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Christians, except when under the highest pressure of authority. Could this have happened if Christ had intended to preach a new positive religion?-if the remarkable course of Providence which accomplished that most important moral revolution had contemplated to make Christianity depend upon the acceptance of certain books, and upon an unhesitating belief in their contents?

I must repeat that I have devoted the best part of my life to the study of the New Testament, and especially of the Gospels, under a vehement desire of dispelling the doubts which disturbed my confidence in the notion of an inspired and positive Christianity. One of the most eager objects of my search has been, to have a definite notion of Jesus' demand upon the Jews: to know what he wanted the people to do. But in spite of repeated reading, comparison, and meditation, I could arrive at no other conclusion than this: that the writers of those documents had no idea of any definite demand, or proposal on the part of Jesus, except that of a reformation of life, and a general rejection of the authority of the combined Priests and Pharisees. That a moral and religious spirit of the highest and purest description is discoverable in the personal character of Jesus, and in the general tone of his preaching, I am most anxious to acknowledge. The imbibing of such a spirit appears to me the condition of Jesus' discipleship were it not for the darkness that Church doctrines have cast over the figurative language of the New Testament, I believe there would be no doubt that Jesus conceived the religion he preached to consist in conscientious obedience to the dictates of that Spirit under whose guidance he had exhibited himself as a most perfect model during his public life. No revealed or mysterious writings were required for the purpose of enabling Christians to recognize that spirit and embrace it with confidence. The spirit of love to God and Man, the spirit of self-denial for the sake of general good, the spirit of mercy to human infirmity, the spirit of sympathy with human sorrows, the spirit of indifference to pain and death in the service of truth, and in the duty of opposing vice, error, and hypocrisy, though invested with the power of life and death, that spirit is as readily distinguishable from all others as is the sun from all other lights. To the guidance of this spirit, not to that which was afterwards described as appearing in the shape of a meteoric fire, to the guidance of that moral spirit did Jesus commit his disciples for ever. Of books that were to be written by his apostles, he seems not to have had the slightest notion: to priests, who should be the privileged interpreters of such books, the general

character of his views appears totally opposed. His work, the work allotted to him by Divine Providence, was to occasion the fall of Judaism and Heathenism; and to this object he sacrificed his life. Thus were the two great obstacles to moral improvement removed from among the select portion of mankind who occupied the vanguard of civilization. This great achievement was not brought about by a sudden miracle, or by the exclusive operation of truth and virtue. The pure impulse given by Christ was communicated to a mixed mass, which was often moved by lower springs of action. A new society was formed within the fast declining one, which bore the name of Roman Empire; and to the activity of this new people was left the work of utterly destroying Paganism._ _Christianity, under the interested protection of the Roman Emperors, emulated the pompous ritual of the religion to which it had given a mortal wound; from a merely negative reform, it became the most positive, most complicated, most hierarchical system of belief and worship. But in the midst of the greatest corruptions, the spirit of its founder might clearly be perceived by those who had any portion of it in their own hearts. The mighty structure which had been raised in Christ's name could never receive that completeness which alone would ensure its permanency. Even in the darkest ages there were thinking men who suspected some fundamental error in the system of Church Christianity. History has accordingly preserved the names of a few of these doubters; but how many more of them must have lived in cautious obscurity!

(24.) The progress of knowledge, in every direction, seems to be on the point of forcing conviction against all Church Theology upon all who have not totally surrendered their minds to hierarchical authority, or to enthusiasm. Book Christianity, the Christianity of inspired documents, is vanishing like an airy phantom. The Leben Jesu of Strauss has placed it beyond all reasonable doubt, that the Gospels were not written by any of the immediate disciples of Jesus. That negative part of the work is confessed to be unassailable by German Divines, who employ their whole learning and ingenuity in combating the author's attempts to account for the actual origin of those writings. After a perusal of the work itself, I am convinced of what I formerly strongly suspected; namely, that the Gospels are a mixture of substantial truth and fable. The separation of these two elements, as far indeed as it is necessary for practical purposes, is not difficult. Any one who, free from the notion that implicit belief in some portion of history is essential to true religion, shall take the spirit of Jesus as his guide, will easily

distinguish all that essentially belongs to the character and views of him whom, upon the most sound and unquestionable grounds, we may truly proclaim the highest and noblest guide given by God to mankind.*

The moral picture of Jesus of Nazareth which may be drawn from the Gospels, is, in spite of their greatly corrupted historical character, the most fit vehicle for popular instruction which, I believe, was ever known; but the original picture must be restored, as Artists of Genius restore an ancient statue by means of its incomplete fragments. The work here is not difficult, provided the love of the miraculous does not disturb the moral sense: the fragments, for the most part, breathe the spirit of the whole. The image thus conceived by minds of congenial spirit, is the only Christ we can possibly know.

Liverpool, March 12th, 1837.

J. B. W.

There is a passage in Cousin's Histoire de la Philosophie, vol. ii. p. 86, so beautifully illustrative of my meaning, that I hope to be excused for copying it. "L'Essai sur l'entendement humain a deux défauts graves: d'abord, des répétitions innombrables; puis des variations et des contradictions un peu fortes. Aussi faut-il s'attacher à l'esprit général du livre, et avec cet esprit, interpréter les passages contradictoires, négliger les inconséquences de détail, et considérer surtout le fond commun et l'ensemble de l'ouvrage, car c'est là qu'est le système de l'auteur." Though the New Testament was not written by Jesus, it may certainly be treated in a similar manner, with great advantage and satisfaction.

ART. II. JUSTINUS KERNER. By Dr. DAVID FRIEDRICH STRAUSS, Author of the "Leben Jesu."

FOR several years it has been my custom to devote a few fine days in the Autumn to a little pedestrian excursion to Heilbronn and Weinsperg. Heilbronn is the central point of the Würtemberg vintage; early in the morning we are awakened by the voices of the vine-dressers, proceeding to their work; through the day continual feus de joie echo from the surrounding vine-hills; and with the approach of darkness, rockets, and a variety of other fireworks, commence their brilliant display, till by the arrival of night the roads and paths leading to the town are enlivened by various processions of people, who by torchlight and with music descend from the vine-topped hills, and proceed on their return home. Meantime the spacious ball-room on the adjoining Wartberg (tower-hill) has been filling during the afternoon; music soon commences to open the daily vintage dance, in which the young tradespeople of busy Heilbronn, young officers from its garrison, jovial students out in the vacation, and visitors from various parts of the country, desirous of joining in the celebration of the vintage in its proper territories, mingle together to enjoy themselves with the fair ones of the town and neighbourhood.

Whoever is inclined to remove from this gay bustling scene to one of a more quiet nature, will do well to wander forth for a day to Weinsperg, about a league distant from Heilbronn. Here, likewise, the grape-gathering is going forward; but the town is much smaller; there are fewer rich vineyard-owners to carry on the gay and noisy vintage; and the influx of strangers not so great as in Heilbronn. After traversing the shady chesnut-walk, which skirts the east side of the town, amid the luxuriant vegetation of delightfully laid-out gardens, and passing the ancient burial-ground, over whose walls here and there still projects a stone cross, or some such antiquated monument, the wanderer, continuing his course for half a league through a fertile plain, arrives at a spot where the road, gradually ascending between vine-hills, enters a path running between two parallel hills. When at the top, the prospect of the Weinsperg valley opens upon him. I shall never forget, in my first wanderings to this place, in spring time, how I was received with greetings from the throats of sweetests songsters from a woody glen on the left of the road; they were tokens from love and pleasure of all I should experience then and subsequently in

this valley. Here, except the meadows and fields in the plain, the eye rests only on vine-planted hills, one of which rising just before us, is entirely covered with vines. That broad and irregularly-shaped hill, standing on whose summit appears a mountain ruin of half-decayed walls and towers, is none other than the much-renowned "Weibertreue," or Woman's Fidelity. This place of antiquity, already made popular by Bürger, has been very lately brought into notice by another poet, who dwelt at its foot, the Weinspergian doctor, Justinus Kerner. Little stones from these walls, formed into rings, were eagerly sought after by wives and maidens far and near, through Germany, and produced a sum which Kerner employed judiciously in making paths by which the ruins became accessible, and by planting flowers and shrubs, making comfortable resting places, and erections for Æolian harps, rendering the whole scene more delightful and romantic. Perhaps to-day we might find the Weinspergers celebrating their so-called public vintage upon the Weibertreue, it having been the annual custom so to do, since Kerner beautified the spot. Possibly the three gentlemen whom we met on the hill are proceeding to Heilbronn to purchase fireworks; at least I fancied that among them I recognised the same old pyrotechnist who is usually busy there at this season. May his stars not treat him now as they did some years ago! I had just arrived towards nightfall at Kerner's house: all the family were still absent at the festivities in the old castle; but soon Kerner's daughter returned in visible excitement. The pyrotechnist had begun to send up some fireworks of his own preparation, and for this purpose had taken his station upon the top of an old roofless tower, on and around which a numerous body of spectators had collected, but, behold! instead of ascending, his rockets, squibs, and fireballs, all fell amongst the terrified gazers, by whom the artist was now ill rewarded for his trouble. The girl said she was ready to cry at the misfortune of their good old friend, and could not remain to witness it any longer; and yet, between times, she could scarcely refrain from laughing,-a true poet's child.

But we have not properly come to that yet: we are still standing upon the height whence we first beheld the "Weibertreue." For some distance the road descends, and then continues level, until we approach it; and as we pass on close to its base, Weinsperg, hitherto concealed by the hill, gradually becomes visible. The village presents little that is beautiful; narrowly built, with crooked streets, it lies on the uneven ground of the hill-foot; even the market-place is a steep acclivity, losing itself in a platform, on which the old church has found its place. At

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