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

when saw how the great mass OF men about me,
who had faith and were not corrupted by wealth.
led life both true and full OF meaning: after all
this began to doubt the correctness OF the reply
which had received from my own wisdom and
that Of my peers and once more tried to under
, stand the reply which Christianity gave to these
men whom saw leading pure lives. therefore
began to study Christianity found 1t in the
lives OF these men. and undertook to understand
Christianity as thus applied. and also the sources
I whence 1t came.
THE SOURCES OF CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE
Now the sources OF Christian doctrine were the
Gospels. and " was in truth In the Gospels that
| found the explanation OF the meaning OF life.
cording to which men were enabled to lead true
! lives. Blu; looking 10 Christianity In Its present
| form at the same time that perceived this pure
water OF lite. perceived a quantity of mud and
dross mingled with II. which alone had prevented
my seeing the purity OF this up this time.
l saw that the lofty doctrine of Christianity had
been COMPOUNDED with Hebrew traditions and with
| those OF the Church. both OF which foreign
| and opposed TO IT, And thus felt myself to be
| in the position % a man to whom had
! given sack full Of ashes. and who. after long
and weary efforts, discovered among the ashes a
number OF pearls OF infinite worth. Such a
| understands that not only is he not to be blamed
for dislikng the ashes. but that the persons who
gathered these pearls along with the ashes and
, preserved them not all culpable but the
contrary. deserve his love and respect. And
last he begins TO ask himself what he may do with
these precious pearls which he found mixed with
the dust and sand In this painful position re-
manned up TO the day when understood that the
| pearls had not always been mixed with the ashes
and still might be separated from them.
! knew not the light and thought that there was
truth In life; but when understood that men
| lived by the light alone. began TO seek for the
source OF light and found 1t In the Gospels not
| withstanding the errors which the churches had
/
was blinded by It's brillance. There had at last
found full answer to my questions about the
meaning OF my life and the lives Of other
men, And while recognized these answers
agreeing with those obtained by others to similar
questions. yet. in my opinion. my answer surpassed
all these others.
sought an answer TO the problem OF life. and
not 10 a theological or historical question; and
that was the reason why ! cared not to know
whether Jesus Christ was God not. whence
proceeded the Holy Spirit etc. And in like
ner IT Indifferent to me when or by whom the
Gospels written. and whether this parable or
that came from Jesus Himself The only thing
that vas important for the light which
for 800 years had given light 10 men, which gave
me light then and has continued 70 DO so ever
since. To know what name | mus; give 10 this
light Of what elements it was composed. and who
knd,ed II, with these matters IN no wise busted
myself.
And set about considering this light and TO
studying and observing everything It hlumi-
mated: and in proportion as advanced along this
way the difference between the false and the true
became more evident. At the beginning OF my
| labors | Continued 10 have doubts. and these
attempted to explain artnc.ay; bu, the further
went the more the truth revealed 10 me- |
found myself IN the position OF a man who Is coll
Letting the fragments OF broken statue. At the
outset he may have doubts. and ask himself
whether this fragment belongs to tho leg or the
TO- M hntr IN h.
sees clearly that the piece in question docs not be-
long 70 the leg and when he fines in the arm
gap In which that piece fits exactly. there Is no
longer any doubt to the place which that piece
| originally occupied. The more advanced In my
work the more this feeling penetrated into me.
and inasmuch as ! am not n fool 1t may be be-
Neved that the reader Will he impressed by the
same feeling in reading my large translation OF the
Gospels wherein all OF my points are confirmed at
once By philoogy. by comparisons with contcxts
and variants and finally BY their agreement with
the fundamental teaching OF Jesus
PAUL AS A FALSE INTERPRETER
Here I might end my preface II the Gospels were
newly discovered books and II the doctrines OF
Jesus had not during 1880 years been the objects
OF an uninterrupted series OF false interpretations
| In order now 10 understand the true doctrine OF
Jesus as He understood 1t Himself. 1t Is indis-
| pensabie TO know the chief OF these false
| interpretations and the false conceptions to which
they gave rise The fundamental cause OF all
these false interpretations which makes IL so din
cult for us to-day the true doctrine %
Jesus consists in this. that the doctrine has been
COMPOUNDED with the doctrine OF the tradition Of the
| Pharisces and thus with the doctrine OF the Old
Testament. And this dates from the time Of Paul.
who never understood the true doctrine OF Jesus.
and who did even know 1t in the form which II
afterward assumed IN the Gospel Of Matthew
Paul is generally described as the Apostle o, the
Pagans the Protestant Apostle; and he IS indeed
this. but only in respect to what touches the ex-
tcrnal fornulas-circumcsion. etc II IS he who
introduced into Christianity the doctrine OF the
Jewish tradition, and thus united the New and the
Ola Testaments. Ard II is this doctrine OF the
Jewish tradition which has been the Fundamental:
cause OF the distortion and Ease Interpretation OF
the Christian doctrine.
From the time OF Paul dates that Christian Tai
mud which to-day forms tho doctrine Of the
Church. and from that time IT Is that the doctrine
Of Christ came to be no longer regarded n unique
complete and divine but simply as one Of the links
in the great chain OF revelations which began With
the creation OF tho world and which extends down
10 the Church o. our own day. This false inter
pre,ation 10 be sure. calls Jesus God but the
recognition Of His divinity apparently does
make 1t necessary for the Church 10 attach
importance to His divine words than to the words
OF the Pentateuch. the Psalms. the Acts. the
Epistles and the Apocalypse. or even 10 the de-
cislons OF the Councils and the writings Of the
Fathers This false Interpretation. contrary to the
doctrine OF Jesus and TO all the revelations which
preceded and followed Him. has for It's aim to
ind out what the doctrine Of Jesus meant. but tho
reconciliation OF the different writer's who contra
dict one another-the Pentateuch. the Psalms. the
Gospels the Epistles and the Acts. and in general
nil the writings which pass for sacred With such
an aim 1t is clear that one cannot dream OF under
standing thoroughly the doctrine OF Jesus.
THE CAUSE OF DIVERSE OPINION.
Now to these false aims is due the innurnerable
diversity Of opinions regarding the true meaning
OF the Gospels. Indeed 1t Is possible 10 produce
INTERPRETATIONS without number which have for
their object the search for truth but the recon-
citation OF things which are irreconcilable: