part12-第9节

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reformation。　　I　should　proceed　to　a　view　of　the　life；　character；　&

doctrines　of　Jesus；　who　sensible　of　incorrectness　of　their　ideas　of

the　Deity；　and　of　morality；　endeavored　to　bring　them　to　the

principles　of　a　pure　deism；　and　juster　notions　of　the　attributes　of

God；　to　reform　their　moral　doctrines　to　the　standard　of　reason；

justice　&　philanthropy；　and　to　inculcate　the　belief　of　a　future

state。　　This　view　would　purposely　omit　the　question　of　his　divinity；

&　even　his　inspiration。　　To　do　him　justice；　it　would　be　necessary　to

remark　the　disadvantages　his　doctrines　have　to　encounter；　not　having

been　committed　to　writing　by　himself；　but　by　the　most　unlettered　of

men；　by　memory；　long　after　they　had　heard　them　from　him；　when　much

was　forgotten；　much　misunderstood；　&　presented　in　very　paradoxical

shapes。　　Yet　such　are　the　fragments　remaining　as　to　show　a　master

workman；　and　that　his　system　of　morality　was　the　most　benevolent　&

sublime　probably　that　has　been　ever　taught；　and　consequently　more

perfect　than　those　of　any　of　the　antient　philosophers。　　His　character

&　doctrines　have　received　still　greater　injury　from　those　who　pretend

to　be　his　special　disciples；　and　who　have　disfigured　and

sophisticated　his　actions　&　precepts；　from　views　of　personal

interest；　so　as　to　induce　the　unthinking　part　of　mankind　to　throw　off

the　whole　system　in　disgust；　and　to　pass　sentence　as　an　impostor　on

the　most　innocent；　the　most　benevolent；　the　most　eloquent　and　sublime

character　that　ever　has　been　exhibited　to　man。　　This　is　the　outline；

but　I　have　not　the　time；　&　still　less　the　information　which　the

subject　needs。　　It　will　therefore　rest　with　me　in　contemplation　only。

You　are　the　person　who　of　all　others　would　do　it　best；　and　most

promptly。　　You　have　all　the　materials　at　hand；　and　you　put　together

with　ease。　　I　wish　you　could　be　induced　to　extend　your　late　work　to

the　whole　subject。　　I　have　not　heard　particularly　what　is　the　state

of　your　health；　but　as　it　has　been　equal　to　the　journey　to

Philadelphia；　perhaps　it　might　encourage　the　curiosity　you　must　feel

to　see　for　once　this　place；　which　nature　has　formed　on　a　beautiful

scale；　and　circumstances　destine　for　a　great　one。　　As　yet　we　are　but

a　cluster　of　villages；　we　cannot　offer　you　the　learned　society　of

Philadelphia；　but　you　will　have　that　of　a　few　characters　whom　you

esteem；　&　a　bed　&　hearty　welcome　with　one　who　will　rejoice　in　every

opportunity　of　testifying　to　you　his　high　veneration　&　affectionate

attachment。







　　　　　　　　THE　MORALS　OF　JESUS




　　　　　　　　_To　Dr。　Benjamin　Rush；　with　a　Syllabus_

　　　　　　　　_Washington；　Apr。　21；　1803_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　SIR；　　In　some　of　the　delightful　conversations　with　you；

in　the　evenings　of　1798…99；　and　which　served　as　an　anodyne　to　the

afflictions　of　the　crisis　through　which　our　country　was　then

laboring；　the　Christian　religion　was　sometimes　our　topic；　and　I　then

promised　you；　that　one　day　or　other；　I　would　give　you　my　views　of　it。

They　are　the　result　of　a　life　of　inquiry　&　reflection；　and　very

different　from　that　anti…Christian　system　imputed　to　me　by　those　who

know　nothing　ofmy　opinions。　　To　the　corruptions　of　Christianity　I　am

indeed　opposed；　but　not　to　the　genuine　precepts　of　Jesus　himself。　　I

am　a　Christian；　in　the　only　sense　he　wished　any　one　to　be；　sincerely

attached　to　his　doctrines；　in　preference　to　all　others；　ascribing　to

himself　every　_human_　excellence；　&　believing　he　never　claimed　any

other。　　At　the　short　intervals　since　these　conversations；　when　I

could　justifiably　abstract　my　mind　from　public　affairs；　the　subject

has　been　under　my　contemplation。　　But　the　more　I　considered　it；　the

more　it　expanded　beyond　the　measure　of　either　my　time　or　information。

In　the　moment　of　my　late　departure　from　Monticello；　I　received　from

Doctr　Priestley；　his　little　treatise　of　〃Socrates　&　Jesus　compared。〃

This　being　a　section　of　the　general　view　I　had　taken　of　the　field；　it

became　a　subject　of　reflection　while　on　the　road；　and　unoccupied

otherwise。　　The　result　was；　to　arrange　in　my　mind　a　syllabus；　or

outline　of　such　an　estimate　of　the　comparative　merits　of

Christianity；　as　I　wished　to　see　executed　by　some　one　of　more　leisure

and　information　for　the　task；　than　myself。　　This　I　now　send　you；　as

the　only　discharge　of　my　promise　I　can　probably　ever　execute。　　And　in

confiding　it　to　you；　I　know　it　will　not　be　exposed　to　the　malignant

perversions　of　those　who　make　every　word　from　me　a　text　for　new

misrepresentations　&　calumnies。　　I　am　moreover　averse　to　the

communication　of　my　religious　tenets　to　the　public；　because　it　would

countenance　the　presumption　of　those　who　have　endeavored　to　draw　them

before　that　tribunal；　and　to　seduce　public　opinion　to　erect　itself

into　that　inquisition　over　the　rights　of　conscience；　which　the　laws

have　so　justly　proscribed。　　It　behoves　every　man　who　values　liberty

of　conscience　for　himself；　to　resist　invasions　of　it　in　the　case　of

others；　or　their　case　may；　by　change　of　circumstances；　become　his

own。　　It　behoves　him；　too；　in　his　own　case；　to　give　no　example　of

concession；　betraying　the　common　right　of　independent　opinion；　by

answering　questions　of　faith；　which　the　laws　have　left　between　God　&

himself。　　Accept　my　affectionate　salutations。




　　　　　　　　SYLLABUS　OF　AN　ESTIMATE　OF　THE　MERIT　OF　THE　DOCTRINES　OF　JESUS；

COMPARED　WITH　THOSE　OF　OTHERS

　　　　　　　　_April；　1803_




　　　　　　　　In　a　comparative　view　of　the　Ethics　of　the　enlightened　nations

of　antiquity；　of　the　Jews　and　of　Jesus；　no　notice　should　be　taken　of

the　corruptions　of　reason　among　the　ancients；　to　wit；　the　idolatry　&

superstition　of　the　vulgar；　nor　of　the　corruptions　of　Christianity　by

the　learned　among　its　professors。




　　　　　　　　Let　a　just　view　be　taken　of　the　moral　principles　inculcated　by

the　most　esteemed　of　the　sects　of　ancient　philosophy；　or　of　their

individuals；　particularly　Pythagoras；　Socrates；　Epicurus；　Cicero；

Epictetus；　Seneca；　Antoninus。




　　　　　　　　I。　PHILOSOPHERS。　1。　Their　precepts　related　chiefly　to

ourselves；　and　the　government　of　those　passions　which；　unrestrained；

would　disturb　our　tranquillity　of　mind。　　In　this　branch　of　philosophy

they　were　really　great。




　　　　　　　　2。　In　developing　our　duties　to　others；　they　were　short　and

defective。　　They　embraced；　indeed；　the　circles　of　kindred　&　friends；

and　inculcated　patriotism；　or　the　love　of　our　country　in　the

aggregate；　as　a　primary　obligation：　toward　our　neighbors　&　countrymen

they　taught　justice；　but　scarcely　viewed　them　as　within　the　circle　of

benevolence。　　Still　less　have　they　inculcated　peace；　charity　&　love

to　our　fellow　men；　or　embraced　with　benevolence　the　whole　family　of

mankind。




　　　　　　　　II。　JEWS。　1。　Their　system　was　Deism；　that　is；　the　belief　of　one

only　God。　　But　their　ideas　of　him　&　of　his　attributes　were　degrading

&　injurious。




　　　　　　　　2。　Their　Ethics　were　not　only　imperfect；　but　often

irreconcilable　with　the　sound　dictates　of　reason　&　morality；　as　they

respect　intercourse　with　those　around　us；　&　repulsive　&　anti…social；

as　respecting　other　nations。　　They　needed　reformation；　therefore；　in

an　eminent　degree。




　　　　　　　　III。　JESUS。　In　this　state　of　things　among　the　Jews；　Jesus

appeared。　　His　parentage　was　obscure；　his　condition　poor；　his

education　null；　his　natural　endowments　great；　his　life　correct　and

innocent：　he　was　meek；　benevolent；　patient；　firm；　disinterested；　&　of

the　sublimest　eloquence。




　　　　　　　　The　disadvantages　under　which　his　doctrines　appear　are

remarkable。




　　　　　　　　1。　Like　Socrates　&　Epictetus；　he　wrote　nothing　himself。




　　　　　　　　2。　But　he　had　not；　like　them；　a　Xenophon　or　an　Arrian　to　write

for　him。　　On　the　contrary；　all　the　learned　of　his　country；　entrenched

in　its　power　and　riches；　were　opposed　to　him；　lest　his　labors　should

undermine　their　advantages；　and　the　committing　to　writing　his　life　&

doctrines　fell　on　the　most　unlettered　&　ignorant　men；　who　wrote；　too；

from　memory；　&　not　till　long　after　the　transactions　had　passed。




　　　　　　　　3。　According　to　the　ordinary　fate　of　those　who　attempt　to

enlighten　and　reform　mankind；　he　fell　an　early　victim　to　the　jealousy

&　combination　of　the　altar　and　the　throne；　at　about　33。　years　of　age；

his　reason　having　not　yet　attained　the　_maximum_　of　its　energy；　nor

the　course　of　his　preaching；　which　was　but　of　3。　　years　at　most；

presented　occasions　for　developing　a　complete　system　of　morals。




　　　　　　　　4。　Hence　the　doctrines　which　he　really　delivered　were　defective

as　a　whole；　and　fragments　only　of　what　he　did　deliver　have　come　to　us

mutilated；　misstated；　&　often　unintelligible。




　　　　　　　　5。　They　have　been　still　more　disfigured　by　the　corruptions　of

schismatising　followers；　who　have　found　an　interest　in　sophisticating

&　perverting　the　simple　doctrines　he　taught　by　engrafting　on　them　the

mysticisms　of　a　Grecian　sophist；　frittering　them　into　subtleties；　&

obscuring　them　with　jargon；　until　they　have　caused　good　men　to　reject