New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-05-16
CHRISTIAN ORIGINS.
a STUDY FROM THE UNORTHODoX POINT
OF VIEW.

Jesus as Developed from Judaism and converted
into Dogma. BY William Macklhtosh' W. 49,
d. D. PIP. XIV. b01.
BY way of illustrating his theory as to the be-
lief in the resurrection of Christ DR.. Macintosh
cites as typical the story told by Herodotus ana
rationalized by Grote of the Greek miracle al
the battle Of Mycale. The popular belief was
that on this occasion divine Rumor suddenly
pervaded the army OF the victory over Mardonus
and his Persians though it would nave oeeh
many DAYS before the news could have come by
ordinary means. The only tangible fact IN the
narrative was that a herad's stan was seen
floating In the surf. AS the Greeks were more
than ready TO an omen in every lhcioei' u
their lives. Dr. Macintosh plausibly con)ec'ures
that at the outset the herad's stan furnshcd
vague nresage and nothing more. The thought
ran from man to man so quickly that IL seemed
as II the entire body of troops reached the same
conclusion at the same instant. Their own sue
cess confirmed the value of the prognostic and
when the impression Of victory in Boeotia was
confirmed the heroes Of Mycale talked as If they
had known IL all along and II the gods had
sent them a special dispatch on the subject. Dr.
Macintosh says that other tales OF this KIND
could be cited where groups or armies or multi
tudes of men have been suddenly seized with an
idea which, confirmed by the result, seemed ever
afterward the gift of miraculous hspii""o''
The reader will easily guess the point at "hic"
the author Is driving. He can dispose o! 'He dP-
pearances of the Crucifed TO indiViduai ulSc'P'e'
or f. a group of two or three. but II IS ul"ei-
ent case with st. Pauls testimony that OhriS'
o,raared IN an assembly Of not less than oOo
persons St. Pauls statements are not 10 De
slighted Dr. Macintosh thinks that the N'Sioii
was wholly internal and that the I'VE huhu'eu
Galileans of whom Paul spoke were very i"uo"
in the condition Of the Greek troops at MEcaie'
Tho legitimate criticism upon a work like that
of Dr. Macintosh cannot be from the or'"ouoN
ro,rt of view save in dispute over matters
of fact The author must be met on the srouiu
which he has chosen. But having chosen the
estimate of the character of Jesus which ne VIII
maintain. he cannot be allowed to borrow ma
,or,al which belongs to his opponents Leaving
out the perverse few who may be inclined 10
DENY the historical repute of Jesus altogether
both orthodox and unorthodoX might agree that
from, q nurely human point of view he must be
called a man of genius. The power OF MS
thought represented by the few lines OF speech
reported from his lips renders him incomparaOie'
DIR Macintosh suggests Hilel and Cohluclus
and Buddha, but he plainly deprecates any eioi'
at drawing parallels. 1t was not that what Jesus
said was novel. But if others had sald peiore
him the things that he said was he only that put
life into the words and that made them force
IN the upheaval of the race. As against those
who prefer to call this power divine when Jesus
welded Dr. Macintosh has the right 10 say
that II is within the scope Of genius. lie may
not have brought the problem any nearer 10 soIu-
ton. Genius is hardly less difficult to account
for than divinity. But genius Is fact OF human
nature and the appeal to it is scienuhc' On the
other hand. genius does not make a man learned.
of TaSf1 may
rightfully attribute to Him all knowledge. But
DIR. Macintosh by the very nature of his NY
pothesis is estopped from claiming anything for
Jesus which he cannot prove He may justly
!. cab Jesus "a great religious genius but where
fsshis warrant for saying that Jesus was pro
;foundly versed in the records and traditions OF
r4,s neople in which their religious ideas appear
IN MANY stages of development, in isolated. ger
minal. and often obscure and enigmatic forms OF
expressjon?" The brief remarks, the gnomic
savings and the more elaborate speeches. OF
Jesus will be scanned in vain for any traces OF
this exhaustive learning. The case is ali the
worse because this assumption OF learned study
on the part of Jesus is indispensable 10 III
Mackntosh's argument. He maintains mat II
was in part by bordering and meditatng over
these records and traditions that Jesus arrived
~ "the pure ideal and conception which supplied
the elements Of the absolute religion. This pro-
cess was according to the author. dialectical
and experimental starting from presupposi-
tions or beliefs which. If not held by all men in
common were the inheritance Of the Jewish
neonle." All possibility Of unconscious cerebra-
ton, to a modern phrase. is thus cast aside
The methods of Jesus were the outcome Of
conscious. purposefu study. Surely. with every
correction that modern criticism has applied, the
biographies of Jesus that have come down to
the present day are inadequate TO support this
hypothesis. Upon the theory Of DR.. Macintosh.
the case Of Jesus would be infinitely more won
derful than that Of Shakespeare. The latter has
left evidence of volumnous learning. But ne
lived in a learned age and throughout his lie
was cast among people OF more or less book
knowledge. Jesus has left hardly any evidence
OF learning He lived his whole life where broad
study even of Hebrew literature. was practically
impossible, and yet he based on really minute
study an experiment for humanity which has
proved Of divine value
Genius supplemented by learning is a purely
human formula We all have cognizance. near
or remote. OF instances to which 1t can be APP
piled. But genius which achieves an Infinite
task without the aid Of learning is so rare that
one may call Jesus of Nazareth the only example
In history. 1t is Jesus the ignorant Galilean,
not some polished student from a school Of
Alexandria. whose career Is to be explained
The tradition Of divinity is at least as rational
as the surreptitious addition Of knowledge which
the times and the situation Of the Founder Of
Christianity rendered impossible. In order to
bring him into contact with the learning of the
past, DR.. Macintosh has to imagine him
member OF some inner circle of the Essences. to
which might also have belonged John the
Baptist Anna, the prophecies, and the aged
Simeon. This is very narrow margin Of con-
lecture to save Jesus from the miracle Of "spon-
taneously taking up the broken thread Of pro-
phetic tradition after 1t had. as a living ira
heen loet for lie 70 he ina oil Cd