SOME BOOKS OF THE WEEK.
[tinder this heading we notice such Books of the wads as hass not loss reserved for review in other forms.]
The New Testament of Higher Buddhism. By Timothy Richard, D.D. (T. and T. Clark. 6s. net.)—This volume contains the translation of two Buddhist treatises, "The Awakening of Faith" and the "Lotus Scripture," and a very significant introduction by the translator, who is attached to the Baptist Mission in China. Both versions are made, we gather, from Chinese renderings of the original Sanskrit. We must limit ourselves to quoting a passage from Dr. Richard's general introduction :—" The Religion of the Future which will satisfy all nations and all races will not be born of any party cry, but will be born from the habit of looking at the highest and permanent elements in all religions and gladly recognising all that helps to save man, body, soul, and spirit, individually or collectively, as Divine." To bring about this all religions must co-operate. "The next step in religious evolution is not a monopoly of any of these competitive religions" —Dr. Richard enumerates seven—" but a federation of all, finally following the one"—here comes the crux—" which surpasses all the rest in authority and in usefulness to the human race." In quoting Dr. Richard's opinion we must not be held to agree with it.
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