New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-02-21
THE KAISER ORTHODOX.
ALL DOUBTS DISSOLVED.
The Emperor Ct1ficises DeiitSsch and
Discusses Revelations.

God and Christ and in the authority of the Ola
Testament, as declared in his letter to Admiral
Holman councillor of the German Oriental So
cety. is accepted by the lea ling authorities OF
the State and Church as satisfactory evidence OF
his majestys orthodoxy, which or months hao
been the cause of deep concern to theoioeiehs
and pastors The doubts began year ago,
when the Emperor first listened to Professor
Delitzschs lecture on the Babylonian origin OF
the Bible and increased later when the En-
peror personally assisted the Assyriologist in
showing stereopticon pictures to sixty members
of the court.
SOME MISTAKES OF DELITZSCH-
The pictures were designed TO prove the Baby
lonish origin of the Hebrew Ideas Ihe Elm
peror subscribed to TIE fund to send Professor
Delitzsch again to Assyria. and discussed WIN
him. when he returned. his most recent dis
coyerjes all to the dismay of orthodox church
men and some of the most influential church
administrators, particularly the accomplished
Dr. Dryander who besought the Emperor 10
make some definite statement OF creeo IN oFoei
to restore the confidence of the clergy ana
laity His majesty's letter to the former sec
retary of the Navy and Councillor OF orleh'al
Society is the result of DR.. Dryander's endeaV-
ors Other portions of the Emperors letter u
the admiral not contained in the conclusions
During the evening entertainment with us
Professor Delitzsch had the opportunity 10 CON
fer fully and debate with her majesty the r1ili
press end DR.. Dryander. while hsteheu , @
remained passive Unfortunately ne auai a
doned fhe roint of view of the strict historian
and Assyriologst, straying INTO reHsioil anu
theological conclusions and hyDotheses, W Niitil -.
were quite nebulous or bold w men ne cdiie "
speak of the New Testament II became cleaI
at once that he developed such quite divergent
views regarding the person of our Saviour that
bod he diametTlcaIy
point of view. He does not recognize the NV NJ
ty OF Christ, and deduction tnerelroIll do-
serts that the Old Testament contains no reVeia-
ton about Him the Messiah Here s the AS
syriologist and the historical investigator ceases
and the theoogian begins, with all ms nenl anu @
shadow sides In this province can ohly uI
gently advise him to proceed very cautiously,
step by STEP and at any rate, ventliate ms
theses only in the theological books and IN the
circle of his colleagues. Spare US, the laylieh'
and, above all, the Oriental Society, from near
ing OF them All that does not belong peIors
such a forum We prosecute excavations ana
publish the results in behalf of science and MIS-
tory not to confirm attack religious hy-
potheses with Professor Delitzsch, the theologlah
who has away with the historian
The Emperor then goes on to express regret
at the fact that Professor Delitzsch did not ad-
here to his original purpose of translating and
interpreting inscriptions excavated by the So
cietv as illustrating the relations between Baby
ionfan customs morals. historical events and
traditions etc, and the Israelites which would
have been in the highest degree interesting for
Iayuen, and adds.
He approached the question of revelation in
a very polemical tone, more or less denying IL
or reducing ii to purely human matters Ihat
was a grave error, for thereby he touched on
the innermost, hoest possession of many OF MS
hearers. which shook and even shattered the tne
foundations Of their faith 1t is deed that only
the greatest genius should venture to attempt,
and for which the mere study OF Assyrlology
did not justify him.
TWO KINDS OF REVELATION.
The Emperor then gives his personal views
regarding the Revelation saying:
distinguish between two different kinds OF
Reyelation-Cne progressive, and. as it We're
historical; the other, purely religious as pre-
pairing the way for the future Messiah. Re-
garding the former. it must be said-for me, II
does not admit of doubt. not even the slight
est-that God revealed himself continuously in
the race of mer created by Him. He blew into
the breath Of His life, and follows with
fatherly love and interest the development of
the human race In order to lead IL forward
and develop il He reveals Himself in this or
that great sage, whether priest or king whether
among the heather, Jews or Christians. Ham
murabi one; so was Moses, Abraham, Ho-
mer, Charlemagne, Luther, Shakespeare, Goethe,
Kant and Emperor William the Great. These
He sought out and endowed with His grace, to
accomplish splendid, imperishable results for
their people, in their intellectual and physical
provinces according His will. How often my
grandfather pointed out that he was only an in
strument in the Lords hands,
ligious is that which leads to the manifestation
of our Lord 1t was introduced with Abraham,
slow but forward looking and omniscient, for
human ity lost without il. Now begins the
most astonishing activity of Gods revelation
Abraham's AMI the peoples developing from
it regard faith in one God as their hoiiest pos
session, and 1t follows hold fast to It with IRON
like consistency. Split up during their Egyp
tian captivity, the divided elements were again
welded together by Moses, trying to hold
fast to their monotheism. II the direct in
tervention of God that caused the regeneration
of this people. thus proved through centuries
till the Messiah, heraded by prophets and
psalmists. finally appeared, the greatest revela-
tIon Of God in the world. for He appeared in the
Son Himself. Christ is God-God in human
to follow Him. We feel His fire burning in
His sympathy strengthens US. His dis
content destroys But, also, his intercession
saves us. Conscious of victory, building solely
upon His word. We &c through labor, ridicule
sorrow, misery and death, for have in Him
Gods revealed word, and He never lies
That is my view Of these matters It is to
me self-evident that the Old Testament contains
many sections which are of purely human and
historical nature, and Gods revealed
word These are merely historical descriptions
of incidents Of all kinds which happen in the
political religious, moral and intellectual life
of this people. The Legislative act on Sina
for example. can only be regarded as SYM
bolically inspired OF God. When Moses had to
reburnsh well known paragraphs of the law
perhaps derived from the code of Hammura bi
I'm order to incorporate and bind them into the
loose weak fabric of his people, here the his
torian can perhaps construe from the sense
wording a connection with the laws of Ham
murabi, the friend of Abraham That Is per-
haps logically correct. But that will never dis
guise the fact that God incited Moses thereto.
and in far revealed Himself to the people of
Israel.