New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-09-02
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
THE TEACHING OF JESUS.

FL! Vent. 5 g. ord pTeiss, S q H4ssssy. Nsds
Nontreaux, Switzerland. In two volumes V"
l.. svO.. PIP. 4Os. Charles scnbners' sons
The aim a Professor weudt In this most oble and
fuggestivs work. to bring out TIE mSo','.
teaching OF Jesus, contraSted WIN ti'e eNeSe |
accreuons that have 90 modified that teacMns curing
the course OF centuries. OF course everybody heo
roacalh icoogizes tas hot that Chrsmani'y "
founded upn the teaching Of Jesus but pascucaAi''
ne idea Is generally lost sghs o.
DR.. wcndA 10 BY no means the hrst 70 c.h 80. r
ton to the fact. Indeed 1t may be SAD 'no
present epoch in ren gtous thought that 1t y mainly
s,.,.-,sh.d tnr the number OF ambitious inter
nrea-ru Of Cyhristianity, who are ready 10 to inc
world inst what Christ taught. But the aut"or on
this work Displays wealth OF schoiahSmP' eoP"'
M s,dyatnal insignia and SatesnanERe grasp Oh 'N
whole question that are seldom found M such specu'
lations.
starting out with the assumption that there are
c,oAatons In the religious value OF different po'Vone
~, scrpt,Ire he finds the words and teachings OF
Jesus himself, all the essentials OF ChrisuahiV'
The question" he says, chow much OF the cohPo-
nent elements OF the Old Testament revelation mas
permanent value for the Christian Church. must ever
he decided By the agreement disagreement OF the
Old Testament ideas with the teaching OF Jesus But
even the Judgment that the ideas OF Paul and James,
or any othor New Testament writer, are OF standard
authority for Christian doctrine must in the last In
stance BE- justified by indicating their agreement with
tho teaching OF Jesus. So far as It may be founo
opposed to this teaching. the authority OF Paul must
Yield to the higher authority of Jesus Christ whose
servant end apostle he was" Two interesting facts
are brought out in this passage. One Is that he
field OF dogTnac controversy Is being g"anualy HIT
rowed In the ages Of faith the discussion over
Chrstfap dogma ranged the whole field OF Church
tradition as we'll AS the statements OF the Bibie.
Then the reformation sought to confne the question
to what the Bible taught wis supposed to teach.
And under the inspiration OF that theory ar Angel
can divine promulgated the famous dictum'
"The Bible and the Bible only, Is the
religion Of Protestants." But the representative
theologxns Of to-day are not Inclined
TO take this ground. Whether they sympathhe
with tho higher critics not they feel that while SO
many varying and contradictory views Of the Bible are
current with no authorized to interpret 1t, moth
ing VIII be gained by pointing to the Bible in bulk as
the creed Of Christianity. And IN var1ons ways,
they are doing what DR.. wendt does in this volume.
They are going to Jesus Himself for defnition OF
Christianity The other fact to which we referred Is
the indication in the passage We have quoted That
German theoogans beginning TO soc that Jesus,
snd not Paul, was the founder of Christianity. For
MANY years a Pauline cult ragged among the theoog1ans
Of Germany, and many learned books were written 10
show that had It not been for the leadership and
ligious genius OF Paul, the obscurc sect OF the
Nazarenes' would never have been heard OF. That
ther WIS some basis Of truth in this view need not be
denied But 1t was carried to an absurd length. and
II Is pleasant to see that the pendulum has begun 10
swing the other way.
What has been said will serve to give some idea OF
this work but the second volume will not be ISSUED
for month or two will reserve a mure exhaustive
review until then, when the whole scope OF the
mated.