New-York tribune., 1874-11-06
TIE DIVINITY OF CHRIST
John STUART Mills OPINION.


A large part of the essay on Thcism which
fills nearly cnehalf Of John Stuart Mills posthunous
work on religion about to DO repubiished here Ia
occupied with the examination aud discussion OF the
frat cause argument, the design argument, the argu
nents for Immortality and revelation, and similar
theological questions. and ia, consequently OF some
what aDstr.se character. The following occurs toward
the close OF Mr.. Mills volume:
The most vaul BILE plrt OF the effect on the character
which Chris anity has produced by holding mp III a
divine person standard OF excellence and model for
imitation is available even to the absolute unbelever
and can never more be lost humanity For 1t Is Christ
rather than God whom Christianity has held up to be-
levers the pattern Of perfection for humanity Is
the God incarate the God OF the Jews or OF
nature who being dcalized, Las taken 50 great and
sanitary hold on the modern mind And whatever else
may be taken away from by rational criticism Christ
is still eft unique figure not more unlike all ba pre-
direct henet his personal teaching. II Of
to SAY that Christ exhibited in the Gospels, i not
Historical, and that we knOw not how nucn OF what ia
admirable been superaddcd by the tradition o! his
followers. The tradition OF followers suiices TO insert
any number of narvcir, and have inserted all the
Miracles which reputed TO have wrought But who
among his disciples or anong TIER proselyios was
capable Of iuveting the sayings aScrDed TO Jesus or OF
imagining the life aud character revealed IN the Cos
pelsl Certainly not the fishermen Of Gallee as GER
anIy not ST. Paul. whose character aud idosyncrases
were OF IA totally different sort; still less the eaIy
Christian writers, IN whom nothing Is EUre evident
tnai that the good which .as iu them all derived
higher source. What could be added and intcrpoated
by dIscp!e We may in the mystical parts OF tic
Gospel ST. John, matter imported from PhilO and the
Aloxandriau Platonists. aud put into the NOUN OF
The Savior in long speeches ab0nt himself such the
other Gospels contain not the slightest yestige
Of though pretended 10 have been delivered on
occasions OF the deepest interest aud when his
principal followers all present. most prominently
ut The Last Supper. The East was full OF men who
could stolen quantity OF this poor stun, the
muttunOus Oriental sects OF Gno5tics afterward did
But about the life and sayings OF Jesus there Is
Of originality combined with prOiundly OF
sight which, IL abandon the idle expectation OF ul-
ing scientific precision where something ycrJ different
aimed at, must place tho Prophet Of Nazareth
in the estimation OF those who nave no belief III his
inpiration III the very first rank of the men OF subc
eminent genius Is cOnbiucd with tho qualities of
mission who existed upon earth, religion cannot e
said TO have mado bad choice In pitching this man
the ideal representative and guide Of humanity nor
oven now would 1t be easy even for an unbcever To
fad better translation Of the rule OF virtue from The
abstract into the concrete than the endeavor to ya
that Christ would approve our life When tins we
that, tho conception OF the rational skeptc IL re-
mains possibility that Christ actually was what he
supposed himself 10 be, not GodfOr he made tho
smallest pretension TO that character, and would pro
ably have thought such pretention as blasphenous
as Il seemed TO who condemned Hm-bu m n
charged with special. express aud unique commisson
frou God 10 lead mankind 10 truth and virtue we NAV
well conclude that the influences OF religion on the
character which will remain after rational criticism has
done Its against the evidences Of religion ara
well worth preserving and that what they lack direct
strength compared with those OF rmer belief Ia
more than compensated by the greater truth and reut
tude Of the morality they sanction.