The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-06-25

areth Extracted Textually from the Cos
pels, Together with a Comparison of His
Jefferson. st. Louis: N. S. Thompson pub
fishing company, Second and Olive streets
Price 81. S~' ~.
The publishers of this edition of what is
called 1.-THE Jefferson Bible state that. al
though limited edition of the original text is
soon to be published by order of congress, the
original being in the Smithsonian institution,
they feel justified in printing an edition from
an accurate copy OF: the table Of contents made
from the manuscript volume while it was in
the possession pf Colonel Thomas jefferson
Randolph, the eldest grandson of Jefferson
Some fac smile pages are included from JEFF
ferson's Bible. The official publication will
have ant introduction by Or. Adler Of the
Smithsonian Institution. The Thompson edi-
ton, for an introduction, publishes a letter
written by Jefferson in 1903 to DR.. Benjamin
Rush OF Philadelphia, embodying a summary
of Jefferson g religious views. This edition
will somewhat blunt the keen edge of the in
terest awakenedt inTtha government edition.
There,>is however. no sensation to be e&-
tracted from the publication of Jefferson s
moral code, derived from about LOO excerpts
from the sayings and parallels Of Christ. JEFF
ferson SIS reli gious Jews have long been
known. They have been published In his
works and have~reoeiged attention from his
biographers. His political opponents charged
him more than a century ago with atheism
and deism OF the Voltaire description. In his
letter to DR.. Rush e,,layss down his creed,
which in concrete form was antagonism to
corrupt forms of Christianity. while he was
loyal to what he calls the genuine precepts
of Jesus himself" He declared that9he was
a Christian Sin the only sense In which he
wished any one to be--sincerely attached to
his doctrines in preference to all Others. y
OF course, 1t is readily seen that jefferson
subscribed only to those features of the dis
courses of Christ which had no reference to
his claimed divinity and in which are not
found the assumption and declaration Of his
supernatural origin and mission. The con-
spicuous claim to equality with God is dg-
nored and, although Jefferson says he is
Sincerely attached to his (Christs) doc
trines," he does not recognize the most per-
sistently repeated doctrines proclaimed by
Chrst-those which insist upon human sin, to
be removed only through a blood atonement
sby the Messiah in person; repentance. confess
sion and faith in the saving efficacy OF the
blood atonement. Jefferson lauded only the
morality of Christ, which insisted upon recip-
rocal brotherly kindness among men, chiefly
and he included the Lord IS prayer as among
the bounden duties Of men. He includes por-
lions Of Christs discourses assuming the ex
istence of hell and future retribution. and
quotes tho gospel Of John, where the closing
days of Christ are the theme, and stops at the
burial of the body in the tomb of Joseph of
Arjmathea- The great stone Is rolled to the
door of the sepulchre and within 1t Jefferson
leaves the body of Christ. His antagonism to
the. supernatural fortdds him to go further.
Jefferson found in the moral system OF
Christ what he found not In the ancient phil
osophers who placed limitations upon the
scope of their benevolence which failed to
embrace the whole family of mankind.
Christs doctrine of reciprocal oenevolence
embraced the universe. Jefferson recognized
the fact that Christ taught emphatically the
doctrine of q future state:
The Jefferson Bible is not a presentment
Of the doctrines OF Jesus, but only the pre-
sentiment of a portion of them. The portion
included, however, is very valuable as reflect
ing the strength and beauty and power OF the
words Of Jesus. Jefferson we'll says of the
selections he MADEIRA more beautiful or pre-
cious naorsel of ethics I have never SEEM
Jefferson's original contains the texts cited
in Latin Greek, French and English; an ex-
tract from the old Rqnan criminal code under
which Christ was. tried before PLATE, the Ro-
man procurator, and two maps.
Touching the protests which have been made
against the publication of these excerpts from
the gospels by the government with an intro
duction. by DR.. ADLER, it does not appear that
there Is anything of ian Injurious character In
the publication OF extracts from the highest
anu DurGSC moral COuc Cuo WAOIo WO1io
Jefferson states that his grouping of special
passages was Intended to show the intrinsic
merits of the moral system taught by Christ.
Jefferson disavows any intention to- NEEDLE
with anybody's belief in the divinity Of
Christ. He did not believe it himself. but he
confines himself to the leading discourses as
to moral conduct.
The publishers have now taken the matter
up and will give the public all they want Of
the Christian moral system SO far as it was
subscribed to by Thomas Jefferson. That Is
the only feature of interest.
Among the Freaks. BY w. L. Alden New
York: Street & Smith, 2S8 William street
Price rs cents. ,4
Mr. Alden has not exhausted the fountain
of his good humor. In this book he takes his
readers behind the scenes in a dime museum
and shows some OF the interesting events
which take place there. The fat woman g
moods and exploits furnish much amusement,
and the other freaks are brought in to supply
their part of the entertainment.
THE MAGAZINES
The international Monthly contains some
very interesting features, among which is a
paper on "Anti-semitism In Europe by Rab-
bi Gottheil OF the Temple Emmanuel. New
York city, q distinguished Jewish scholar. He
very truly points out the absurdity Of the
term antisemitism." the crusade of fanati-
cisna not being directed against the Semitic