Publisher's Synopsis
Excerpt from Thoughts and Aspirations of the Ages: Selections in Prose and Verse From the Religious Writings of the World
Religious Systems of the World, and many others whose help was certain to be of value. Unhappily the response to these appeals fell short of what had been expected, although promises of effective support were received from several in?uential quarters. Having been honoured by the request to act as Editor, Ihad accepted the nomination in the belief that the more important part of the work would be accomplished by persons qualified by special knowledge: it was therefore something more than disappointing when it gradually appeared that not a little of the promised co-op cration would have to be construed as mere expression of good-will. In the result a far larger share of the work of selection fell upon the shoulders of the writer than was anticipated, or desirable in a publication of the kind.
In the scheme originally proposed and privately distributed a formal arrangement according to leading topics resembling in prin ciple that adopted by Mr. Conway in his pioneer volume, was suggested. To this theoretical objections were urged by a few to whom the scheme was submitted, most forcibly by Mr. Ernest sibree, writing from the Indian Institute, Oxford; the main contention being that the filiation and progress of religious thought were confused and concealed by such an arrangement. These objections were practically strengthened by the difficulty, very soon experienced in execution, of combining with the subject any sort of evolutionary arrangement. Nothing short indeed of a repetition under each subject-heading of the same historic succession would at all have met the case. There would have been more loss than gain in so cumbrous a proceeding; and accordingly the classification actually adopted has been based on historical affinities.
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