the interpretation of Christian doctrine, it would be a good thing 

 if all who call themselves Christians could get together and come to 

 some common agreement as to what Christianity really teaches before 

 the attempt to convert the world is carried on any further. 



Does he really believe that such a thing is possible? Can we ever 

 think exactly alike in regard to religion? Having told us there is no 

 infallible authority on earth, would he advise our setting one up? 



We can only have glimpses of truth. As Dr. Sanday tells us we 

 must leave room for an element of agnosticism. "Perhaps a better 

 name than agnoticism would be a sense — a devout sense — of mystery." 



At times it would appear as if the principal object of the author 

 was to discredit Christianity, or at least to challenge its claim to 

 become a world religion. On the other hand he admires the teaching 

 of Christ, and we hardly feel justified in drawing this conclusion. 



He evidently has a high esteem for Buddhism, but we take it that 

 the Buddhism which attracts him is not the superstitious cult of the 

 present day, but the teaching of Buddha himself. In passing a 

 judgment on Christianity, should he not go back of the popular mis- 

 representation, to the great underlying truths? 



F. L. Hawks Pott. 



Recherches sur les Superstition* en Chine. Par le P. Henri 

 Doke, s.j. Illeme Partie. Popularisation du Confuceisme, du 

 Bouddhisme et du Taoisme en Chine. Tome XIII. Chang-hai, 

 1918. 

 This is one of the most important and useful works in this import- 

 ant series. The substantial volume in hand deals with Confucianism 



