BOOK NOTICES

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Jun 7, 1910

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 37, No. 22.

“The Bible and the British Museum.” By Ada R. Habershon, with a preface by Sir Robert Anderson, K.C.B., LL.D. Gospel Publishing House, 54 West Twenty-second Street, New York.

One of the grandest places to find confirmation of the Old Book is in the British Museum. We have wished many times, as we passed through the great institution, with its ancient witnesses called from Babylon, Assyria, Egypt, and other ancient lands, that the public might have some book noting the correspondences between the ancient history and the Bible, and noting the contact of the great historic characters whose deeds were written in stone with the history of the Bible people. This the author has furnished us in this excellent work, in fifteen chapters and eight plate illustrations. Some of these chapters are: “The Roman Gallery,” “The Ephesus Room,” “The Nimroud Central Saloon,” “The Nineveh Gallery,” “The Egyptian Room,” “Babylonian and Assyrian Room,” “How We Got Our Bible,” etc. Nearly 250 Scripture references are cited. We are glad of its publication. It will make a valuable addition to every Bible student’s library.

“The Decay of the Church of Rome.” By Joseph McCabe. Price $1.94. E. P. Dutton and Company, 31 West Twenty-third Street, New York.

The aim of the author is to answer the question, “Is the Church of Rome gaining or losing ground in the wide field of religious controversy?” After acknowledging that many of the most diverse schools of social and religious thought share to a greater or less extent Macaulay’s prophecy of the future and wide-spread success of that religious body, yet the author believes that these beliefs and expectations rest upon frail considerations. He believes that statistics show that “the Church of Rome is rapidly decaying, and only a dramatic change of its whole character can save it from ruin.” He believes that the present population of Rome is less than it ought to be if she had merely retained her followers of eighty years ago and their children; that the church is losing immensely in Protestant countries, especially in England and the United States, while in France the losses have run into the millions. He believes, also, there is a great loss in moral strength and influence. He gives many figures and statistics, often drawn from Catholic authorities, in support of his contention.

Yet we do not share his conclusion. Granting all that he says concerning Rome’s loss of numbers, there has been a far greater loss in orthodox Protestantism, and especially in its Biblical and moral tone. There are great masses who are superstitiously religious yet spiritually lazy. Let there come great times of trial, trouble, calamity, the Protestant churches hesitating, halting, doubtful, divided, the Catholic Church strong, clear (in her way), positive, and the great superstitiously religious people would flock to Rome, the politician would swear eternal fealty, and in the words of the prophet “all the world” would wonder after and worship the great apostate power. The book is valuable in the immense work the author has done in gathering statistics, and the review he has given of Catholic work in various countries.

“Summing It Up.” By Henry Lewis Hubbard. Price 50 cents. J. S. Ogilvie Publishing Company, 57 Rose Street, New York.

This little work, the title-page tells us, is “a treatise on economical, moral, and religious conditions of the present time, showing how they have been evolved through the centuries, with suggestions as to how the mistakes can be rectified, and universal happiness and equality assured.” The author gives a rapid and fairly accurate review of political and social conditions in the world, notes the work of greed and selfishness through all the ages since the Deluge, refers to the noble struggle for liberty and equality in America, and the era of greed and general corruption now controlling political and social life. His remedy is righteousness, equality, justice through evolution. His diagnosis is correct, but his remedy is bound to fall short. It will come only by and through faith in Jesus Christ, and faith in Christ is personal and individual. This little book is one of the many voices calling for that for which multitudes hunger—the peace which Christ only can give, but in whose place they have put humanity and evolution.

“Animal Stories for Little People.” Illustrated. Price 50 cents. Henry Altemus Company, Philadelphia.

This little book, which has about 70 illustrations, gives many characteristics of animals which will be of interest to the little ones. The animals are represented as telling their own stories, and, of course, when the human tells them, they must be told in a human way.