Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

God, without which faith is mere feeling, destitute of root or practical power. Hence too, its connection with obedience, without which, according to our Saviour's comparison, a hearing without doing, believing the truth without obeying it, is like a man who built his house upon the sand. How many of these sand-built houses, faith as a mere sentiment, or intellectual conviction, without works to substantiate it, belief without practice, profession without character, have we in our churches, that cannot withstand a storm or a flood, but fall when the trial

comes.

In these times that try men's souls, we need a faith that is made of sterner stuff and tougher fibre, if our churches, or even our Christianity is to stand. As was said in the old days of anti-slavery agitation, when the clouds of rebellion and war were looming in the horizon, and which might be said with more emphasis now-" What our statesmen and public men need is backbone," so in these times of possibly greater peril, when ominous clouds are rising from all quarters of the heavens, and mutterings of deep thunder are heard announcing that the day of anti-Christ is come, and the battle of the great day of God Almighty is approaching, what we need as Christian churches and Christian ministers, what our faith and religion needs is backbone, that we may stand in the evil day, and having done all to stand. And this means to withstand. For as Coleridge has truly said, "That which doth not withstand hath itself no standing place."

A faith which is merely passive and receptive, which is content to sing, and pray, and rejoice over sins forgiven and heaven secure, which accepts Christ merely as a substitute, and not as an example, and a leader and commander, which does not inspire the soul to fight for its crown, as He did, to deny self and take up the cross and follow Christ in obedience unto death, is no true or saving faith.

The repentance that simply feels sorrow for sin without forsaking, and renouncing, and overcoming it, is no repentance unto life. A salvation which does not save from sin as well as from its penalties, and secure a regenerate and holy character, is no true salvation. The essence of salvation is holiness, and not exemption from suffering. And the essence of religion, its

experience and its blessedness, is not enjoyment here or hereaf ter, but a holy and Christ-like character.

Hence, let us say in conclusion, we do need an "ethical revival," a revival not of religion as that word is used in its demoralized sense, but of righteousness-righteousness rooted and grounded in the conscience, and below this, in God, who is the ground and authority of conscience; righteousness, which is ours, and yet not ours, being derived from Christ the righteous, living and reigning within, a righteousness born of faith, and nourished by truth, and working by love, and issuing in good works, i. e., in all the fruits of a regenerate and holy character; a righteousness which is more than an "experience of religion," which needs no self-inspection or examining committee to detect; which is seen and read of all men; which shows itself in whatsoever things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report. If there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, let us think on these things, and do them.

66

ARTICLE VIII.-NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS.

EVERY DAY ENGLISH.*-This volume, with its appropriate title and the author's well known name, will find for itself readers without formal recommendation, or rather will enlarge the circle of those who have read most of its contents in other forms. It comprises thirty chapters, of which within a few years some appeared in the New York Times under the same title, and others in the Galaxy" magazine. A lively preface of sixteen pages treats of the same writer's work, " Words and their Uses" published nine years earlier, as well as of the present, which is described as its "Sequel," and of the controversy it occasioned, referring to his critics with characteristic freedom and confidence. The chapters of varying lengths are arranged under four heads,--Speech, Writing, Grammar, Words, and Phrases. The whole is dedicated, in a pleasant note, to Prof. Child, of Harvard University, and an index is added which is always convenient for recurrence to the details of such discussions, besides an ample table of contents. Many of our readers are sufficiently familiar with some of the essays thus reproduced (with "little change" from their original form except by omission and condensation ") and with the author's other writings on the same themes, to know what to expect here. He sets forth with his wonted clearness and vivacity his views of English spelling, especially in opposition to the phonetic reform urged nowadays; of pronunciation according to the best usage in England, for which he is a zealous stickler; of grammar, in opposition to the current teaching in our school-books, and indeed to the existence of any proper grammar in our present English tongue; and of words and phrases now commonly misused in this country.

The name of Richard Grant White was first made familiar by his Shakespearean scholarship, and then by his enthusiasm and ability in discussing questions of this sort. His large acquaintance with English literature, especially of the Elizabethan period, his stores of illustration, his positive opinions, and especially his readable style, have given his papers wide circulation, and they

*Every Day English. A Sequel to "Words and their Uses." By RICHARD GRANT WHITE. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin & Co. 1880. 512 pp.

have done no little service by exciting interest and diffusing information on the questions discussed. He takes pains to disavow any exhaustive or scientific treatment of philology proper, and to show becoming deference to writers eminent in that department from whom he frankly differs on related questions; yet none the less carries an air of excessive confidence, of something like dogmatism, which itself sometimes provokes dissent and antagonism. The pronoun "I" figures largely in his discussions, but this may be pardoned from their controversial character. It is amusing that he professes himself averse to controversy while dealing in it so freely, and in a manner that invites it. He professes little concern for himself about spelling, yet says, "I have reason to believe that I have never misspelled a word since I was old enough to be trusted with pen and ink" (p. 202); and as to pronunciation, "I do not know that I have any standard myself: how to pronounce a word is the last thing of which I should think” (p. 15); and in denying the charge of assuming to be a critical authority, he says, "I do not profess-I may say that I hardly try to write good English" (preface, p. 12). In repeating his request not to be called upon "to decide disputed points in language" he adds, "I have never set myself up as competent for such an office, and for it I have neither leisure nor liking" (note, p. 427). Yet these are things on which he has thought and read much, with close observation, and written fully and freely so as to command public attention. Certainly his own English style would appear to be a remarkable instance of success without effort or care in a department where both have often failed. We are reminded of an editor's judgment on a contributor who argued against all rules for spelling, leaving every man to his own fashion, that the only fault in the article was that it was all spelled correctly.

Besides the knowledge and discrimination everywhere shown in these pages, and their effective style, which make them stimulating and wholesome reading, the discussions which might otherwise have been dry for most readers are enlivened by pleasantry and a certain gossipy flavor, and not the less for the personal part borne by the author, which is in some degree due to the fact that they deal largely with inquiries addressed to him by interested readers, these inquiries showing the hold he has taken of the public mind. For the most part they will be found helpful toward a right use of our mother tongue, particularly in the fuller notices, than can be found elsewhere of current perversions and blemishes.

If we should go into more particular criticism of the critic, one of our chief exceptions would be in the matter of pronunciation, to the emphasis and exclusiveness with which he refers to what he regards as the best standard in the usage of well-bred people in England, with undue disparagement of the best American usage. In this respect as in some others may not our well-bred people have become already entitled with time to more consideration, and at least in prospect be able themselves to furnish a respectable standard? Certainly when a critic so positively cites the usage of the best English society on a disputed pronunciation, one may ask what special opportunities he has had of ascertaining that standard, itself. As far as we can learn (besides the wellknown diversities among the common people) educated speakers abroad are less uniform and punctilious on many questions of English pronunciation than our own, and sometimes surprisingly indifferent about the sounds of their own language while needlessly scrupulous about Latin quantities. On this subject the tone of this book here and there seems to us to be hardly in keeping with the third and sixth chapters of "Words and their Uses, where he deals freely with "Criticisms," and stands up well for our literature against foreign arrogance. We thank him for his protest against the modern foolish fashion in England which would confine the word sick to nausea, against the best authorities in the language, and hardly less for his argument against the fashionable misuse of drive as compared with ride. These are instances

[ocr errors]

in which the best usage has been retained on this side of the water, and ought not to be given up. Of course there will not be unanimity among intelligent readers on all the questions mooted in these volumes as to the right use of words, and Mr. White would be the last to expect it, but he will be supported in most of his criticisms by competent judges, and certainly there are errors enough in our time and country, both in the use and pronunciation of words, to call for such effective comments. Moreover, one of the most wholesome lessons in all his essays is well directed against the verbose, turgid and affected style that seems to be "a besetting sin" of so many newspaper-writers and sensational speakers.

By the way, we second Mr. White's preference of the ee sound, rather than that of i long, in either and neither. Of the latter, which some speakers have taken pains to learn, he says in "Words and their Uses" (p. 264): "It is an affectation, and in

« AnteriorContinuar »