The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1903-02-21
EMPEROR'S FAITH In GOD
DETAILS OF HIS LETTER DIS
PELLING DOUBT.


Regarding His othodoxy III-Founded
-Professor DeIaIzsch's Lecture and the
Aid Extended 20 Him-Taken to Task
for Broadening His Subject and saak-
Ing Foundations of Faith.
Berlin, Feb. 2O-Emperor Williams
faith in God and Christ and in the au-
thority of the Old Testament, as de-
clared in his letter to Admiral Holl-
man, councillor of the German Oriental
society. is accepted by the leading au-
thorities of the state and church as
satisfactory evidence of his majesty's
orthodoxy, which for months had been
the cause of deep concern to theologi-
ans and pastors. The doubts began a
year ago, when the emperor first list
ened to Professor DelitZsch's lecture on
the Babylonian origin of, the Bible, and
increased later when the emperor per-
sonaIly assisted the Assyriologist in
SLIO"ill6 SIClGVpllGOlb plCluIG2 W SlAly
members of the court.
The pictures were designed to prove
the Babylonish origin iof the Hebrew
ideas The emperor subscribed to the
funds to send Professor Delitzsch again
to Assyria and discussed with him,
when he returned, his most recent dis
coveries, all to the dismay of the ortho
dox. churchmen and some of the most
influential church administrators, par
ticularly the accomplished DIR. Drylan-
der, who besought the emperor to make
some definite statement of creed in or
der to restore the confidence of clergy
and laity. His majesty's letter to the
| former secretary of the navy and coun-
cillor of the Oriental society is the re-
suit of DIR. Dryander's endeavors.
Other portions of the emperor's let
ter to the admiral, not contained in the
conclusions given to the press yester-
day, are as follows:
During the evening entertainment
with us Professor Delitzsch had the op-
portunity to fully confer and debate
with her majesty the empress and Dr.
Dryander while listened to remained
passive. Unfortunately he abandoned
the standpoint Of the strict historian
and Assyriologist, straying into relig-
ious and theological conclusions and
hypothesis, which were quite nebulous
or bold. When he came to speak on
the New Testament it became clear at
once that he developed such quite di-
vergent. views regarding the person of
our Saviour that had to express the
diametrically opposite standpoint. He
does not recognize the divinity of Christ
and as a deduction therefrom asserts
that the Old Testament contains no
revelation about Him as the Messiah.
Here the Assyriologist and the histori-
cal investigator ceases and the theolo-
CLAN begins with all his light and shad-
ow sides. In this province l can only
urgently advise him to proceed very
cautiously, step by step, and, at any
rate, ventilate his theses only in theo-
logical books and in the circle Of his
colleagues. Spare us, the laymen, and,
above all, the Oriental society, from
hearing of them. All that does not be-
flong before such a forum. We prose-
cute excavations and publish the re-
suits in behalf of science and history,
not to confirm or attack religious hy-
potheses with Professor Delitzsch the
theologian, who has run away with the
historian"
The emperor then goes on to express
regret at the fact that Professor De-
litzsch did not adhere to his original
purpose of translating and interpreting
inscriptions excavated by the society,
| "a paIatinnG hptwapn
Babylonian customs morals, historical
events and traditions, ETC., and the Is
raelites, (which would have been in the
highest degree interesting for laymen,'
and adds:
"He approached the question Of rev.
elation in very polemical tone, more
or less denying it or reducing it to
purely human matters. That was
grave error, for thereby he touched on
the innermost, holiest possession of
MANY of his hearers, which shook and
even shattered the foundations of their
faith. It is deed that only the great
est genius should venture to attempt,
and for which the mere study of Assy-
riology did not justify him..
The emperor then gives his personal
views regarding the revelation saying:
81 distinguish between two different
kinds of revelation, one progressive ano
as it were historical; the other purely
religious as preparing the way for the
future Messiah.
Regarding the former. it must be
said Cor me. it does not admit Of q
doubt, not even the slightest, that Goo
reveals Himself continuously in the race
of men created by Him. He blew into
man the breath of His life and follows
with fatherly love and interest the de.
veopment of the human race. In order
to lead it forward and develop it he re-
veals Himself in this or that great sage
whether priest or king, whether among
| the heather, Jews or Christians Ham
murabi was one, so were Moses, Ahra'
ham, Homer, Charlemange, Luther
Shakespeare, Goethe, Kant and Emper'
or William the Great. These He sought
out and endowed with His grace to &C.
complish splendid, imperishable results
for their people, in their intellectual
and physical provinces, according tt
| His will. How often my grandfather
pointed out that he was only an instru'
ment in the Lords hands.
| THE Second form of revelation, the
more religious, is that which leads tt
| the manifestation Of Our Lord. 1t was
! introduced with Abraham, slow but for