The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-05-01

or authorship. Ills DOCK |
has rapidly passed into its twenty
second edition, and is in great de-
mand, both IN this country and
in Europe. The problem of most
difficult solution, however, is the
character of the authors own
opinions. People do not know how
to understand him. Some take him
for believer In the guise of a scep
tie, assumed and worn out of
respect or charity for sceptics; 9th
ers,< for a free thinking Chris
tian-a kind of Colenso on the Cos
pels-promulgating his odd but hon
est convictions. Each class may find IL
the book passages favoring their re-
spective views; while, to make the
perplexity complete, the author con-
stantly avoids questions upon which,
if he spoke at all, the mystery would
be dis PEELED ADD reserves his opinions
for another volume, which, however,
be informs us will not be published
for some time. For this indirectness
the author has been generally censur-
ed. and we think not unjustly.
In the original preface he states his OBJ
isct thus: "He has endeavOred to fur
HISL I'LL dHSMGE ~ NhO5NAOb8 w
was Christ's obisct in founding the
Society which is called BY His name,
aud how is it adapted to attain that
objectY Towards the end of the
work he speaks of the questions upon
which science and revelation seem to
clash as not belonging to our pres
emit object; they concern the theology,
and not the morality, of the Christian
Church." At the end of the first
chapter, we find the following para
graph: 1.-THE phrase baptize with
IRE" seems, at first sight, to contain
a mixture of metaphors. Baptism
means cleansing. and IRE means
warmth. How can warmth cleanse?
The answer is that moral warmth
does cleanse. No heart is pure that
is not passionate; no virtue is safe
that is not enth Isiastic. And such
an enthusiastic virtue Christ was to
introduce. The whole of the present
volume will be a comment on this
text" (D. 14)
We have now before US the authors
object, which is to present the morals
of Christianity, apart from its peculiar
doctrines, and 10 that aspect to claim
for the Christian religion the respect,
nay, even the high admiration, OF. his
readers. He is eloquent both in ex-
position and eulogy, and we see no
reason why be may not be sincere.
Many good men, anxious TO turn the
unbelieVer from the error of his way,
have made similar attempts to conclll-
ate the enemies of revelation before
now, but this is by far the ablest at
tempt of the kind which this genera
ton has witnessed.
But it will be needful to inquire by
what method the author of Ecce
Homo proceeds to effect his object.
Putting his two prefaees together.
(the original one, and that of the fifth
edition. we obtain full knowledge
of this. He found it necessary. he
says, TO place himself " in magma
ton at the time when He. whom we
call Christ, bore no such name, but
was simply, as St. Luke describes
Him, young man of promise, popular
with those VINO knew Him, and appear
ing to enjoy the divine favor; to trace
His biography from point to point, and
accept those conclusions about Him,
not which Church doctors, or even
apostles, have sealed with their au-
thority. but which the facts themselves,
critically weighed. appear to warrant.
Fully to carry out this purpose, he
has deemed it needful to make little
or no use of the Gospel of st. John,
which is suspected of being freely
idolized portrait, and to confine him
self to the first three Gospels, which,
when they agree, may be taken as
sufficient historical basis of his work.
Christ,a thus presented POUNDS new
divine society, for which He legislates,
and in which He claims, In GER
tain high and peculiar sense, to be
the Judge" The scheme by which
He unites men together is by uniting
them to Himself The means by
which He unites them to Himself is
By laying them under immense per-
sonal obligation, and making Himself
their model as well as their instructor
He enjoins upon them entire submits
sion and devotion to His cause; In
culcates the universal brotherhood of
mau; and implants In His disciples
one principle, which is to dictate their
course of action under all circum
stances. Three special iDjunctions he
lays upon them: l. To relieve the
physical wants and distresses of their
fellow men. 2. To add to the mem
bership of the newly-formed Church.
3 To forgive all personal injuries.
With these three commands, In adj
dition to one general formative law,
aud the institution of the two Sacra-
ments, the author supposes the legis-
lation Of Christ to be closed.
The creation of society bound by
- rlo1.11 60 1ho~- 81
and aiming after a general obedience,
however imperfect, and its continu.
ance to this time, despite all opposi-
ton, the author considers a master
piece, both of " daring imagination "
and supernatural power. Nor can it
be doubted that, upon a candid inf
del, the effect of his representations
would be to create a feeling of re-
spect and admiration for the Author
of Christianity, and, perchance, dis
pose him to a fuller examination of
the great subject. For such purpose
we can suppose the book adapted for
some degree of usefulness; and pos
sibly the professors of divine truth
may learn something from his STRIFE
lures on their faults, whether real or
supposed.
But now arises the question, "Is
the gain worth the cost?" It may, in
deed, be replied that in the case sup
posed above, the result is clear gain.
But we cannot admit the answer I'M
less we are prepared to endorse the
authors represe nations of Christ aud
His religion. For If the inquirer.
whom we have supposed him to CON
ciliate, has to unlearn what our author
teaches him, and that not on second
airy, but on fundamental questions,
the result may be only greater unset
Element and eventual loss.
Let us take, for example, the
great formative and ruling principle