The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-11-17

never would ave been an infidel. In
a letter TO Samuel Greenough. written
four years after he retired from the Presi-
dency, jefferson says: There was never
a more pure and sublime system of morality
delivered to man than IL to be found la the
four E~vangelists.'
What Jefferson valued in the Gospels was
their ethical elevation and beauty. He
did not accept them as proofs Of the divinity
Of Jesus. In other words, he was not a
Christian In the ordinary sense OF the word
but a Deist. This is made plain in a letter
to John Adams penned in 1923. three years
before his death. From this letter Mr..
Curtis makes the following extract; i hold
without appealing to revelation, that.
when we take a view of the universe IN al
its parts, general or particular, II IA I'm
possible for the human mind not 70 per-
ceive and feel a conviction Of design, con-
summate skill and infinite power In every
atom OF It's composition. II u imposslple'
I say, for the human mind not TO believe
that there IL In all this, design, cause ana
effect up 20 an ultimate cause; q fabrlcator
of all things from matter and motion; their
preserver and regulator, lille they are
permitted To exist in their present form'
and their Regeneration into new and other
forms. We see, too, evident proofs of the
necessity OF a experimenting power 10
maintain the universe in It's course ana
order. so irresistible are these evidences
OF an intelligent and powerful agent, that
of tho infinite number Of men who have
existed through all time, they have believed
In the proportion Of a million to one in the
hypothesis Of the eternal persistence OF
a Creator
Among Jererson's extant writings there
are several tina bear upon the Bible con-
eldered as q teacher OF morals. To Dr.
Priestloy, the well-known Unitarian. he
wrote. There never was a more pure and
sublime system of morality delivered 10
man than Is to be found in the four Evan
relists.- IL IL a curious fact that Jefferson
In his later years applied to the documents
composing the New Testament the very
treatment which Count Leo Tolstoi was to
recommend long afterward. The outcome
OF this synthetic and eclectic treatment
was the interesting object preserved In the
Smithsonian Institution at Washington
and known as MIR. Jefferson's Bible We
quote from Mr., Curtis's account OF IL
During his retirement at Monticello, AFTER
his return from the White House. he lief
fersonl spent several months in the prcpara-
ton Of an arrangement Of the New Iesta-
ment. which he intended TO publish and TO
have translated into the various Indian
languages as the basis OF a true religion.
II is a little leather-bound volume, EVIL
IDENTITY intended for an account book. Win
great neatness and care he pasted upon It's
pages four versions Of the New Testament
Latin, Greek, French and English-in
parallel columns. The volume Is made
with the scissors and paste pot and a few
interlineations and notes in Jehersohs
handwriting. He took a copy of the New
Testament and cut from il and threw away
as worthless every verse and paragraph
that TO his mind was ambiguous or contro-
yersial, every statement OF Tact that would
not have been admitted as violence In a
court Of justice, and all Implications in the
narrative OF the life Of Christ. The re-
mainder Of the Gospels and the Epistles
are then arranged in their proper chrono-
logical order, a passage from St. Lake
being sandwichcd between one from St
Matthew and one from st. John. HIS idea
was 10 present the best account of every
incident and fact in the lives of Christ and
III hDONNltFE WI Wv "A - 49,
teachings that were undisputed and that
required no Interpretation.
In a letter 20 a Mr.. Robinson. apparently
written before he had completed this com
pilation in its present form Jefferson refers
20 il a. follows: Il. too. have made a wee
little book from the same materials which
| called the Philosophy Of Jesus II is a
~paradigma Of His doctrines. made by cut
Ting the texts out Of the book and arrang-
ing them on the pages Of a blankbook
in n certain order Of time or subject. A
more beautiful or precious mor-'l Of ethics
| have never seen. II il a document In
proof that | am a real Christian, that Is
90 say, a disciple Of the doctrines Of Jesus,
very different from the Platonists who call
me iuhdel and themselves Christians and
| preachers o. the Gospel, while they draw
all their characteristic dugmas from what
ats authors never said or saw They have
comDounded from the h"athen mysteries
A sy-tam beyond M" comprehension -
man. 81 whlch the great rrform"r 81 the
vicious ethics and dci-m Il the jews. ven
He 10 return 20 W. would not recognize
one f.atur. II ] had um-. / would add
10 nv nttl- book the Gr-k. Latin and
French teI's. ln columns Adr ~ -ld"
and wish | could rulJuIn a translation
/ ~ GAa-~nii's syutagma - the dutur'-
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calumlir- ~ tu" Sfu.r- aru tur DaucaiuI..
If Cicero. b., thr musf rational system o..
malniug ~ fhn pi.lH-rpiy Of tlr aurrrl-
a. frugal ~ NaYu- Indulgence o. irI.
tai Of ,Irua o. tir ~hVI-ruulraI 'tIfaf
sauoir - thr rival --Hf- NJ ,url.
uutr- thai tp thl- rytthr.I- 81 th' New
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