True Religion. By John W. Diggle, M.A., Vicar of Moseley
Hill, Liverpool. (David Stott.)—This particularly well-printed book is not a volume of sermons, but a series of short essays. By " true," the author, of course, means the " Christian " religion ; and in epigrammatic style—(of which there is a good specimen on p. 29: " Christless and moneyless—that is demoralising. But Christlike and poor—that is stimulating ")—he goes on to expound the relations of religion to our life in its varied aspects. The dangers of such a style are great, though the result is effective, as is shown in the passage in which the author states that " there are no ideals in hell ;" for, supposing him to hold the strictly orthodox view on the subject, the " despair " of which he speaks in the previous line seems hardly possible without an ideal. And though in such essays as these one is very thankful not to be stopped continually by references to foot-notes, yet the author's habit of constant quotation without any indica- tion where from, is really provoking. Still, the book should greatly interest those who do think over their daily life, and might be very helpful to some who do not, and yet are young enough to gain the habit. The most instructive is the one on " Religion and Money," though perhaps it yields in interest to those on "Religion and Art " and " Religion and Ideals." In the latter there seems to be a con- fusion of the term " Enthusiasm of Humanity," as used by the author of " Ecce Homo," with the glorification of Humanity by the disciples of Auguste Comte ; yet a little farther on, the author seems fully aware of the difference. In the one on " Religion and Liberty," there is a passage of special interest just now :—" Under the Gospel nothing is forbidden which is not wrong. And one reason why wrong is forbidden is because wrong engenders bondage. The wrong-doer cannot long remain a free man ; there- fore, in the name of liberty, liberty to do wrong is abridged. The
right-doer is the only man really free The modern notion of compulsion, the notion which confers upon society the right to exercise a despotism over the individual, is a notion nowhere com- mended in the New Testament. The New Testament everywhere manifests the warmest solicitude for the welfare of society; but its method for promoting the advancement of society is by inwardly improving the individual."
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