New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-07-01

I
have expressed In manner both obscure ana difIi-
cult to understand. That which Is not inteiligiole
in the speech OF great man Is not great. Inc
doctrine OF a great man ought to make all men
participants in a common truth. therefore, the
only revelation which can incte to hatred ana
give birth sects. Is Interpretation which pre-
tends TO be a revelation OF the Holy Spirit ana 10
contain the unique truth, and is neither.
THE PRESUMPTION OF DOGMA.
The partisans OF certain sects have indeed told
us that they do not condemn the adherents OF other
scots: that they harbor no hatred against them.
But in saying this they say what is not true For
never since the time of Arius has there been
single dogma which has not resulted from wish
to contradict opposed dogma To MAINTAIN
that particular dogma Is divine revelation IN
spired by the Holy Spirit. is the highest degree Of
presumption and folly. There Is nothing more pre-
sumptuous than to affirm that that which say Is
that which God Himself says through my mouth;
and there Is nothing more false than 10 say 10 a
who says that God speaks through his mouth:
NO. IT is not through your mouth that Goa
speaks. but through mine. and He says precisely
the contrary from what you pretend He says Now
this is the way all the councils all the churches'
al the reason. and thence has arisen ana SIN
arises all the evil which has been produced In the
world and is now being produced in the name OF
religion.
But in addition to this external vice. all the scots
suffer from a second vice. which is quite INTERNAL
and prevents their having "A clear. assured ana
while these scots offer their false intcrpreta-
lions the final revelation OF the Holy Spirit they
never take care to determine in precise ana ne
cisve manner what is exactly the cssenc. and sig
nhcance Of this revelation OF IN" Holy Spirit, which
Christian doctrins: The Believer, who admit a
revelations. just like the Mahometans The Ma
hometans admit the thre" revelations or Moses
nit the three revelations of Moses Jesus and the
Holy Spirit. But in tho Mahometan religion Ma
definite explanation Of the two preceding revela-
tons and has made them complete. has crowned
tan churches the case is quite different. Instead
OF calling their religion by thc name Of their ast
maintain that their religion is that Of Jesus and Is
based on HIS doctrine. Whence It comes about
their own doctrines they pretend base them on
the authority OF Jesus.
ONLY A PRETENCE OF AUTHORITY.
In this way havc originated all those religions Of
the Holy Spirit which offered to us as the last
and authoritative revelation. whether they BE- the
writings Of the Apostle Paul. the decisions Of
Councils the DEGREES OF Popes certain personal
revelations. But While In the las. resort. they re-
pose on the revelations OF the Fathers OF the
Church. on "A decree OF the Patriarch Of the West.
on = Papal decree. a syllabus. tn" catcchism
OF Luther OF Phllaret they refuse TO aiorn thcr
religion nith The names o, their authorities. but
persist in holding that # is Jesus who revealed
with them tina, Jesus gave lis He FOR humanity.
fallen since Adams fault. that God IS three per
sons. that the Holy Spirit descended on the
Apostles. ard that Ills spirit s transmitted 20 the
priests by the laying OF hands: tina; seven sac'a-
mcnts arc indispensable Tor The Christian lf"-if II
IL necessary 10 believe these Gpgnas. then It Is
Jesus himself who should have revealed them We
required 10 believe that al thcF~ irIrs belong
~. h,,r,, -, 49, 49, lin 'for any illusion 20
them. The churches hold ne ;h'se dogras ousht
Sc do~irrr of the Hcy spir and not as the doc
trlne OF Christ. For there arc no Christians save
o. Jesus Himself. a We hni It IN he gospels sri
this IA virtue OF That SAYING OF jesus re shai'
The thing may be- regarded as unlmporiant and
not worth mentioning yet until now II has not
been sufficiently considered Instead ~ striving Win
o. its entirely fncai and unjrst.nab.e connection
inirgs which hav' been inflicted upon u IN me
name o. the Holy sllr men ~ coni'nu" 10 en-.
stronger. AMI hy singular chance W. sec that the
two opposing amps are yn,ts IN MS er,ot n
camp Of the critics the free thinker, 81 Cnrst.n-
dom On tA~ one .le. the pariisans OF ih.
churches who regard Jesus IS The scconi person y
the Trinity viii not conceive HIS doc,rin" ckcept
IL accords vim the so-calied rcveiaiions Of The
m"nt. IN the DEGREES OF Councils ana IN the Dc
clsions q the Fathers OF tie church. And VINE
affirm that these things constitute ~ fsith or
christ on N" Other ham th"s" VINO rouse 10
regard
no, as He Himself rcvceI IT, hui a. IT was formu-
lated by Paul and She other Interpreters And
God these wise men deprive HIM u n right COM
mon 10 al mon. The right 20 ," pcr'onaly 70
words or other- ~ NOR tempt Z" .Npln''i tn~
doctrine Of Jesus they attribute 20 Jesus IDEAS
lis lie Tho Representative. Of his school b..
ginning with Renan tho most POPULAR OF them an.
rnlsh fhat which Jesus IIimscf taught from that
which lis interpreters haY" falsely attriAut.i 70
sound the depths or n" doctrine peculiar 70 jesus
rs i was before the churches took hold OF H.
% Jesus ana IN contemporary historical facts he
explanation Of His influence ana the diffusion Of
HIS IDEAS.
THE RATIONALIsTs' CHIEF ERROR.
This is. u seems. the worst Of the errors which
the ratonalls,s could have committed The prob
lem which they have TO solve Is simply this
Eighteen hundred years ago there lived poor man
In a certain place who said certain things. He
was persecuiod crucilcd and then the whole world
forgot about Him. az IT mad forgotten about thou
sands OF others Ike Him. and during TWO centuries
lie was not spoken o. And yet II seem. that
some preserved the remembrance" OF The words 81
this man. and had repeated them to second nnd
to a third. for the words OF this man were prop
aCa:cd Ccasclcssly. so that there havc iecn mill
ions upon millions or men. wis" mcn and fools.
learned and unlcarncd. who have acquired The abso
iutc certainty that this man was the only God
This IS Il strange phenomenon: how explain IT,
The churches explain II by saying that this man
Jesus was truly God. and that nothing Is clearer.
But II this not God. how explain the fact
that II WIS precisely He who recognized as
Cod
But while the savants OF tn. historical schools
collecting all the particulars OF the life OF THIS
man with great care. they do not see that even II
they were able 10 coec, great many Of these
particulars ta- matter OF fact they have col
icctcd except those they found In tho Gospels
and Flaylis JoscphusJ, even II they were abb 10
reconstruct the whole fe Of Jesus down 10 It's lear,
detail. 10 the point OF knowing what Jesus ate on
this day or that In what house he spent the night.
ETC. II they discovered all this the vital qu-s
ton remains unnns wered-thc question why IL was
Jesus and else. who exercised such
an influence men. That answer is not to b.
found In the knowledge Of the way In which Jesus
was born how lie brought up etc. and II
IS TO be found still less in the knowledge OF tho
event which happened In Rome and which drove
the nations TO superstition. etc. To obtain the
answer II. II Is only necessary to find what was
precisely the particular teaching OF Jesus which
made the people put Him above the rest OF men