,transcriber's ,notes3      ,italic text
 is denoted by underscores4      ,blank 
pages have been eliminated4      ,greek 
and ,hebrew characters have been        
transliterated to ,english              
characters4 ,the transliterations are   
denoted by ,greek3 ,hebrew3             
,variations in spelling and hyphenation 
have been left as in the    original4   
,a few typographical errors have been   
corrected4            ,,my ,,religion4  
,,by    ,,count ,,leo ,,tolstoi4        
,,translated ,,from ,,the ,,french4     
,,new ,,york3    ,,thomas ,y4 ,,crowell 
,,co41    #ac ,,astor ,,place4          
,copyright by    ,,thomas ,y4 ,,crowell 
,,co41    #ahhe4                        
,,translator',s ,,preface4      ,,to one
 not familiar with the ,russian language
 the accessible data  relative to the   
external life of ,leo ,nikolaevich      
,tolstoi1 the author of  this book1 are1
 to say the least1 not voluminous4 ,his 
name does not  appear in that           
heterogeneous record of celebrities     

known as ,the ,men of  the ,time1 nor is
 it to be found in ,m4 ,vapereau's      
comprehensive  ,dictionnaire des        
,contemporains4 ,and yet ,count ,leo    
,tolstoi is  acknowledged by competent  
critics to be a man of extraordinary    
genius1  who1 certainly in one instance1
 has produced a masterpiece of          
literature  which will continue to rank 
with the great artistic productions of  
this  age4    ,perhaps it is enough for 
us to know that he was born on his      
father's  estate in the ,russian        
province of ,tula1 in the year #ahbh2   
that he  received a good home education 
and studied the oriental languages at   
the  ,university of ,kasan2 that he was 
for a time in the army1 which he        
entered at the age of twenty-three as an
 officer of artillery1 serving  later on
 the staff of ,prince ,gortschakof2 and 
that subsequently he  alternated between
 ,st4 ,petersburg and ,moscow1 leading  
the existence of  super-refined         
barbarism and excessive luxury1         

characteristic of the  ,russian         
aristocracy4 ,he saw life in country and
 city1 in camp and court4  ,he was      
numbered among the defenders of         
,sebastopol in the ,crimean ,war1  and  
the impressions then gathered he used as
 material for a series of  ,war         
,sketches that attracted attention in   
the pages of the magazine  where they   
first appeared2 and when1 a little      
later1 they were published  in book     
form1 their author1 then twenty-eight   
years of age1 acquired at  once a wide  
popularity4 ,popularity became fame with
 the publication1  also in #ahef1 of    
,childhood and ,youth1 remarkable alike 
for its artless  revelations concerning 
the genesis and growth of ideas and     
emotions in  the minds of the young1 for
 its idyllic pictures of domestic life1 
and  for its graceful descriptions of   
nature4 ,this was followed by ,the      
,cossacks1 a wild romance of the        
steppes1 vigorously realistic in        
details1 and1 like all of ,count        

,tolstoi's works1 poetic in conception  
and inspired with a dramatic intensity4 
,in #ahfj appeared ,war and  ,peace1 an 
historical romance in many volumes1     
dealing with the  ,napoleonic invasion  
of #ahab and the events that immediately
 followed the  retreat from ,moscow4    
,according to ,m4 ,c4 ,courrire1#a it   
was seized upon  with avidity and       
produced a profound sensation4          
#a ,histoire de la littrature           
contemporaine en ,russie4    ,the stage 
is immense and the actors are           
innumerable2 among them three  emperors 
with their ministers1 their marshals1   
and their generals1 and  then a         
countless retinue of minor officers1    
soldiers1 nobles1 and  peasants4 ,we are
 transported by turns from the salons of
 ,st4 ,petersburg  to the camps of war1 
from ,moscow to the country4 ,and all   
these diverse  and varied scenes are    
joined together with a controlling      
purpose that  brings everything into    
harmony4 ,each one of the prolonged     

series of  constantly changing tableaux 
is of remarkable beauty and palpitating 
with life4    ,pierre ,besushkof1 one of
 the three heroes of ,war and ,peace1   
has1  rightly or wrongly1 long been     
regarded as in some respects an         
autobiographical study1 but the personal
 note is always clearly  perceptible in 
,count ,tolstoi's writings1 if we are to
 believe the  reports of the            
enthusiastic purveyors of literary      
information who have  made known some of
 their many attractive qualities4 ,it is
 plain also  that a common purpose runs 
through them all1 a purpose which only  
in the  author's latest production finds
 full expression4 ,there are hints of it
  in ,childhood and ,youth2 in ,war and 
,peace1 and in a subsequent  romance1   
,anna ,karenin1 it becomes very         
distinct4 ,in the two works last  named 
,count ,tolstoi is pitiless in his      
portrayal of the vices and  follies of  
the wealthy1 aristocratic class1 and    
warm in his praise of  simplicity and   

unpretending virtue4 ,pierre ,besushkof 
is represented as  the product of a     
transition period1 one who sees clearly 
that the future  must be different from 
the past1 but unable to interpret the   
prophecies  of its coming4 ,m4 ,courrire
 speaks of him very happily as an       
overgrown  child who seems to be lost in
 a wholly unfamiliar world4 ,for a time 
,pierre finds mental tranquility in the 
tenets of freemasonry1 and the  author  
gives us a vivid account1 humorous and  
pathetic by turns1 of the  young man's  
efforts to carry the newly acquired     
doctrines into practice4  ,he determines
 to better the condition of the peasants
 on his estates2  but instead of looking
 after the affair himself1 he leaves the
  consummation of his plans to his      
stewards1 with the result that the      
cleverest among them listened with      
attention1 but considered one thing     
only1--how to carry out their own       
private ends under the pretense of      
executing his commands4 ,later on we are

 shown ,pierre wandering  aimlessly     
about the streets of burning ,moscow1   
until taken into custody  by the        
,french4 ,then he learns the true       
meaning of life from a simple  soldier1 
a fellow-prisoner1 and thereby realizes 
that safety for the  future is to be    
obtained only by bringing life to the   
standard of rude  simplicity adopted by 
the common people1 by recognizing1 in   
act as well  as in deed1 the brotherhood
 of man4    ,we cannot here enter into  
the question as to whether this mental  
attitude1 by no means unusual among     
,russians of cultivation and            
liberality1 arises from the lack of     
social gradation between the noble  and 
the peasant1 which forces the social    
philosopher of rank to accept  an       
existence of pure worldliness and empty 
show1 or to adopt the  primitive        
aspirations and humble toil of the      
tillers of the soil4 ,at any  rate1 it  
is plain that ,count ,tolstoi sides with
 the latter4 ,the doctrine  of          

simplification has many adherents in    
,russia1 and when1 some time  ago1 it   
was announced that the author of ,war   
and ,peace had retired to  the country  
and was leading a life of frugality and 
unaffected toil in  the cultivation of  
his estates1 the surprise to his own    
countrymen could  not have been very    
great4 ,in this book he tells us how the
 decision was  formed4 ,he bases his    
conclusions on a direct and literal     
interpretation  of the teachings of     
,jesus as expressed in the ,sermon on   
the ,mount4    ,the interpretation is   
not new in theory1 but never before has 
it been  carried out with so much zeal1 
so much determination1 so much          
sincerity1  and1 granting the premises1 
with logic so unanswerable1 as in this  
beautiful confession of faith4 ,how     
movingly does he depict the doubts  and 
fears of the searcher after the better  
life2 how impressive his  earnest       
inquiry for truth2 how inspiring his    
confidence in the natural  goodness1 as 

opposed to the natural depravity of man2
 how convincing his  argument that the  
doctrine of ,jesus is simple1           
practicable1 and  conducive to the      
highest happiness2 how terrifying his   
enumeration of  the sufferings of the   
martyrs to the doctrine of the world2   
how  pitiless his arraignment of the    
,church for its complacent indifference 
to the welfare of humanity here in this 
present stage of existence2 how  sublime
 his prophecy of the golden age when men
 shall dwell together in  the bonds of  
love1 and sin and suffering shall be no 
more the common lot  of mankind6 ,we    
read1 and are thrilled with a divine    
emotion2 but which  of us is willing to 
accept the truth here unfolded as the   
veritable  secret of life8    ,shall we 
take seriously this eloquent enunciation
 of faith in humility1  in self-denial1 
in fraternal love1 or shall we regard it
 only as a  beautiful and peaceful phase
 in the career of a man of genius who1  
after  the storm and stress of a life of

 sin and suffering1 has turned back to  
the ideals of youth and innocence1 and  
sought to make them once more the       
objects of desire8 ,fanaticism1 do you  
say8 ,ah1 yes2 but did not ,jesus  and  
his disciples practise just such        
fanaticism as this8 ,does any one  deny 
that all that is best in this modern    
world 7and there is so much of  the     
best1 after all71 that all that is best 
has come from the great  moral impulse  
generated by a little group of fanatics 
in an obscure  corner of ,asia eighteen 
centuries ago8 ,that impulse we still   
feel1 in  spite of all the obstructions 
that have been put in its way to nullify
  its action2 and if any would seek for 
strength from the primary source  of    
power1 who shall say him nay8 ,and so   
although we may smile at the            
artlessness of this ,russian evangelist 
in his determination to find in  the    
gospels the categorical imperative of   
self-renunciation1 although we  may     
regard with wonder the magnificent      

audacity of his exegetical              
speculations1 we cannot refuse to admire
 a faith so sincere1 so intense1  and1  
in many respects1 so elevating and so   
noble4           ,,huntington ,,smith4  
,,dorchester1 ,,mass41         ,nov4    
#ai1 #ahhe4          ,,introduction4    
,i ,,have not always been possessed of  
the religious ideas set forth in  this  
book4 ,for thirty-five years of my life 
,i was1 in the proper  acceptation of   
the word1 a nihilist1--not a            
revolutionary socialist1 but  a man who 
believed in nothing4 ,five years ago    
faith came to me2 ,i  believed in the   
doctrine of ,jesus1 and my whole life   
underwent a sudden  transformation4     
,what ,i had once wished for ,i wished  
for no longer1 and ,i  began to desire  
what ,i had never desired before4 ,what 
had once appeared  to me right now      
became wrong1 and the wrong of the past 
,i beheld as  right4 ,my condition was  
like that of a man who goes forth upon  
some  errand1 and having traversed a    

portion of the road1 decides that the   
matter is of no importance1 and turns   
back4 ,what was at first on his  right  
hand is now on his left1 and what was at
 his left hand is now on  his right2    
instead of going away from his abode1 he
 desires to get back  to it as soon as  
possible4 ,my life and my desires were  
completely  changed2 good and evil      
interchanged meanings4 ,why so8 ,because
 ,i  understood the doctrine of ,jesus  
in a different way from that in which ,i
  had understood it before4    ,it is   
not my purpose to expound the doctrine  
of ,jesus2 ,i wish only to  tell how it 
was that ,i came to understand what     
there is in this doctrine  that is      
simple1 clear1 evident1 indisputable2   
how ,i understand that part  of it which
 appeals to all men1 and how this       
understanding refreshed my  soul and    
gave me happiness and peace4    ,i do   
not intend to comment on the doctrine of
 ,jesus2 ,i desire only that  all       
comment shall be forever done away with4

 ,the ,christian sects have  always     
maintained that all men1 however unequal
 in education and  intelligence1 are    
equal before ,god2 that divine truth is 
accessible to  every one4 ,jesus has    
even declared it to be the will of ,god 
that what is  concealed from the wise   
shall be revealed to the simple4 ,not   
every one  is able to understand the    
mysteries of dogmatics1 homiletics1     
liturgics1  hermeneutics1 apologetics2  
but every one is able and ought to      
understand  what ,jesus ,christ said to 
the millions of simple and ignorant     
people who  have lived1 and who are     
living to-day4 ,now1 the things that    
,jesus said  to simple people who could 
not avail themselves of the comments of 
,paul1  of ,clement1 of ,chrysostom1 and
 of others1 are just what ,i did not    
understand1 and which1 now that ,i have 
come to understand them1 ,i wish  to    
make plain to all4    ,the thief on the 
cross believed in the ,christ1 and was  
saved4 ,if the  thief1 instead of dying 

on the cross1 had descended from it1 and
 told  all men of his belief in the     
,christ1 would not the result have been 
of  great good8 ,like the thief on the  
cross1 ,i believe in the doctrine of    
,jesus1 and this belief has made me     
whole4 ,this is not a vain comparison1  
but a truthful expression of my         
spiritual condition2 my soul1 once      
filled with despair of life and fear of 
death1 is now full of happiness  and    
peace4    ,like the thief1 ,i knew that 
my past and present life was vile2 ,i   
saw  that the majority of men about me  
lived unworthy lives4 ,i knew1 like the 
thief1 that ,i was wretched and         
suffering1 that all those about me      
suffered and were wretched2 and ,i saw  
before me nothing but death to  save me 
from this condition4 ,as the thief was  
nailed to his cross1 so ,i  was nailed  
to a life of suffering and evil by an   
incomprehensible power4  ,and as the    
thief saw before him1 after the         
sufferings of a foolish life1  the      

horrible shadows of death1 so ,i beheld 
the same vista opening before  me4      
,in all this ,i felt that ,i was like   
the thief4 ,there was1 however1 a       
difference in our conditions2 he was    
about to die1 and ,i--,i still lived4   
,the dying thief thought perhaps to find
 his salvation beyond the grave1  while 
,i had before me life and its mystery   
this side the grave4 ,i  understood     
nothing of this life2 it seemed to me a 
frightful thing1 and  then--,i          
understood the words of ,jesus1 and life
 and death ceased to be  evil2 instead  
of despair1 ,i tasted joy and happiness 
that death could  not take away4        
,will any one1 then1 be offended if ,i  
tell the story of how all this came     
about8           ,,leo ,,tolstoi4       
,,moscow1 ,jan4 #bb1 #ahhd4             
,,my ,,religion4          ,,chapter ,i4 
,i ,,shall explain elsewhere1 in two    
voluminous treatises1 why ,i did not    
understand the doctrine of ,jesus1 and  
how at length it became clear to  me4   

,these works are a criticism of dogmatic
 theology and a new  translation of the 
four ,gospels1 followed by a            
concordance4 ,in these  writings ,i seek
 methodically to disentangle everything 
that tends to  conceal the truth from   
men2 ,i translate the four ,gospels     
anew1 verse by  verse1 and ,i bring them
 together in a new concordance4 ,the    
work has  lasted for six years4 ,each   
year1 each month1 ,i discover new       
meanings  which corroborate the         
fundamental idea2 ,i correct the errors 
which have  crept in1 and ,i put the    
last touches to what ,i have already    
written4 ,my  life1 whose final term is 
not far distant1 will doubtless end     
before ,i  have finished my work2 but ,i
 am convinced that the work will be of  
great  service2 so ,i shall do all that 
,i can to bring it to completion4    ,i 
do not now concern myself with this     
outward work upon theology and the      
,gospels1 but with an inner work of an  
entirely different nature4 ,i have  to  

do now with nothing systematic or       
methodical1 only with that sudden  light
 which showed me the ,gospel doctrine in
 all its simple beauty4    ,the process 
was something similar to that           
experienced by one who1  following an   
erroneous model1 seeks to restore a     
statue from broken bits  of marble1 and 
who with one of the most refractory     
fragments in hand  perceives the        
hopelessness of his ideal2 then he      
begins anew1 and  instead of the former 
incongruities he finds1 as he observes  
the  outlines of each fragment1 that all
 fit well together and form one         
consistent whole4 ,that is exactly what 
happened to me1 and is what ,i  wish to 
relate4 ,i wish to tell how ,i found the
 key to the true meaning  of the        
doctrine of ,jesus1 and how by this     
meaning doubt was absolutely  driven    
from my soul4 ,the discovery came about 
in this way4    ,from my childhood1 from
 the time ,i first began to read the    
,new  ,testament1 ,i was touched most of

 all by that portion of the doctrine of 
,jesus which inculcates love1 humility1 
self-denial1 and the duty of  returning 
good for evil4 ,this1 to me1 has always 
been the substance of  ,christianity2 my
 heart recognized its truth in spite of 
scepticism and  despair1 and for this   
reason ,i submitted to a religion       
professed by a  multitude of toilers1   
who find in it the solution of          
life1--the religion  taught by the      
,orthodox ,church4 ,but in making my    
submission to the  ,church1 ,i soon saw 
that ,i should not find in its creed the
 confirmation  of the essence of        
,christianity2 what was to me essential 
seemed to be in  the dogma of the       
,church merely an accessory4 ,what was  
to me the most  important of the        
teachings of ,jesus was not so regarded 
by the ,church4  ,no doubt 7,i thought7 
the ,church sees in ,christianity1 aside
 from its  inner meaning of love1       
humility1 and self-denial1 an outer1    
dogmatic  meaning1 which1 however       

strange and even repulsive to me1 is not
 in  itself evil or pernicious4 ,but the
 further ,i went on in submission to    
the doctrine of the ,church1 the more   
clearly ,i saw in this particular  point
 something of greater importance than ,i
 had at first realized4 ,what  ,i found 
most repulsive in the doctrine of the   
,church was the strangeness  of its     
dogmas and the approval1 nay1 the       
support1 which it gave to  persecutions1
 to the death penalty1 to wars stirred  
up by the  intolerance common to all    
sects2 but my faith was chiefly         
shattered by  the indifference of the   
,church to what seemed to me essential  
in the  teachings of ,jesus1 and its    
partiality for what seemed to me of     
secondary importance4 ,i felt that      
something was wrong2 but ,i could not   
see where the fault lay1 because the    
doctrine of the ,church did not deny    
what seemed to me essential in the      
doctrine of ,jesus2 this essential was  
fully recognized1 yet in such a way as  

not to give it the first place4 ,i      
could not accuse the ,church of denying 
the essence of the doctrine of  ,jesus1 
but it was recognized in a way which did
 not satisfy me4 ,the  ,church did not  
give me what ,i expected from her4 ,i   
had passed from  nihilism to the ,church
 simply because ,i felt it to be        
impossible to live  without religion1   
that is1 without a knowledge of good and
 evil aside  from animal instincts4 ,i  
hoped to find this knowledge in         
,christianity2  but ,christianity ,i    
then saw only as a vague spiritual      
tendency1 from  which it was impossible 
to deduce any clear and peremptory rules
 for the  guidance of life4 ,these ,i   
sought and these ,i demanded of the     
,church4 ,the  ,church offered me rules 
wherein ,i not only sought in vain the  
practice  of the ,christian life so dear
 to me1 but which drove me still further
  away4 ,i could not become a disciple  
of the ,church4 ,an existence based     
upon ,christian truth was to me         

indispensable1 and the ,church only     
offered me rules completely at variance 
with the truth that ,i loved4 ,the      
rules of the ,church touching articles  
of faith1 dogmas1 the observance  of the
 sacrament1 fasts1 prayers1 were not    
necessary to me1 and did not  seem to be
 based on ,christian truth4 ,moreover1  
the rules of the ,church  weakened and  
sometimes destroyed the ,christian      
disposition of soul which  alone gave   
meaning to my life4    ,i was troubled  
most that the miseries of humanity1 the 
habit of judging  one another1 of       
passing judgment upon nations and       
religions1 and the  wars and massacres  
which resulted in consequence1 all went 
on with the  approbation of the ,church4
 ,the doctrine of ,jesus1--judge not1 be
 humble1  forgive offences1 deny self1  
love1--this doctrine was extolled by the
  ,church in words1 but at the same time
 the ,church approved what was          
incompatible with the doctrine4 ,was it 
possible that the doctrine of  ,jesus   

admitted of such contradiction8 ,i could
 not believe so4    ,another astonishing
 thing about the ,church was that the   
passages upon  which it based           
affirmation of its dogmas were those    
which were most  obscure4 ,on the other 
hand1 the passages from which came the  
moral laws  were the most clear and     
precise4 ,and yet the dogmas and the    
duties  depending upon them were        
definitely formulated by the ,church1   
while the  recommendation to obey the   
moral law was put in the most vague and 
mystical terms4 ,was this the intention 
of ,jesus8 ,the ,gospels alone could    
dissipate my doubts4 ,i read them once  
and again4    ,of all the other portions
 of the ,gospels1 the ,sermon on the    
,mount always  had for me an exceptional
 importance4 ,i now read it more        
frequently than  ever4 ,nowhere does    
,jesus speak with greater solemnity1    
nowhere does he  propound moral rules   
more definitely and practically1 nor do 
these rules  in any other form awaken   

more readily an echo in the human heart2
  nowhere else does he address himself  
to a larger multitude of the common     
people4 ,if there are any clear and     
precise ,christian principles1 one      
ought to find them here4 ,i therefore   
sought the solution of my doubts in     
,matthew v41 vi41 and vii41 comprising  
the ,sermon on the ,mount4 ,these       
chapters ,i read very often1 each time  
with the same emotional ardor1 as  ,i   
came to the verses which exhort the     
hearer to turn the other cheek1 to  give
 up his cloak1 to be at peace with all  
the world1 to love his  enemies1--but   
each time with the same disappointment4 
,the divine words  were not clear4 ,they
 exhorted to a renunciation so absolute 
as to  entirely stifle life as ,i       
understood it2 to renounce everything1  
therefore1 could not1 it seemed to me1  
be essential to salvation4 ,and  the    
moment this ceased to be an absolute    
condition1 clearness and  precision were
 at an end4    ,i read not only the     

,sermon on the ,mount2 ,i read all the  
,gospels and all  the theological       
commentaries on the ,gospels4 ,i was not
 satisfied with  the declarations of the
 theologians that the ,sermon on the    
,mount was  only an indication of the   
degree of perfection to which man should
  aspire2 that man1 weighed down by sin1
 could not reach such an ideal2  and    
that the salvation of humanity was in   
faith and prayer and grace4 ,i  could   
not admit the truth of these            
propositions4 ,it seemed to me a        
strange thing that ,jesus should        
propound rules so clear and admirable1  
addressed to the understanding of every 
one1 and still realize man's  inability 
to carry his doctrine into practice4    
,then as ,i read these maxims ,i was    
permeated with the joyous assurance     
that ,i might that very hour1 that very 
moment1 begin to practise them4  ,the   
burning desire ,i felt led me to the    
attempt1 but the doctrine of the        
,church rang in my ears1--,man is weak1 

and to this he cannot  attain2--my      
strength soon failed4 ,on every side ,i 
heard1 ,you must  believe and pray2 but 
my wavering faith impeded prayer4 ,again
 ,i heard1  ,you must pray1 and ,god    
will give you faith2 this faith will    
inspire  prayer1 which in turn will     
invoke faith that will inspire more     
prayer1  and so on1 indefinitely4       
,reason and experience alike convinced  
me that  such methods were useless4 ,it 
seemed to me that the only true way was 
for me to try to follow the doctrine of 
,jesus4    ,and so1 after all this      
fruitless search and careful meditation 
over all  that had been written for and 
against the divinity of the doctrine of 
,jesus1 after all this doubt and        
suffering1 ,i came back face to face    
with  the mysterious ,gospel message4 ,i
 could not find the meanings that others
  found1 neither could ,i discover what 
,i sought4 ,it was only after ,i had    
rejected the interpretations of the wise
 critics and theologians1  according to 

the words of ,jesus1 ,except ye444      
become as little  children1 ye shall not
 enter into the kingdom of heaven       
7,matt4 xviii4  #c71--;it was only then 
that ,i suddenly understood what had    
been so  meaningless before4 ,i         
understood1 not through exegetical      
fantasies or  profound and ingenious    
textual combinations2 ,i understood     
everything1  because ,i put all         
commentaries out of my mind4 ,this was  
the passage that  gave me the key to the
 whole3--    ,ye have heard that it hath
 been said1 ,an eye for an eye1 and a   
tooth  for a tooth3 ,but ,i say unto    
you1 ,that ye resist not evil4 7,matt4  
v4  #ch1 #ci47    ,one day the exact and
 simple meaning of these words came to  
me2 ,i  understood that ,jesus meant    
neither more nor less than what he said4
  ,what ,i saw was nothing new2 only the
 veil that had hidden the truth from  me
 fell away1 and the truth was revealed  
in all its grandeur4    ,ye have heard  
that it hath been said1 ,an eye for an  

eye1 and a tooth  for a tooth3 ,but ,i  
say unto you1 ,that ye resist not evil4 
,these words suddenly appeared to me as 
if ,i had never read them before4       
,always before1 when ,i had read this   
passage1 ,i had1 singularly enough1     
allowed certain words to escape me1 ,but
 ,i say unto you1 that ye resist  not   
evil4 ,to me it had always been as if   
the words just quoted had  never        
existed1 or had never possessed a       
definite meaning4 ,later on1 as ,i      
talked with many ,christians familiar   
with the ,gospel1 ,i noticed  frequently
 the same blindness with regard to these
 words4 ,no one  remembered them1 and   
often in speaking of this passage1      
,christians took  up the ,gospel to see 
for themselves if the words were really 
there4  ,through a similar neglect of   
these words ,i had failed to understand 
the  words that follow3--    ,but       
whosoever shall smite thee on thy right 
cheek1 turn to him the  other also1 etc4
 7,matt4 v4 #ci1 et seq47    ,always    

these words had seemed to me to demand  
long-suffering and  privation contrary  
to human nature4 ,they touched me2 ,i   
felt that it  would be noble to follow  
them1 but ,i also felt that ,i had not  
the  strength to put them into practice4
 ,i said to myself1 ,if ,i turn the     
other cheek1 ,i shall get another blow2 
if ,i give1 all that ,i have will  be   
taken away4 ,life would be an           
impossibility4 ,since life is given to  
me1 why should ,i deprive myself of it8 
,jesus cannot demand as much as  that4  
,thus ,i reasoned1 persuaded that       
,jesus1 in exalting long-suffering  and 
privation1 made use of exaggerated terms
 lacking in clearness and  precision2   
but when ,i understood the words ,resist
 not evil1 ,i saw  that ,jesus did not  
exaggerate1 that he did not demand      
suffering for  suffering1 but that he   
had formulated with great clearness and 
precision  exactly what he wished to    
say4    ,resist not evil1 knowing that  
you will meet with those who1 when  they

 have struck you on one cheek and met   
with no resistance1 will  strike you on 
the other2 who1 having taken away your  
coat1 will take  away your cloak also2  
who1 having profited by your labor1 will
 force you  to labor still more without 
reward4 ,and yet1 though all this should
  happen to you1 ,resist not evil2 do   
good to them that injure you4  ,when ,i 
understood these words as they are      
written1 all that had been  obscure     
became clear to me1 and what had seemed 
exaggerated ,i saw to be  perfectly     
reasonable4 ,for the first time ,i      
grasped the pivotal idea in  the words  
,resist not evil2 ,i saw that what      
followed was only a  development of this
 command2 ,i saw that ,jesus did not    
exhort us to turn  the other cheek that 
we might endure suffering1 but that his 
exhortation  was1 ,resist not evil1 and 
that he afterward declared suffering to 
be  the possible consequence of the     
practice of this maxim4    ,a father1   
when his son is about to set out on a   

far journey1 commands  him not to tarry 
by the way2 he does not tell him to pass
 his nights  without shelter1 to deprive
 himself of food1 to expose himself to  
rain  and cold4 ,he says1 ,go thy way1  
and tarry not1 though thou should'st be 
wet or cold4 ,so ,jesus does not say1   
,turn the other cheek and suffer4  ,he  
says1 ,resist not evil2 no matter what  
happens1 ,resist not4    ,these words1  
,resist not evil1 when ,i understood    
their significance1  were to me the key 
that opened all the rest4 ,then ,i was  
astonished that  ,i had failed to       
comprehend words so clear and precise4  
,ye have heard that it hath been said1  
,an eye for an eye1 and a tooth  for a  
tooth3 ,but ,i say unto you1 ,that ye   
resist not evil4    ,whatever injury the
 evil-disposed may inflict upon you1    
bear it1 give  all that you have1 but   
resist not4 ,could anything be more     
clear1 more  definite1 more intelligible
 than that8 ,i had only to grasp the    
simple  and exact meaning of these      

words1 just as they were spoken1 when   
the  whole doctrine of ,jesus1 not only 
as set forth in the ,sermon on the      
,mount1 but in the entire ,gospels1     
became clear to me2 what had seemed     
contradictory was now in harmony2 above 
all1 what had seemed superfluous  was   
now indispensable4 ,each portion fell   
into harmonious unison and  filled its  
proper part1 like the fragments of a    
broken statue when  adjusted in harmony 
with the sculptor's design4 ,in the     
,sermon on the  ,mount1 as well as      
throughout the whole ,gospel1 ,i found  
everywhere  affirmation of the same     
doctrine1 ,resist not evil4    ,in the  
,sermon on the ,mount1 as well as in    
many other places1 ,jesus  represents   
his disciples1 those who observe the    
rule of non-resistance  to evil1 as     
turning the other cheek1 giving up their
 cloaks1 persecuted1  used despitefully1
 and in want4 ,everywhere ,jesus says   
that he who taketh  not up his cross1 he
 who does not renounce worldly          

advantage1 he who is  not ready to bear 
all the consequences of the commandment1
 ,resist not  evil1 cannot become his   
disciple4    ,to his disciples ,jesus   
says1 ,choose to be poor2 bear all      
things without  resistance to evil1 even
 though you thereby bring upon yourself 
persecution1 suffering1 and death4      
,prepared to suffer death rather than   
resist evil1 he reproved the  resentment
 of ,peter1 and died exhorting his      
followers not to resist and  to remain  
always faithful to his doctrine4 ,the   
early disciples observed  this rule1 and
 passed their lives in misery and       
persecution1 without  rendering evil for
 evil4    ,it seems1 then1 that ,jesus  
meant precisely what he said4 ,we may   
declare  the practice of such a rule to 
be very difficult2 we may deny that he  
who follows it will find happiness2 we  
may say with the unbelievers that       
,jesus was a dreamer1 an idealist who   
propounded impracticable maxims2  but it
 is impossible not to admit that he     

expressed in a manner at once  clear and
 precise what he wished to say2 that is1
 that according to his  doctrine a man  
must not resist evil1 and1 consequently1
 that whoever  adopts his doctrine will 
not resist evil4 ,and yet neither       
believers nor  unbelievers will admit   
this simple and clear interpretation of 
,jesus'  words4          ,,chapter ,,ii4
      ,,when ,i apprehended clearly the 
words ,resist not evil1 my conception   
of the doctrine of ,jesus was entirely  
changed2 and ,i was astounded1 not  that
 ,i had failed to understand it before1 
but that ,i had misunderstood  it so    
strangely4 ,i knew1 as we all know1 that
 the true significance of  the doctrine 
of ,jesus was comprised in the          
injunction to love one's  neighbor4     
,when we say1 ,turn the other cheek1    
,love your enemies1  we express the very
 essence of ,christianity4 ,i knew all  
that from my  childhood2 but why had ,i 
failed to understand aright these simple
 words8  ,why had ,i always sought for  

some ulterior meaning8 ,resist not evil 
means1 never resist1 never oppose       
violence2 or1 in other words1 never do  
anything contrary to the law of love4   
,if any one takes advantage of this     
disposition and affronts you1 bear the  
affront1 and do not1 above all1  have   
recourse to violence4 ,this ,jesus said 
in words so clear and simple  that it   
would be impossible to express the idea 
more clearly4 ,how was it  then1 that   
believing or trying to believe these to 
be the words of ,god1  ,i still         
maintained the impossibility of obeying 
them8 ,if my master says  to me1 ,go2   
cut some wood1 and ,i reply1 ,it is     
beyond my strength1 ,i  say one of two  
things3 either ,i do not believe what my
 master says1 or ,i  do not wish to obey
 his commands4 ,should ,i then say of   
,god's  commandment that ,i could not   
obey it without the aid of a            
supernatural  power8 ,should ,i say this
 without having made the slightest      
effort of my  own to obey8 ,we are told 

that ,god descended to earth to save    
mankind2  that salvation was secured by 
the second person of the ,trinity1 who  
suffered for men1 thereby redeeming them
 from sin1 and gave them the  ,church as
 the shrine for the transmission of     
grace to all believers2 but  aside from 
this1 the ,saviour gave to men a        
doctrine and the example of  his own    
life for their salvation4 ,how1 then1   
could ,i say that the rules  of life    
which ,jesus has formulated so clearly  
and simply for every  one--how could ,i 
say that these rules were difficult to  
obey1 that it  was impossible to obey   
them without the assistance of a        
supernatural  power8 ,jesus saw no such 
impossibility2 he distinctly declared   
that  those who did not obey could not  
enter into the kingdom of ,god4 ,nowhere
  did he say that obedience would be    
difficult2 on the contrary1 he said  in 
so many words1 ,my yoke is easy and my  
burden is light 7,matt4 xi4  #cj74 ,and 
,john1 the evangelist1 says1 ,his       

commandments are not  grievous 7#a ,john
 v4 #c74 ,since ,god declared the       
practice of his law to  be easy1 and    
himself practised it in human form1 as  
did also his  disciples1 how dared ,i   
speak of the impossibility of obedience 
without  the aid of a supernatural      
power8    ,if one bent all his energies 
to overthrow any law1 what could he say 
of  greater force than that the law was 
essentially impracticable1 and that  the
 maker of the law knew it to be         
impracticable and unattainable  without 
the aid of a supernatural power8 ,yet   
that is exactly what ,i had  been       
thinking of the command1 ,resist not    
evil4 ,i endeavored to find  out how it 
was that ,i got the idea that ,jesus'   
law was divine1 but that  it could not  
be obeyed2 and as ,i reviewed my past   
history1 ,i perceived  that the idea had
 not been communicated to me in all its 
crudeness 7it  would then have been     
revolting to me71 but insensibly ,i had 
been imbued  with it from childhood1 and

 all my after life had only confirmed me
 in  error4    ,from my childhood ,i had
 been taught that ,jesus was ,god1 and  
that his  doctrine was divine1 but at   
the same time ,i was taught to respect  
as  sacred the institutions which       
protected me from violence and evil4 ,i 
was  taught to resist evil1 that it was 
humiliating to submit to evil1 and  that
 resistance to it was praiseworthy4 ,i  
was taught to judge1 and to  inflict    
punishment4 ,then ,i was taught the     
soldier's trade1 that is1 to  resist    
evil by homicide2 the army to which ,i  
belonged was called ,the  ,christophile 
,army1 and it was sent forth with a     
,christian benediction4  ,from infancy  
to manhood ,i learned to venerate things
 that were in direct  contradiction to  
the law of ,jesus1--to meet an aggressor
 with his own  weapons1 to avenge myself
 by violence for all offences against my
  person1 my family1 or my race4 ,not   
only was ,i not blamed for this2 ,i     
learned to regard it as not at all      

contrary to the law of ,jesus4 ,all     
that surrounded me1 my personal security
 and that of my family and my           
property--depended then upon a law which
 ,jesus reproved1--the law of a  tooth  
for a tooth4 ,my spiritual instructors  
taught me that the law of  ,jesus was   
divine1 but1 because of human weakness1 
impossible of  practice1 and that the   
grace of ,jesus ,christ alone could aid 
us to  follow its precepts4 ,and this   
instruction agreed with what ,i received
 in  secular institutions and from the  
social organization about me4 ,i was so 
thoroughly possessed with this idea of  
the impracticability of the  divine     
doctrine1 and it harmonized so well with
 my desires1 that not  till the time of 
awakening did ,i realize its falsity4 ,i
 did not see how  impossible it was to  
confess ,jesus and his doctrine1 ,resist
 not  evil1 and at the same time        
deliberately assist in the organization 
of  property1 of tribunals1 of          
governments1 of armies2 to contribute to

 the  establishment of a polity entirely
 contrary to the doctrine of ,jesus1    
and at the same time pray to ,jesus to  
help us to obey his commands1 to        
forgive our sins1 and to aid us that we 
resist not evil4 ,i did not see1  what  
is very clear to me now1 how much more  
simple it would be to  organize a method
 of living conformable to the law of    
,jesus1 and then to  pray for tribunals1
 and massacres1 and wars1 and all other 
things  indispensable to our happiness4 
,thus ,i came to understand the source  
of error into which ,i had fallen4 ,i   
had confessed ,jesus with my lips1 but  
my heart was still far from him4  ,the  
command1 ,resist not evil1 is the       
central point of ,jesus'  doctrine2 it  
is not a mere verbal affirmation2 it is 
a rule whose  practice is obligatory4   
,it is verily the key to the whole      
mystery2 but  the key must be thrust to 
the bottom of the lock4 ,when we regard 
it as a  command impossible of          
performance1 the value of the entire    

doctrine is  lost4 ,why should not a    
doctrine seem impracticable1 when we    
have  suppressed its fundamental        
proposition8 ,it is not strange that    
unbelievers look upon it as totally     
absurd4 ,when we declare that one may   
be a ,christian without observing the   
commandment1 ,resist not evil1  we      
simply leave out the connecting link    
which transmits the force of the        
doctrine of ,jesus into action4    ,some
 time ago ,i was reading in ,hebrew1 the
 fifth chapter of ,matthew with  a      
,jewish rabbi4 ,at nearly every verse   
the rabbi said1 ,this is in the  ,bible1
 or ,this is in the ,talmud1 and he     
showed me in the ,bible and in  the     
,talmud sentences very like the         
declarations of the ,sermon on the      
,mount4 ,when we reached the words1     
,resist not evil1 the rabbi did not     
say1 ,this is in the ,talmud1 but he    
asked me1 with a smile1 ,do the         
,christians obey this command8 ,do they 
turn the other cheek8 ,i had  nothing to

 say in reply1 especially as at that    
particular time1  ,christians1 far from 
turning the other cheek1 were smiting   
the ,jews upon  both cheeks4 ,i asked   
him if there were anything similar in   
the ,bible or  in the ,talmud4 ,no1 he  
replied1 there is nothing like it2 but  
tell me1  do the ,christians obey this  
law8 ,it was only another way of saying 
that  the presence in the ,christian    
doctrine of a commandment which no one  
observed1 and which ,christians         
themselves regarded as impracticable1 is
  simply an avowal of the foolishness   
and nullity of that law4 ,i could say   
nothing in reply to the rabbi4    ,now  
that ,i understand the exact meaning of 
the doctrine1 ,i see clearly  the       
strangely contradictory position in     
which ,i was placed4 ,having  recognized
 the divinity of ,jesus and of his      
doctrine1 and having at the  same time  
organized a life wholly contrary to that
 doctrine1 what  remained for me but to 
look upon the doctrine as impracticable8

 ,in words  ,i had recognized the       
doctrine of ,jesus as sacred2 in        
actions1 ,i had  professed a doctrine   
not at all ,christian1 and ,i had       
recognized and  reverenced the          
anti-,christian customs which hampered  
my life upon every  side4 ,the          
persistent message of the ,old          
,testament is that misfortunes  came    
upon the ,hebrew people because they    
believed in false gods and  denied      
,jehovah4 ,samuel 7,i4 viii4-xii47      
accuses the people of adding to  their  
other apostasies the choice of a man1   
upon whom they depended for  deliverance
 instead of upon ,jehovah1 who was their
 true ,king4 ,turn not  aside after     
tohu1 after vain things1 ,samuel says to
 the people 7,i4  xii4 #ba72 turn not   
aside after vain things1 which cannot   
profit nor  deliver2 for they are tohu1 
are vain4 ,fear ,jehovah and serve      
him4444  ,but if ye shall still do      
wickedly1 ye shall be consumed1 both ye 
and  your king 7,i4 xii4 #bd1 #be74 ,and

 so with me1 faith in tohu1 in vain     
things1 in empty idols1 had concealed   
the truth from me4 ,across the  path    
which led to the truth1 tohu1 the idol  
of vain things1 rose  before me1 cutting
 off the light1 and ,i had not the      
strength to beat it  down4    ,on a     
certain day1 at this time1 ,i was       
walking in ,moscow towards the          
,borovitzky ,gate1 where was stationed  
an old lame beggar1 with a dirty  cloth 
wrapped about his head4 ,i took out my  
purse to bestow an alms2 but  at the    
same moment ,i saw a young soldier      
emerging from the ,kremlin at a  rapid  
pace1 head well up1 red of face1 wearing
 the ,state insignia of  military       
dignity4 ,the beggar1 on perceiving the 
soldier1 arose in fear1  and ran with   
all his might towards the ,alexander    
,garden4 ,the soldier1  after a vain    
attempt to come up with the fugitive1   
stopped1 shouting  forth an imprecation 
upon the poor wretch who had established
 himself  under the gateway contrary to 

regulations4 ,i waited for the soldier4 
,when he approached me1 ,i asked him if 
he knew how to read4    ,yes2 why do you
 ask8    ,have you read the ,new        
,testament8    ,yes4    ,and do you     
remember the words1 ',if thine enemy    
hunger1 feed him444'8    ,i repeated the
 passage4 ,he remembered it1 and heard  
me to the end4 ,i saw  that he was      
uneasy4 ,two passers-by stopped and     
listened4 ,the soldier  seemed to be    
troubled that he should be condemned for
 doing his duty in  driving persons away
 from a place where they had been       
forbidden to  linger4 ,he thought       
himself at fault1 and sought for an     
excuse4 ,suddenly  his eye brightened2  
he looked at me over his shoulder1 as if
 he were  about to move away4    ,and   
the military regulation1 do you know    
anything about that8 he  demanded4      
,no1 ,i said4    ,in that case1 you have
 nothing to say to me1 he retorted1 with
 a  triumphant wag of the head1 and     
elevating his plume once more1 he       

marched away to his post4 ,he was the   
only man that ,i ever met who had       
solved1 with an inflexible logic1 the   
question which eternally  confronted me 
in social relations1 and which rises    
continually before  every man who calls 
himself a ,christian4          ,,chapter
 ,,iii4      ,,we are wrong when we say 
that the ,christian doctrine is         
concerned only  with the salvation of   
the individual1 and has nothing to do   
with  questions of ,state4 ,such an     
assertion is simply a bold affirmation  
of an  untruth1 which1 when we examine  
it seriously1 falls of itself to the    
ground4 ,it is well 7so ,i said72 ,i    
will resist not evil2 ,i will turn the  
other cheek in private life2 but hither 
comes the enemy1 or here is an          
oppressed nation1 and ,i am called upon 
to do my part in the struggle  against  
evil1 to go forth and kill4 ,i must     
decide the question1 to serve  ,god or  
tohu1 to go to war or not to go4        
,perhaps ,i am a peasant2 ,i am         

appointed mayor of a village1 a judge1 a
 juryman2 ,i am obliged to take  the    
oath of office1 to judge1 to condemn4   
,what ought ,i to do8 ,again ,i  must   
choose between the divine law and the   
human law4 ,perhaps ,i am a  monk living
 in a monastery2 the neighboring        
peasants trespass upon our  pasturage1  
and ,i am appointed to resist evil1 to  
plead for justice  against the          
wrong-doers4 ,again ,i must choose4 ,it 
is a dilemma from which  no man can     
escape4    ,i do not speak of those     
whose entire lives are passed in        
resisting evil1  as military            
authorities1 judges1 or governors4 ,no  
one is so obscure that  he is not       
obliged to choose between the service of
 ,god and the service  of tohu1 in his  
relation to the ,state4 ,my very        
existence1 entangled  with that of the  
,state and the social existence         
organized by the ,state1  exacts from me
 an anti-,christian activity directly   
contrary to the  commandments of ,jesus4

 ,in fact1 with conscription and        
compulsory jury  service1 this pitiless 
dilemma arises before every one4 ,every 
one is  forced to take up murderous     
weapons2 and even if he does not get as 
far  as murder1 his weapons must be     
ready1 his carbine loaded1 and his sword
  keen of edge1 that he may declare     
himself ready for murder4 ,every one is 
forced into the service of the courts to
 take part in meting out  judgment and  
sentence2 that is1 to deny the          
commandment of ,jesus1  ,resist not     
evil1 in acts as well as in words4      
,the soldier's problem1 the ,gospel or  
military regulations1 divine law or     
human law1 is before mankind to-day as  
it was in the time of ,samuel4 ,it  was 
forced upon ,jesus and upon his         
disciples2 it is forced in these  times 
upon all who would be ,christians2 and  
it was forced upon me4    ,the law of   
,jesus1 with its doctrine of love1      
humility1 and self-denial1  touched my  
heart more deeply than ever before4 ,but

 everywhere1 in the  annals of history1 
in the events that were going on about  
me1 in my  individual life1 ,i saw the  
law opposed in a manner revolting to    
sentiment1 conscience1 and reason1 and  
encouraging to brute instincts4 ,i  felt
 that if ,i adopted the law of ,jesus1  
,i should be alone2 ,i should  pass many
 unhappy hours2 ,i should be persecuted 
and afflicted as ,jesus  had said4 ,but 
if ,i adopted the human law1 everybody  
would approve2 ,i  should be in peace   
and safety1 with all the resources of   
civilization at  my command to put my   
conscience at ease4 ,as ,jesus said1 ,i 
should laugh  and be glad4 ,i felt all  
this1 and so ,i did not analyze the     
meaning of  the doctrine of ,jesus1 but 
sought to understand it in such a way   
that it  might not interfere with my    
life as an animal4 ,that is1 ,i did not 
wish  to understand it at all4 ,this    
determination not to understand led me  
into delusions which now astound me4 ,as
 an instance in point1 let me  explain  

my former understanding of these        
words3--    ,judge not1 that ye be not  
judged4 7,matt4 vii4 #a47    ,judge not1
 and ye shall not be judged2 condemn    
not1 and ye shall not  be condemned4    
7,luke vi4 #cg47    ,the courts in which
 ,i served1 and which insured the safety
 of my  property and my person1 seemed  
to be institutions so indubitably sacred
  and so entirely in accord with the    
divine law1 it had never entered into   
my head that the words ,i have quoted   
could have any other meaning than  an   
injunction not to speak ill of one's    
neighbor4 ,it never occurred to  me that
 ,jesus spoke in these words of the     
courts of human law and  justice4 ,it   
was only when ,i understood the true    
meaning of the words1  ,resist not evil1
 that the question arose as to ,jesus'  
advice with  regard to tribunals4 ,when 
,i understood that ,jesus would denounce
 them1 ,i  asked myself1 ,is not this   
the real meaning3 ,not only do not judge
 your  neighbor1 do not speak ill of    

him1 but do not judge him in the courts1
  do not judge him in any of the        
tribunals that you have instituted8 ,now
  in ,luke 7vi4 #cg-di7 these words     
follow immediately the doctrine that    
exhorts us to resist not evil and to do 
good to our enemies4 ,and after  the    
injunction1 ,be ye therefore merciful1  
as your ,father also is  merciful1      
,jesus says1 ,judge not1 and ye shall   
not be judged2 condemn  not1 and ye     
shall not be condemned4 ,judge not2 does
 not this mean1  ,institute no tribunals
 for the judgment of your neighbor8 ,i  
had only to  bring this boldly before   
myself when heart and reason united in  
an  affirmative reply4    ,to show how  
far ,i was before from the true         
interpretation1 ,i shall  confess a     
foolish pleasantry for which ,i still   
blush4 ,when ,i was reading  the ,new   
,testament as a divine book at the time 
that ,i had become a  believer1 ,i was  
in the habit of saying to my friends who
 were judges or  attorneys1 ,and you    

still judge1 although it is said1       
',judge not1 and ye  shall not be       
judged'8 ,i was so sure that these words
 could have no  other meaning than a    
condemnation of evil-speaking that ,i   
did not  comprehend the horrible        
blasphemy which ,i thus committed4 ,i   
was so  thoroughly convinced that these 
words did not mean what they did mean1  
that ,i quoted them in their true sense 
in the form of a pleasantry4    ,i shall
 relate in detail how it was that all   
doubt with regard to the  true meaning  
of these words was effaced from my mind1
 and how ,i saw  their purport to be    
that ,jesus denounced the institution of
 all human  tribunals1 of whatever sort2
 that he meant to say so1 and could not 
have  expressed himself otherwise4 ,when
 ,i understood the command1 ,resist  not
 evil1 in its proper sense1 the first   
thing that occurred to me was  that     
tribunals1 instead of conforming to this
 law1 were directly opposed  to it1 and 
indeed to the entire doctrine2 and      

therefore that if ,jesus  had thought of
 tribunals at all1 he would have        
condemned them4    ,jesus said1 ,resist 
not evil2 the sole aim of tribunals is  
to resist  evil4 ,jesus exhorted us to  
return good for evil2 tribunals return  
evil  for evil4 ,jesus said that we were
 to make no distinction between those   
who do good and those who do evil2      
tribunals do nothing else4 ,jesus  said1
 ,forgive1 forgive not once or seven    
times1 but without limit2 love  your    
enemies1 do good to them that hate      
you--but tribunals do not  forgive1 they
 punish2 they return not good but evil  
to those whom they  regard as the       
enemies of society4 ,it would seem1     
then1 that ,jesus  denounced judicial   
institutions4 ,perhaps 7,i said7 ,jesus 
never had  anything to do with courts of
 justice1 and so did not think of them4 
,but  ,i saw that such a theory was not 
tenable4 ,jesus1 from his childhood to  
his death1 was concerned with the       
tribunals of ,herod1 of the ,sanhedrim1 

and of the ,high ,priests4 ,i saw that  
,jesus must have regarded courts of     
justice as wrong4 ,he told his disciples
 that they would be dragged  before the 
judges1 and gave them advice as to how  
they should comport  themselves4 ,he    
said of himself that he should be       
condemned by a  tribunal1 and he showed 
what the attitude toward judges ought to
 be4  ,jesus1 then1 must have thought of
 the judicial institutions which        
condemned him and his disciples2 which  
have condemned and continue to  condemn 
millions of men4    ,jesus saw the wrong
 and faced it4 ,when the sentence       
against the woman  taken in adultery was
 about to be carried into execution1 he 
absolutely  denied the possibility of   
human justice1 and demonstrated that man
 could  not be the judge since man      
himself was guilty4 ,and this idea he   
has  propounded many times1 as where it 
is declared that one with a beam in  his
 eye cannot see the mote in another's   
eye1 or that the blind cannot  lead the 

blind4 ,he even pointed out the         
consequences of such                    
misconceptions1--the disciple would be  
above his ,master4    ,perhaps1 however1
 after having denounced the incompetency
 of human  justice as displayed in the  
case of the woman taken in adultery1 or 
illustrated in the parable of the mote  
and the beam2 perhaps1 after all1       
,jesus would admit of an appeal to the  
justice of men where it was  necessary  
for protection against evil2 but ,i soon
 saw that this was  inadmissible4 ,in   
the ,sermon on the ,mount1 he says1     
addressing the  multitude1    ,and if   
any man will sue thee at the law1 and   
take away thy coat1 let  him have thy   
cloak also4 7,matt4 v4 #dj47    ,once   
more1 perhaps ,jesus spoke only of the  
personal bearing which a man  should    
have when brought before judicial       
institutions1 and did not  condemn      
justice1 but admitted the necessity in a
 ,christian society of  individuals who 
judge others in properly constituted    

forms4 ,but ,i saw  that this view was  
also inadmissible4 ,when he prayed1     
,jesus besought all  men1 without       
exception1 to forgive others1 that their
 own trespasses  might be forgiven4     
,this thought he often expresses4 ,he   
who brings his  gift to the altar with  
prayer must first grant forgiveness4    
,how1 then1  could a man judge and      
condemn when his religion commanded him 
to forgive  all trespasses1 without     
limit8 ,so ,i saw that according to the 
doctrine  of ,jesus no ,christian judge 
could pass sentence of condemnation4    
,but might not the relation between the 
words ,judge not1 and ye shall  not be  
judged and the preceding or subsequent  
passages permit us to  conclude that    
,jesus1 in saying ,judge not1 had no    
reference whatever  to judicial         
institutions8 ,no2 this could not be so2
 on the contrary1 it  is clear from the 
relation of the phrases that in saying  
,judge not1  ,jesus did actually speak  
of judicial institutions4 ,according to 

,matthew  and ,luke1 before saying      
,judge not1 condemn not1 his command was
 to  resist not evil4 ,and prior to     
this1 as ,matthew tells us1 he repeated 
the  ancient criminal law of the ,jews1 
,an eye for an eye1 and a tooth for a   
tooth4 ,then1 after this reference to   
the old criminal law1 he added1  ,but ,i
 say unto you1 ,that ye resist not evil2
 and1 after that1  ,judge not4 ,jesus   
did1 then1 refer directly to human      
criminal law1  and reproved it in the   
words1 ,judge not4 ,moreover1 according 
to  ,luke1 he not only said1 ,judge not1
 but also1 ,condemn not4 ,it  was not   
without a purpose that he added this    
almost synonymous word2 it  shows       
clearly what meaning should be          
attributed to the other4 ,if he had     
wished to say ,judge not your neighbor1 
he would have said neighbor2  but he    
added the words which are translated    
,condemn not1 and then  completed the   
sentence1 ,and ye shall not be          
condemned3 forgive1 and ye  shall be    

forgiven4 ,but some may still insist    
that ,jesus1 in expressing  himself in  
this way1 did not refer at all to the   
tribunals1 and that ,i  have read my own
 thoughts into his teachings4 ,let the  
apostles tell us  what they thought of  
courts of justice1 and if they          
recognized and  approved of them4 ,the  
apostle ,james says 7iv4 #aa1 #ab73--   
,speak not evil one of another1         
brethren4 ,he that speaketh evil of his 
brother1 and judgeth his brother1       
speaketh evil of the law1 and judgeth   
the law3 but if thou judge the law1 thou
 art not a doer of the law1 but  a      
judge4 ,there is one lawgiver1 who is   
able to save and to destroy3 who  art   
thou that judgest another8    ,the word 
translated speak evil is the verb       
,greek3 katalale1 which  means to speak 
against1 to accuse2 this is its true    
meaning1 as any  one may find out for   
himself by opening a dictionary4 ,in the
 translation  we read1 ,he that speaketh
 evil of his brother1 444 speaketh evil 

of  the law4 ,why so8 is the question   
that involuntarily arises4 ,i may  speak
 evil of my brother1 but ,i do not      
thereby speak evil of the law4  ,if1    
however1 ,i accuse my brother1 if ,i    
bring him to justice1 it is  plain that 
,i thereby accuse the law of ,jesus of  
insufficiency3 ,i accuse  and judge the 
law4 ,it is clear1 then1 that ,i do not 
practise the law1  but that ,i make     
myself a judge of the law4 ,not to      
judge1 but to save  is ,jesus'          
declaration4 ,how then shall ,i1 who    
cannot save1 become a judge  and punish8
 ,the entire passage refers to human    
justice1 and denies its  authority4 ,the
 whole epistle is permeated with the    
same idea4 ,in the  second chapter we   
read3--    ,for he shall have judgment  
without mercy1 that hath shewed no      
mercy2  and mercy is exalted above      
judgment4#b 7,jas4 ii4 #ac47         #b 
,count ,tolstoi's rendering4    7,the   
last phrase has been translated in such 
a way as to declare that  judgment is   

compatible with ,christianity1 but that 
it ought to be  merciful47    ,james    
exhorts his brethren to have no respect 
of persons4 ,if you have  respect of the
 condition of persons1 you are guilty of
 sin2 you are like  the untrustworthy   
judges of the tribunals4 ,you look upon 
the beggar as  the refuse of society1   
while it is the rich man who ought to be
 so  regarded4 ,he it is who oppresses  
you and draws you before the            
judgment-seats4 ,if you live according  
to the law of love for your  neighbor1  
according to the law of mercy 7which    
,james calls the law of  liberty1 to    
distinguish it from all others7--if you 
live according to  this law1 it is well4
 ,but if you have respect of persons1   
you transgress  the law of mercy4 ,then 
7doubtless thinking of the case of the  
woman  taken in adultery1 who1 when she 
was brought before ,jesus1 was about to 
be put to death according to the law71  
thinking1 no doubt1 of that case1       
,james says that he who inflicts death  

upon the adulterous woman would  himself
 be guilty of murder1 and thereby       
transgress the eternal law2 for  the    
same law forbids both adultery and      
murder4    ,so speak ye1 and so do1 as  
they that shall be judged by the law of 
liberty4 ,for he shall have judgment    
without mercy1 that hath shewed no      
mercy2 and mercy is exalted above       
judgment4 7,jas4 ii4 #ab1 #ac47         
,could the idea be expressed in terms   
more clear and precise8 ,respect of     
persons is forbidden1 as well as any    
judgment that shall classify  persons as
 good or bad2 human judgment is declared
 to be inevitably  defective1 and such  
judgment is denounced as criminal when  
it condemns  for crime2 judgment is     
blotted out by the eternal law1 the law 
of mercy4    ,i open the epistles of    
,paul1 who had been a victim of         
tribunals1 and in  the letter to the    
,romans ,i read the admonitions of the  
apostle for the  vices and errors of    
those to whom his words are addressed2  

among other  matters he speaks of courts
 of justice3--    ,who1 knowing the     
judgment of ,god1 that they which commit
 such things  are worthy of death1 not  
only do the same1 but have pleasure in  
them  that do them4 7,rom4 i4 #cb47     
,therefore thou art inexcusable1 ,o man1
 whosoever thou art that  judgest3 for  
wherein thou judgest another1 thou      
condemnest thyself2 for  thou that      
judgest doest the same things4 7,rom4   
ii4 #a47    ,or despisest thou the      
riches of his goodness and forbearance  
and  long-suffering2 not knowing that   
the goodness of ,god leadeth thee to    
repentance8 7,rom4 ii4 #d47    ,such was
 the opinion of the apostles with regard
 to tribunals1 and we  know that human  
justice was among the trials and        
sufferings that they  endured with      
steadfastness and resignation to the    
will of ,god4 ,when we  think of the    
situation of the early ,christians1     
surrounded by  unbelievers1 we can      
understand that a denial of the right to

 judge  persecuted ,christians before   
the tribunals was not considered4 ,the  
apostles spoke of it only incidentally  
as an evil1 and denied its  authority on
 every occasion4    ,i examined the     
teachings of the early ,fathers of the  
,church1 and found  them to agree in    
obliging no one to judge or to condemn1 
and in urging  all to bear the          
inflictions of justice4 ,the martyrs1 by
 their acts1  declared themselves to be 
of the same mind4 ,i saw that           
,christianity  before ,constantine      
regarded tribunals only as an evil which
 was to be  endured with patience2 but  
it never could have occurred to any     
early  ,christian that he could take    
part in the administration of the courts
 of  justice4 ,it is plain1 therefore1  
that ,jesus' words1 ,judge not1  condemn
 not1 were understood by his first      
disciples1 as they ought to  be         
understood now1 in their direct and     
literal meaning3 judge not in  courts of
 justice2 take no part in them4    ,all 

this seemed absolutely to corroborate my
 conviction that the words1  ,judge not1
 condemn not1 referred to the justice of
 tribunals4 ,yet  the meaning1 ,speak   
not evil of your neighbor1 is so firmly 
established1 and courts of justice      
flaunt their decrees with so much       
assurance and audacity in all ,christian
 societies1 with the support even  of   
the ,church1 that for a long time still 
,i doubted the wisdom of my             
interpretation4 ,if men have understood 
the words in this way 7,i  thought71 and
 have instituted ,christian tribunals1  
they must certainly  have some reason   
for so doing2 there must be a good      
reason for regarding  these words as a  
denunciation of evil-speaking1 and there
 is certainly a  basis of some sort for 
the institution of ,christian tribunals2
 perhaps1  after all1 ,i am in the      
wrong4    ,i turned to the ,church      
commentaries4 ,in all1 from the fifth   
century  onward1 ,i found the invariable
 interpretation to be1 ,accuse not your 

neighbor2 that is1 avoid evil-speaking4 
,as the words came to be  understood    
exclusively in this sense1 a difficulty 
arose1--,how to  refrain from judgment8 
,it being impossible not to condemn     
evil1 all the  commentators discussed   
the question1 ,what is blamable and what
 is not  blamable8 ,some1 such as       
,chrysostom and ,theophylact1 said that1
 as far  as servants of the ,church were
 concerned1 the phrase could not be     
construed as a prohibition of censure1  
since the apostles themselves  were     
censorious4 ,others said that ,jesus    
doubtless referred to the ,jews1  who   
accused their neighbors of shortcomings1
 and were themselves guilty  of great   
sins4    ,nowhere a word about human    
institutions1 about tribunals1 to show  
how  they were affected by the warning1 
,judge not4 ,did ,jesus sanction  courts
 of justice1 or did he not8 ,to this    
very natural question ,i found  no      
reply--as if it was evident that from   
the moment a ,christian took his  seat  

on the judge's bench he might not only  
judge his neighbor1 but  condemn him to 
death4    ,i turned to other writers1   
,greek1 ,catholic1 ,protestant1 to the  
,tbingen  school1 to the historical     
school4 ,everywhere1 even by the most   
liberal  commentators1 the words in     
question were interpreted as an         
injunction  against evil-speaking4      
,but why1 contrary to the spirit of the 
whole doctrine of ,jesus1 are  these    
words interpreted in so narrow a way as 
to exclude courts of  justice from the  
injunction1 ,judge not8 ,why the        
supposition that  ,jesus in forbidding  
the comparatively light offence of      
speaking evil of  one's neighbor did not
 forbid1 did not even consider1 the more
  deliberate judgment which results in  
punishment inflicted upon the           
condemned8 ,to all this ,i got no       
response2 not even an allusion to the   
least possibility that the words to     
judge could be used as referring  to a  
court of justice1 to the tribunals from 

whose punishments so many  millions have
 suffered4    ,moreover1 when the words1
 ,judge not1 condemn not1 are under     
discussion1 the cruelty of judging in   
courts of justice is passed over  in    
silence1 or else commended4 ,the        
commentators all declare that in        
,christian societies tribunals are      
necessary1 and in no way contrary to    
the law of ,jesus4    ,realizing this1  
,i began to doubt the sincerity of the  
commentators2 and  ,i did what ,i should
 have done in the first place2 ,i turned
 to the  textual translations of the    
words which we render to judge and to   
condemn4 ,in the original these words   
are ,greek3 krin and ,greek3  katadikaz4
 ,the defective translation in ,james of
 ,greek3 katalale1  which is rendered to
 speak evil1 strengthened my doubts as  
to the  correct translation of the      
others4 ,when ,i looked through         
different  versions of the ,gospels1 ,i 
found ,greek3 katadikaz rendered in the 
,vulgate by condemnare1 to condemn2 in  

the ,sclavonic text the  rendering is   
equivalent to that of the ,vulgate2     
,luther has verdammen1  to speak evil   
of4 ,these divergent renderings         
increased my doubts1 and  ,i was obliged
 to ask again the meaning of ,greek3    
krin1 as used by the  two evangelists1  
and of ,greek3 katadikaz1 as used by    
,luke who1  scholars tell us1 wrote very
 correct ,greek4    ,how would these    
words be translated by a man who knew   
nothing of the  evangelical creed1 and  
who had before him only the phrases in  
which they  are used8    ,consulting the
 dictionary1 ,i found that the word     
,greek3 krin had  several different     
meanings1 among the most used being to  
condemn in a  court of justice1 and even
 to condemn to death1 but in no instance
  did it signify to speak evil4 ,i      
consulted a dictionary of ,new          
,testament ,greek1 and found that was   
often used in the sense to condemn  in a
 court of justice1 sometimes in the     
sense to choose1 never as  meaning to   

speak evil4 ,from which ,i inferred that
 the word ,greek3  krin might be        
translated in different ways1 but that  
the rendering to  speak evil was the    
most forced and far-fetched4    ,i      
searched for the word ,greek3 katadikaz1
 which follows ,greek3  krin1 evidently 
to define more closely the sense in     
which the latter  is to be understood4  
,i looked for ,greek3 katadikaz in the  
dictionary1  and found that it had no   
other signification than to condemn in  
judgment1 or to judge worthy of death4  
,i found that the word was used  four   
times in the ,new ,testament1 each time 
in the sense to condemn  under sentence1
 to judge worthy of death4 ,in ,james   
7v4 #f7 we read1 ,ye  have condemned and
 killed the just4 ,the word rendered    
condemned is  this same ,greek3         
katadikaz1 and is used with reference to
 ,jesus1 who  was condemned to death by 
a court of justice4 ,the word is never  
used in  any other sense1 in the ,new   
,testament or in any other writing in   

the  ,greek language4    ,what1 then1   
are we to say to all this8 ,is my       
conclusion a foolish one8  ,is not every
 one who considers the fate of humanity 
filled with horror  at the sufferings   
inflicted upon mankind by the           
enforcement of criminal  codes1--a      
scourge to those who condemn as well as 
to the  condemned1--from the slaughters 
of ,genghis ,khan to those of the       
,french  ,revolution and the executions 
of our own times8 ,he would indeed be   
without compassion who could refrain    
from feeling horror and repulsion1  not 
only at the sight of human beings thus  
treated by their kind1 but at  the      
simple recital of death inflicted by the
 knout1 the guillotine1 or  the gibbet4 
,the ,gospel1 of which every word is    
sacred to you1 declares distinctly  and 
without equivocation3 ,you have from of 
old a criminal law1 ,an eye  for an eye1
 a tooth for a tooth2 but a new law is  
given you1 ,that you  resist not evil4  
,obey this law2 render not evil for     

evil1 but do good to  every one1 forgive
 every one1 under all circumstances4    
,further on comes  the injunction1      
,judge not1 and that these words might  
not be  misunderstood1 ,jesus added1    
,condemn not2 condemn not in justice the
  crimes of others4    ,no more         
death-warrants1 said an inner voice--no 
more death-warrants1  said the voice of 
science2 evil cannot suppress evil4 ,the
 ,word of ,god1  in which ,i believed1  
told me the same thing4 ,and when in    
reading the  doctrine1 ,i came to the   
words1 ,condemn not1 and ye shall not be
  condemned3 forgive1 and ye shall be   
forgiven1 could ,i look upon them  as   
meaning simply that ,i was not to       
indulge in gossip and evil-speaking1    
and should continue to regard tribunals 
as a ,christian institution1 and  myself
 as a ,christian judge8    ,i was       
overwhelmed with horror at the grossness
 of the error into which ,i  had fallen4
          ,,chapter ,,iv4      ,i ,,now 
understood the words of ,jesus3 ,ye have

 heard that it hath been  said1 ,an eye 
for an eye1 and a tooth for a tooth3 but
 ,i say unto you1  ,that ye resist not  
evil4 ,jesus' meaning is3 ,you have     
thought that you  were acting in a      
reasonable manner in defending yourself 
by violence  against evil1 in tearing   
out an eye for an eye1 by fighting      
against evil  with criminal tribunals1  
guardians of the peace1 armies2 but ,i  
say unto  you1 ,renounce violence2 have 
nothing to do with violence2 do harm to 
no  one1 not even to your enemy4 ,i     
understood now that in saying ,resist   
not evil1 ,jesus not only told us what  
would result from the observance  of    
this rule1 but established a new basis  
for society conformable to his  doctrine
 and opposed to the social basis        
established by the law of  ,moses1 by   
,roman law1 and by the different codes  
in force to-day4 ,he  formulated a new  
law whose effect would be to deliver    
humanity from its  self-inflicted woes4 
,his declaration was3 ,you believe that 

your laws  reform criminals2 as a matter
 of fact1 they only make more criminals4
  ,there is only one way to suppress    
evil1 and that is to return good for    
evil1 without respect of persons4 ,for  
thousands of years you have tried  the  
other method2 now try mine1 try the     
reverse4    ,strange to say1 in these   
later days1 ,i talked with different    
persons  about this commandment of      
,jesus1 ,resist not evil1 and rarely    
found  any one to coincide with my      
opinion6 ,two classes of men would      
never1  even by implication1 admit the  
literal interpretation of the law4      
,these  men were at the extreme poles of
 the social scale1--they were the       
conservative ,christian patriots who    
maintained the infallibility of the     
,church1 and the atheistic              
revolutionists4 ,neither of these two   
classes  was willing to renounce the    
right to resist by violence what they   
regarded as evil4 ,and the wisest and   
most intelligent among them would  not  

acknowledge the simple and evident      
truth1 that if we once admit the  right 
of any man to resist by violence what he
 regards as evil1 every  other man has  
equally the right to resist by violence 
what he regards as  evil4    ,not long  
ago ,i had in my hands an interesting   
correspondence between an  orthodox     
,slavophile and a ,christian            
revolutionist4 ,the one advocated       
violence as a partisan of a war for the 
relief of brother ,slavs in  bondage2   
the other1 as a partisan of revolution1 
in the name of our  brothers the        
oppressed ,russian peasantry4 ,both     
invoked violence1 and  each based       
himself upon the doctrine of ,jesus4    
,the doctrine of ,jesus is  understood  
in a hundred different ways2 but never1 
unhappily1 in the  simple and direct way
 which harmonizes with the inevitable   
meaning of  ,jesus' words4    ,our      
entire social fabric is founded upon    
principles that ,jesus reproved2  we do 
not wish to understand his doctrine in  

its simple and direct  acceptation1 and 
yet we assure ourselves and others that 
we follow his  doctrine1 or else that   
his doctrine is not expedient for us4   
,believers  profess that ,christ as     
,god1 the second person of the ,trinity1
 descended  upon earth to teach men by  
his example how to live2 they go through
 the  most elaborate ceremonies for the 
consummation of the sacraments1 the     
building of temples1 the sending out of 
missionaries1 the establishment  of     
priesthoods1 for parochial              
administration1 for the performance of  
rituals2 but they forget one little     
detail1--the practice of the            
commandments of ,jesus4 ,unbelievers    
endeavor in every possible way to       
organize their existence independent of 
the doctrine of ,jesus1 they  having    
decided a priori that this doctrine is  
of no account4 ,but to  endeavor to put 
his teachings in practice1 this each    
refuses to do2 and  the worst of it is1 
that without any attempt to put them in 

practice1  both believers and           
unbelievers decide a priori that it is  
impossible4    ,jesus said1 simply and  
clearly1 that the law of resistance to  
evil by  violence1 which has been made  
the basis of society1 is false1 and     
contrary to man's nature2 and he gave   
another basis1 that of  non-resistance  
to evil1 a law which1 according to his  
doctrine1 would  deliver man from wrong4
 ,you believe 7he says in substance7    
that your  laws1 which resort to        
violence1 correct evil2 not at all2 they
 only  augment it4 ,for thousands of    
years you have tried to destroy evil by 
evil1 and you have not destroyed it2 you
 have only augmented it4 ,do as ,i      
command you1 follow my example1 and you 
will know that my doctrine is  true4    
,not only in words1 but by his acts1 by 
his death1 did ,jesus  propound his     
doctrine1 ,resist not evil4             
,believers listen to all this4 ,they    
hear it in their churches1 persuaded    
that the words are divine2 they worship 

,jesus as ,god1 and then they say3  ,all
 this is admirable1 but it is           
impossible2 as society is now           
organized1 it would derange our whole   
existence1 and we should be  obliged to 
give up the customs that are so dear to 
us4 ,we believe it  all1 but only in    
this sense3 ,that it is the ideal toward
 which humanity  ought to move2 the     
ideal which is to be attained by prayer1
 and by  believing in the sacraments1 in
 the redemption1 and in the resurrection
  of the dead4    ,the others1 the      
unbelievers1 the free-thinkers who      
comment on the  doctrine of ,jesus1 the 
historians of religions1 the ,strausses1
 the  ,renans1--completely imbued with  
the teachings of the ,church1 which says
  that the doctrine of ,jesus accords   
with difficulty with our conceptions  of
 life1--tell us very seriously that the 
doctrine of ,jesus is the  doctrine of a
 visionary1 the consolation of feeble   
minds2 that it was  all very well       
preached in the fishermen's huts by     

,galilee2 but that for  us it is only   
the sweet dream of one whom ,renan calls
 the charmant  docteur4    ,in their    
opinion1 ,jesus could not rise to the   
heights of wisdom and  culture attained 
by our civilization4 ,if he had been on 
an intellectual  level with his modern  
critics1 he never would have uttered his
 charming  nonsense about the birds of  
the air1 the turning of the other cheek1
 the  taking no thought for the morrow4 
,these historical critics judge of the  
value of ,christianity by what they see 
of it as it now exists4 ,the            
,christianity of our age and            
civilization approves of society as it  
now  is1 with its prison-cells1 its     
factories1 its houses of infamy1 its    
parliaments2 but as for the doctrine of 
,jesus1 which is opposed to  modern     
society1 it is only empty words4 ,the   
historical critics see this1  and1      
unlike the so-called believers1 having  
no motives for concealment1  submit the 
doctrine to a careful analysis2 they    

refute it  systematically1 and prove    
that ,christianity is made up of nothing
 but  chimerical ideas4    ,it would    
seem that before deciding upon the      
doctrine of ,jesus1 it would  be        
necessary to understand of what it      
consisted2 and to decide whether  his   
doctrine is reasonable or not1 it would 
be well first to realize  that he said  
exactly what he did say4 ,and this is   
precisely what we do  not do1 what the  
,church commentators do not do1 what the
 free-thinkers  do not do--and we know  
very well why4 ,we know perfectly well  
that the  doctrine of ,jesus is directed
 at and denounces all human errors1 all 
tohu1 all the empty idols that we try to
 except from the category of  errors1 by
 dubbing them ,church1 ,state1 ,culture1
 ,science1 ,art1  ,civilization4 ,but   
,jesus spoke precisely of all these1 of 
these and all  other tohu4 ,not only    
,jesus1 but all the ,hebrew prophets1   
,john the  ,baptist1 all the true sages 
of the world denounced the ,church and  

,state  and culture and civilization of 
their times as sources of man's         
perdition4    ,imagine an architect who 
says to a house-owner1 ,your house is   
good for  nothing2 you must rebuild it1 
and then describes how the supports are 
to be cut and fastened4 ,the proprietor 
turns a deaf ear to the words1  ,your   
house is good for nothing1 and only     
listens respectfully when the  architect
 begins to discuss the arrangement of   
the rooms4 ,evidently1 in  this case1   
all the subsequent advice of the        
architect will seem to be               
impracticable2 less respectful          
proprietors would regard it as          
nonsensical4 ,but it is precisely in    
this way that we treat the doctrine  of 
,jesus4 ,i give this illustration for   
want of a better4 ,i remember now  that 
,jesus in teaching his doctrine made use
 of the same comparison4  ,destroy this 
temple1 he said1 and in three days ,i   
will raise it  up4 ,it was for this they
 put him on the cross1 and for this they

 now  crucify his doctrine4    ,the     
least that can be asked of those who    
pass judgment upon any doctrine  is that
 they shall judge of it with the same   
understanding as that with  which it was
 propounded4 ,jesus understood his      
doctrine1 not as a vague  and distant   
ideal impossible of attainment1 not as a
 collection of  fantastic and poetical  
reveries with which to charm the simple 
inhabitants on the shores of ,galilee2  
to him his doctrine was a doctrine  of  
action1 of acts which should become the 
salvation of mankind4 ,this he  showed  
in his manner of applying his doctrine4 
,the crucified one who  cried out in    
agony of spirit and died for his        
doctrine was not a  dreamer2 he was a   
man of action4 ,they are not dreamers   
who have died1  and still die1 for his  
doctrine4 ,no2 that doctrine is not a   
chimera6    ,all doctrine that reveals  
the truth is chimerical to the blind4   
,we may  say1 as many people do say 7,i 
was of the number71 that the doctrine of

  ,jesus is chimerical because it is    
contrary to human nature4 ,it is        
against nature1 we say1 to turn the     
other cheek when we have been  struck1  
to give all that we possess1 to toil not
 for ourselves but for  others4 ,it is  
natural1 we say1 for a man to defend his
 person1 his  family1 his property2 that
 is to say1 it is the nature of man to  
struggle for existence4 ,a learned      
person has proved scientifically that   
the most sacred duty of man is to defend
 his rights1 that is1 to fight4    ,but 
the moment we detach ourselves from the 
idea that the existing  organization    
established by man is the best1 is      
sacred1 the moment we do  this1 the     
objection that the doctrine of ,jesus is
 contrary to human  nature turns        
immediately upon him who makes it4 ,no  
one will deny that  not only to kill or 
torture a man1 but to torture a dog1 to 
kill a fowl  or a calf1 is to inflict   
suffering reproved by human nature4 7,i 
have  known of farmers who had ceased to

 eat meat solely because it had  fallen 
to their lot to slaughter animals47 ,and
 yet our existence is so  organized that
 every personal enjoyment is purchased  
at the price of  human suffering        
contrary to human nature4    ,we have   
only to examine closely the complicated 
mechanism of our  institutions that are 
based upon coercion to realize that     
coercion and  violence are contrary to  
human nature4 ,the judge who has        
condemned  according to the code1 is not
 willing to hang the criminal with his  
own  hands2 no clerk would tear a       
villager from his weeping family and    
cast  him into prison2 the general or   
the soldier1 unless he be hardened by   
discipline and service1 will not        
undertake to slay a hundred ,turks or   
,germans or destroy a village1 would    
not1 if he could help it1 kill a  single
 man4 ,yet all these things are done1   
thanks to the administrative  machinery 
which divides responsibility for        
misdeeds in such a way that  no one     

feels them to be contrary to nature4    
,some make the laws1 others execute     
them2 some train men by discipline to   
automatic obedience2 and these last1 in 
their turn1 become the  instruments of  
coercion1 and slay their kind without   
knowing why or to  what end4 ,but let a 
man disentangle himself for a moment    
from this  complicated network1 and he  
will readily see that coercion is       
contrary  to his nature4 ,let us abstain
 from affirming that organized violence1
 of  which we make use to our own       
profit1 is a divine1 immutable law1 and 
we  shall see clearly which is most in  
harmony with human nature1--the         
doctrine of violence or the doctrine of 
,jesus4    ,what is the law of nature8  
,is it to know that my security and that
 of my  family1 all my amusements and   
pleasures1 are purchased at the expense 
of  misery1 deprivation1 and suffering  
to thousands of human beings--by the    
terror of the gallows2 by the misfortune
 of thousands stifling within  prison   

walls2 by the fear inspired by millions 
of soldiers and guardians  of           
civilization1 torn from their homes and 
besotted by discipline1 to  protect our 
pleasures with loaded revolvers against 
the possible  interference of the       
famishing8 ,is it to purchase every     
fragment of bread  that ,i put in my    
mouth and the mouths of my children by  
the numberless  privations that are     
necessary to procure my abundance8 ,or  
is it to be  certain that my piece of   
bread only belongs to me when ,i know   
that every  one else has a share1 and   
that no one starves while ,i eat8    ,it
 is only necessary to understand that1  
thanks to our social  organization1 each
 one of our pleasures1 every minute of  
our cherished  tranquility1 is obtained 
by the sufferings and privations of     
thousands  of our fellows--it is only   
necessary to understand this1 to know   
what is  conformable to human nature2   
not to our animal nature alone1 but the 
animal and spiritual nature which       

constitutes man4 ,when we once          
understand the doctrine of ,jesus in all
 its bearings1 with all its             
consequences1 we shall be convinced that
 his doctrine is not contrary to  human 
nature2 but that its sole object is to  
supplant the chimerical  law of the     
struggle against evil by                
violence--itself the law contrary  to   
human nature and productive of so many  
evils4    ,do you say that the doctrine 
of ,jesus1 ,resist not evil1 is vain8   
,what1 then1 are we to think of the     
lives of those who are not filled  with 
love and compassion for their kind1--of 
those who make ready for  their         
fellow-men punishment at the stake1 by  
the knout1 the wheel1 the  rack1 chains1
 compulsory labor1 the gibbet1 dungeons1
 prisons for women  and children1 the   
hecatombs of war1 or bring about        
periodical  revolutions2 of those who   
carry these horrors into execution2 of  
those  who benefit by these calamities  
or prepare reprisals1--are not such     

lives vain8    ,we need only understand 
the doctrine of ,jesus1 to be convinced 
that  existence1--not the reasonable    
existence which gives happiness to      
humanity1 but the existence men have    
organized to their own hurt1--that  such
 an existence is a vanity1 the most     
savage and horrible of vanities1  a     
veritable delirium of folly1 to which1  
once reclaimed1 we do not again  return4
    ,god descended to earth1 became     
incarnate to redeem ,adam's sin1 and 7so
  we were taught to believe7 said many  
mysterious and mystical things  which   
are difficult to understand1 which it is
 not possible to  understand except by  
the aid of faith and grace--and suddenly
 the words  of ,god are found to be     
simple1 clear1 and reasonable6 ,god     
said1 ,do no  evil1 and evil will cease 
to exist4 ,was the revelation from ,god 
really  so simple--nothing but that8 ,it
 would seem that every one might        
understand it1 it is so simple6    ,the 
prophet ,elijah1 a fugitive from men1   

took refuge in a cave1 and was  told    
that ,god would appear to him4 ,there   
came a great wind that  devastated the  
forest2 ,elijah thought that the ,lord  
had come1 but the  ,lord was not in the 
wind4 ,after the wind came the thunder  
and the  lightning1 but ,god was not    
there4 ,then came the earthquake3 the   
earth  belched forth fire1 the rocks    
were shattered1 the mountain was rent to
  its foundations2 ,elijah looked for   
the ,lord1 but the ,lord was not in the 
earthquake4 ,then1 in the calm that     
followed1 a gentle breeze came to the   
prophet1 bearing the freshness of the   
fields2 and ,elijah knew that ,god  was 
there4 ,it is a magnificent illustration
 of the words1 ,resist not  evil4       
,they are very simple1 these words2 but 
they are1 nevertheless1 the  expression 
of a law divine and human4 ,if there has
 been in history a  progressive movement
 for the suppression of evil1 it is due 
to the men  who understood the doctrine 
of ,jesus--who endured evil1 and        

resisted not  evil by violence4 ,the    
advance of humanity towards             
righteousness is due1  not to the       
tyrants1 but to the martyrs4 ,as fire   
cannot extinguish fire1  so evil cannot 
suppress evil4 ,good alone1 confronting 
evil and resisting  its contagion1 can  
overcome evil4 ,and in the inner world  
of the human  soul1 the law is as       
absolute as it was for the hearers by   
,galilee1 more  absolute1 more clear1   
more immutable4 ,men may turn aside from
 it1 they  may hide its truth from      
others2 but the progress of humanity    
towards  righteousness can only be      
attained in this way4 ,every step must  
be  guided by the command1 ,resist not  
evil4 ,a disciple of ,jesus may say     
now1 with greater assurance than they of
 ,galilee1 in spite of  misfortunes and 
threats3 ,and yet it is not violence1   
but good1 that  overcomes evil4 ,if the 
progress is slow1 it is because the     
doctrine of  ,jesus 7which1 through its 
clearness1 simplicity1 and wisdom1      

appeals so  inevitably to human nature71
 because the doctrine of ,jesus has been
  cunningly concealed from the majority 
of mankind under an entirely  different 
doctrine falsely called by his name4    
,,chapter ,v4      ,,the true meaning of
 the doctrine of ,jesus was revealed to 
me2 everything  confirmed its truth4    
,but for a long time ,i could not       
accustom myself to  the strange fact1   
that after the eighteen centuries during
 which the law  of ,jesus had been      
professed by millions of human beings1  
after the  eighteen centuries during    
which thousands of men had consecrated  
their  lives to the study of this law1  
,i had discovered it for myself anew4   
,but  strange as it seemed1 so it was4  
,jesus' law1 ,resist not evil1 was to   
me wholly new1 something of which ,i had
 never had any conception before4  ,i   
asked myself how this could be2 ,i must 
certainly have had a false idea  of the 
doctrine of ,jesus to cause such a      
misunderstanding4 ,and a false  idea of 

it ,i unquestionably had4 ,when ,i began
 to read the ,gospel1 ,i was  not in the
 condition of one who1 having heard     
nothing of the doctrine of  ,jesus1     
becomes acquainted with it for the first
 time2 on the contrary1 ,i  had a       
preconceived theory as to the manner in 
which ,i ought to  understand it4 ,jesus
 did not appeal to me as a prophet      
revealing the  divine law1 but as one   
who continued and amplified the absolute
 divine  law which ,i already knew2 for 
,i had very definite and complex notions
  about ,god1 the creator of the world  
and of man1 and about the  commandments 
of ,god given to men through the        
instrumentality of ,moses4    ,when ,i  
came to the words1 ,ye have heard that  
it hath been said1 ,an eye  for an eye1 
and a tooth for a tooth3 ,but ,i say    
unto you1 ,that ye resist  not          
evil1--the words1 ,an eye for an eye1   
and a tooth for a tooth1  expressed the 
law given by ,god to ,moses2 the words1 
,but ,i say unto  you1 ,that ye resist  

not evil1 expressed the new law1 which  
was a  negation of the first4 ,if ,i had
 seen ,jesus' words1 simply1 in their   
true  sense1 and not as a part of the   
theological theory that ,i had imbibed  
at  my mother's breast1 ,i should have  
understood immediately that ,jesus      
abrogated the old law1 and substituted  
for it a new law4 ,but ,i had been      
taught that ,jesus did not abrogate the 
law of ,moses1 that1 on the  contrary1  
he confirmed it to the slightest iota1  
and that he made it  more complete4     
,verses #ag-bj of the fifth chapter of  
,matthew always  impressed me1 when ,i  
read the ,gospel1 by their obscurity1   
and they  plunged me into doubt4 ,i knew
 the ,old ,testament1 particularly the  
last  books of ,moses1 very thoroughly1 
and recalling certain passages in which 
minute doctrines1 often absurd and even 
cruel in their purport1 are  preceded by
 the words1 ,and the ,lord said unto    
,moses1 it seemed to me  very singular  
that ,jesus should confirm all these    

injunctions2 ,i could  not understand   
why he did so4 ,but ,i allowed the      
question to pass without  solution1 and 
accepted with confidence the            
explanations inculcated in my           
infancy1--that the two laws were equally
 inspired by the ,holy ,spirit1  that   
they were in perfect accord1 and that   
,jesus confirmed the law of  ,moses     
while completing and amplifying it4 ,i  
did not concern myself with  accounting 
for the process of this amplification1  
with the solution of  the contradictions
 apparent throughout the whole ,gospel1 
in verses #ag-bj  of the fifth chapter1 
in the words1 ,but ,i say unto you4     
,now that ,i understood the clear and   
simple meaning of the doctrine of       
,jesus1 ,i saw clearly that the two laws
 are directly opposed to one  another2  
that they can never be harmonized2 that1
 instead of  supplementing one by the   
other1 we must inevitably choose between
 the  two2 and that the received        
explanation of the verses1 ,matthew v4  

#ag-bj1  which had impressed me by their
 obscurity1 must be incorrect4    ,when 
,i now came to read once more the verses
 that had before impressed  me as       
obscure1 ,i was astonished at the clear 
and simple meaning which  was suddenly  
revealed to me4 ,this meaning was       
revealed1 not by any  combination and   
transposition1 but solely by rejecting  
the factitious  explanations with which 
the words had been encumbered4          
,according to  ,matthew1 ,jesus said 7v4
 #ag-ah73--    ,think not that ,i am    
come to destroy the law1 or the prophets
 7the  doctrine of the prophets73 ,i am 
not come to destroy1 but to fulfil4 ,for
  verily ,i say unto you1 ,till heaven  
and earth pass1 one jot or one tittle   
shall in no wise pass from the law1 till
 all be fulfilled4    ,and in verse #bj 
he added3--    ,for ,i say unto you1    
,that except your righteousness shall   
exceed the  righteousness of the scribes
 and ,pharisees1 ye shall in no case    
enter  into the kingdom of heaven4    ,i

 am not come 7,jesus said7 to destroy   
the eternal law of whose  fulfilment    
your books of prophecy foretell4 ,i am  
come to teach you the  fulfilment of the
 eternal law2 not of the law that your  
scribes and  pharisees call the divine  
law1 but of that eternal law which is   
more  immutable than the earth and the  
heavens4    ,i have expressed the idea  
in other words in order to detach the   
thoughts  of my readers from the        
traditional false interpretation4 ,if   
this false  interpretation had never    
existed1 the idea expressed in the      
verses could  not be rendered in a      
better or more definite manner4    ,the 
view that ,jesus did not abrogate the   
old law arises from the  arbitrary      
conclusion that law in this passage     
signifies the written  law instead of   
the law eternal1 the reference to the   
iota--jot and  tittle--perhaps          
furnishing the grounds for such an      
opinion4 ,but if ,jesus  had been       
speaking of the written law1 he would   

have used the expression  the law and   
the prophets1 which he always employed  
in speaking of the  written law2 here1  
however1 he uses a different            
expression1--the law  or the prophets4  
,if ,jesus had meant the written law1 he
 would have  used the expression1 the   
law and the prophets1 in the verses that
  follow and that continue the thought2 
but he says1 briefly1 the law4          
,moreover1 according to ,luke1 ,jesus   
made use of the same phraseology1 and   
the context renders the meaning         
inevitable4 ,according to ,luke1 ,jesus 
said to the ,pharisees1 who assumed the 
justice of their written law3--    ,ye  
are they which justify yourselves before
 men2 but ,god knoweth your  hearts3 for
 that which is highly esteemed among men
 is abomination in  the sight of ,god4  
,the law and the prophets were until    
,john3 since that  time the kingdom of  
,god is preached1 and every man presseth
 into it4 ,and  it is easier for heaven 
and earth to pass1 than one tittle of   

the law to  fail4 7,luke xvi4 #ae-ag47  
,in the words1 ,the law and the prophets
 were until ,john1 ,jesus  abrogated the
 written law2 in the words1 ,and it is  
easier for heaven  and earth to pass1   
than one tittle of the law to fail1     
,jesus confirmed  the law eternal4 ,in  
the first passage cited he said1 the law
 and the  prophets1 that is1 the written
 law2 in the second he said the law     
simply1 therefore the law eternal4 ,it  
is clear1 then1 that the eternal  law is
 opposed to the written law1#c exactly  
as in the context of  ,matthew where the
 eternal law is defined by the phrase1  
the law or  the prophets4         #c    
,more than this1 as if to do away with  
all doubt about the law       to which  
he referred1 ,jesus cites immediately1  
in connection with       this passage1  
the most decisive instance of the       
negation of the law       of ,moses by  
the eternal law1 the law of which not   
the smallest jot       is to fail3      
,whosoever putteth away his wife1 and   

marrieth       another1 committeth      
adultery4 7,luke xvi4 #ah47 ,that is1   
according       to the written law      
divorce is permissible2 according to the
 eternal       law it is forbidden4     
,the history of the variants of the text
 of these verses is quite worthy  of    
notice4 ,the majority of texts have     
simply the law1 without the  addition1  
and the prophets1 thus avoiding a false 
interpretation in  the sense of the     
written law4 ,in other texts1 notably   
that of  ,tischendorf1 and in the       
canonical versions1 we find the word    
prophets  used1 not with the conjunction
 and1 but with the conjunction  or1--the
 law or the prophets1--which also       
excludes any question of  the written   
law1 and indicates1 as the proper       
signification1 the law  eternal4 ,in    
several other versions1 not countenanced
 by the ,church1 we  find the word      
prophets used with the conjunction and1 
not with or2  and in these versions     
every repetition of the words the law is

  followed by the phrase1 and the       
prophets1 which would indicate that     
,jesus spoke only of the written law4   
,the history of the commentaries on the 
passage in question coincides  with that
 of the variants4 ,the only clear       
meaning is that authorized by           
,luke1--that ,jesus spoke of the eternal
 law4 ,but among the copyists of  the   
,gospel were some who desired that the  
written law of ,moses should  continue  
to be regarded as obligatory4 ,they     
therefore added to the words  the law   
the phrase and the prophets1 and thereby
 changed the  interpretation of the     
text4    ,other ,christians1 not        
recognizing to the same degree the      
authority of  the books of ,moses1      
suppressed the added phrase1 and        
replaced the  particle ,greek3 kai1 and1
 with ,greek3 1 or2 and with this       
substitution the passage was admitted to
 the canon4 ,nevertheless1 in  spite of 
the unequivocal clearness of the text as
 thus written1 the  commentators        

perpetuated the interpretation supported
 by the phrase  which had been rejected 
in the canon4 ,the passage evoked       
innumerable  comments1 which stray from 
the true signification in proportion to 
the  lack1 on the part of the           
commentators1 of fidelity to the simple 
and  obvious meaning of ,jesus'         
doctrine4 ,most of them recognize the   
reading  rejected by the canonical text4
    ,to be absolutely convinced that    
,jesus spoke only of the eternal law1 we
  need only examine the true meaning of 
the word which has given rise to  so    
many false interpretations4 ,the word   
law 7in ,greek ,greek3 nomos1  in       
,hebrew ,hebrew3 torah1 torah7 has in   
all languages two principal  meanings3  
one1 law in the abstract sense1         
independent of formul2 the  other1 the  
written statutes which men generally    
recognize as law4 ,in the  ,greek of    
,paul's ,epistles the distinction is    
indicated by the use of the  article4   
,without the article ,paul uses ,greek3 

nomos the most  frequently in the sense 
of the divine eternal law4 ,by the      
ancient  ,hebrews1 as in books of       
,isaiah and the other prophets1 ,hebrew3
 torah1  torah1 is always used in the   
sense of an eternal revelation1 a divine
  intuition4 ,it was not till the time  
of ,esdras1 and later in the ,talmud1   
that ,torah was used in the same sense  
in which we use the word  ,bible--with  
this difference1 that while we have     
words to distinguish  between the ,bible
 and the divine law1 the ,jews employed 
the same word to  express both meanings4
    ,and so ,jesus sometimes speaks of  
law as the divine law 7of ,isaiah and   
the other prophets71 in which case he   
confirms it2 and sometimes in the  sense
 of the written law of the ,pentateuch1 
in which case he rejects it4  ,to       
distinguish the difference1 he always1  
in speaking of the written  law1 adds1  
and the prophets1 or prefixes the word  
your1--your law4    ,when he says3      
,therefore all things whatsoever ye     

would that men should  do to you1 do ye 
even so to them3 for this is the law and
 the prophets  7,matt4 vii4 #ab71 he    
speaks of the written law4 ,the entire  
written law1  he says1 may be reduced to
 this expression of the eternal law1 and
 by  these words he abrogated the       
eternal law4 ,when he says1 ,the law and
  the prophets were until ,john 7,luke  
xvi4 #af71 he speaks of the written     
law1 and abrogates it4 ,when he says1   
,did not ,moses give you the law1  and  
yet none of you keepeth the law 7,john  
vii4 #ai71 ,it is also  written in your 
law 7,john viii4 #ag71 that the word    
might be  fulfilled that is written in  
their law 7,john xv4 #be71 he speaks of 
the  written law1 the law whose         
authority he denied1 the law that       
condemned  him to death3 ,the ,jews     
answered him1 ,we have a law1 and by our
 law he  ought to die 7,john xix4 #g74  
,it is plain that this ,jewish law1     
which  authorized condemnation to death1
 was not the law of ,jesus4 ,but when   

,jesus says1 ,i am not come to destroy  
the law1 but to teach you the           
fulfilment of the law2 for nothing of   
this law shall be changed1 but all      
shall be fulfilled1 then he speaks1 not 
of the written law1 but of the  divine  
and eternal law4    ,admit that all this
 is merely formal proof2 admit that ,i  
have carefully  combined contexts and   
variants1 and excluded everything       
contrary to my  theory2 admit that the  
commentators of the ,church are clear   
and  convincing1 that1 in fact1 ,jesus  
did not abrogate the law of ,moses1 but 
upheld it--admit this3 then the question
 is1 what were the teachings of  ,jesus8
    ,according to the ,church1 he taught
 that he was the second person of the   
,trinity1 the ,son of ,god1 and that he 
came into the world to atone by his     
death for ,adam's sin4 ,those1 however1 
who have read the ,gospels know  that   
,jesus taught nothing of the sort1 or at
 least spoke but very  vaguely on these 
topics4 ,the passages in which ,jesus   

affirms that he is  the second person of
 the ,trinity1 and that he was to atone 
for the sins  of humanity1 form a very  
inconsiderable and very obscure portion 
of the  ,gospels4 ,in what1 then1 does  
the rest of ,jesus' doctrine consist8   
,it is  impossible to deny1 for all     
,christians have recognized the fact1   
that  the doctrine of ,jesus aims       
summarily to regulate the lives of men1 
to  teach them how they ought to live   
with regard to one another4 ,but to     
realize that ,jesus taught men a new way
 of life1 we must have some idea  of the
 condition of the people to whom his    
teachings were addressed4    ,when we   
examine into the social development of  
the ,russians1 the  ,english1 the       
,chinese1 the ,indians1 or even the     
races of insular  savages1 we find that 
each people invariably has certain      
practical rules  or laws which govern   
its existence2 consequently1 if any one 
would  inculcate a new law1 he must at  
the same time abolish the old2 in any   

race or nation this would be inevitable4
 ,laws that we are accustomed to  regard
 as almost sacred would assuredly be    
abrogated2 with us1 perhaps1  it might  
happen that a reformer who taught a new 
law would abolish only  our civil laws1 
the official code1 our administrative   
customs1 without  touching what we      
consider as our divine laws1 although it
 is difficult  to believe that such     
could be the case4 ,but with the ,jewish
 people1 who  had but one law1 and that 
recognized as divine1--a law which      
enveloped  life to its minutest         
details1--what could a reformer         
accomplish if he  declared in advance   
that the existing law was inviolable8   
,admit that this argument is not        
conclusive1 and try to interpret the    
words of ,jesus as an affirmation of the
 entire ,mosaic law2 in that case1  who 
were the ,pharisees1 the scribes1 the   
doctors of the law1 denounced  by ,jesus
 during the whole of his ministry8 ,who 
were they that rejected  the doctrine of

 ,jesus and1 their ,high ,priests at    
their head1 crucified  him8 ,if ,jesus  
approved the law of ,moses1 where were  
the faithful  followers of that law1 who
 practised it sincerely1 and must       
thereby have  obtained ,jesus' approval8
 ,is it possible that there was not one 
such8  ,the ,pharisees1 we are told1    
constituted a sect2 where1 then1 were   
the  righteous8    ,in the ,gospel of   
,john the enemies of ,jesus are spoken  
of directly as  the ,jews4 ,they are    
opposed to the doctrine of ,jesus2 they 
are hostile  because they are ,jews4    
,but it is not only the ,pharisees and  
the  ,sadducees who figure in the       
,gospels as the enemies of ,jesus3 we   
also  find mention of the doctors of the
 law1 the guardians of the law of       
,moses1 the scribes1 the interpreters of
 the law1 the ancients1 those who  are  
always considered as representatives of 
the people's wisdom4 ,jesus  said1 ,i am
 not come to call the righteous1 but    
sinners to  repentance1 to change their 

way of life 7,greek3 metanoia74 ,but    
where  were the righteous8 ,was         
,nicodemus the only one8 ,he is         
represented as a  good1 but misguided   
man4    ,we are so habituated to the    
singular opinion that ,jesus was        
crucified by  the ,pharisees and a      
number of ,jewish shopkeepers1 that we  
never think to  ask1 ,where were the    
true ,jews1 the good ,jews1 the ,jews   
that practised  the law8 ,when we have  
once propounded this query1 everything  
becomes  perfectly clear4 ,jesus1       
whether he was ,god or man1 brought his 
doctrine  to a people possessing rules1 
called the divine law1 governing their  
whole existence4 ,how could ,jesus avoid
 denouncing that law8    ,every prophet1
 every founder of a religion1 inevitably
 meets1 in  revealing the divine law to 
men1 with institutions which are        
regarded as  upheld by the laws of ,god4
 ,he cannot1 therefore1 avoid a double  
use of  the word law1 which expresses   
what his hearers wrongfully consider the

  law of ,god 7your law71 and the law he
 has come to proclaim1 the true  law1   
the divine and eternal law4 ,a reformer 
not only cannot avoid the  use of the   
word in this manner2 often he does not  
wish to avoid it1 but  purposely        
confounds the two ideas1 thus indicating
 that1 in the law  confessed by those   
whom he would convert1 there are still  
some eternal  truths4 ,every reformer   
takes these truths1 so well known to his
 hearers1  as the basis of his teaching4
 ,this is precisely what ,jesus did in  
addressing the ,jews1 by whom the two   
laws were vaguely grouped together  as  
,torah4 ,jesus recognized that the      
,mosaic law1 and still more the         
prophetical books1 especially the       
writings of ,isaiah1 whose words he     
constantly quotes1--,jesus recognized   
that these contained divine and  eternal
 truths in harmony with the eternal law1
 and these he takes as  the basis of his
 own doctrine4 ,this method was many    
times referred to by  ,jesus2 thus he   

said1 ,what is written in the law8 how  
readest thou8  7,luke x4 #bf74 ,that is1
 one may find eternal truth in the law1 
if one  reads it aright4 ,and more than 
once he affirms that the commandments of
  the ,mosaic law1 to love the ,lord and
 one's neighbor1 are also  commandments 
of the eternal law4 ,at the conclusion  
of the parables by  which ,jesus        
explained the meaning of his doctrine to
 his disciples1 he  pronounced words    
that have a bearing upon all that       
precedes3--    ,therefore every scribe  
which is instructed unto the kingdom of 
heaven  7the truth7 is like unto a man  
that is a householder1 which bringeth   
forth out of his treasure 7without      
distinction7 things new and old4        
7,matt4 xiii4 #eb47    ,the ,church     
understands these words1 as they were   
understood by ,irenus2  but at the same 
time1 in defiance of the true           
signification1 it  arbitrarily          
attributes to them the meaning that     
everything old is  sacred4 ,the manifest

 meaning is this3 ,he who seeks for the 
good1 takes  not only the new1 but also 
the old2 and because a thing is old1 he 
does  not therefore reject it4 ,by these
 words ,jesus meant that he did not deny
  what was eternal in the old law4 ,but 
when they spoke to him of the whole     
law1 or of the formalities exacted by   
the old law1 his reply was that  new    
wine should not be put into old bottles4
 ,jesus could not affirm the  whole law2
 neither could he deny the entire       
teachings of the law and the            
prophets1--the law which says1 love thy 
neighbor as thyself1 the  prophets whose
 words often served to express his own  
thoughts4 ,and yet1  in place of this   
clear and simple explanation of ,jesus' 
words1 we are  offered a vague          
interpretation which introduces needless
 contradictions1  which reduces the     
doctrine of ,jesus to nothingness1 and  
which  re-establishes the doctrine of   
,moses in all its savage cruelty4       
,commentators of the ,church1           

particularly those who have written     
since  the fifth century1 tell us that  
,jesus did not abolish the written law2 
that1 on the contrary1 he affirmed it4  
,but in what way8 ,how is it  possible  
that the law of ,jesus should harmonize 
with the law of ,moses8  ,to these      
inquiries we get no response4 ,the      
commentators all make use of  a verbal  
juggle to the effect that ,jesus        
fulfilled the law of ,moses1 and  that  
the sayings of the prophets were        
fulfilled in his person2 that  ,jesus   
fulfilled the law as our mediator by our
 faith in him4 ,and the  essential      
question for every believer--,how to    
harmonize two conflicting  laws1 each   
designed to regulate the lives of       
men8--is left without the  slightest    
attempt at explanation4 ,thus the       
contradiction between the  verse where  
it is said that ,jesus did not come to  
destroy the law1 but  to fulfil the law1
 and ,jesus' saying1 ,ye have heard that
 it hath been  said1 ,an eye for an     

eye444 ,but ,i say unto you1--the       
contradiction  between the doctrine of  
,jesus and the very spirit of the       
,mosaic  doctrine1--is left without any 
mitigation4    ,let those who are       
interested in the question look through 
the ,church  commentaries touching this 
passage from the time of ,chrysostom to 
our  day4 ,after a perusal of the       
voluminous explanations offered1 they   
will  be convinced not only of the      
complete absence of any solution for the
  contradiction1 but of the presence of 
a new1 factitious contradiction  arising
 in its place4 ,let us see what         
,chrysostom says in reply to those  who 
reject the law of ,moses3--    ,he made 
this law1 not that we might strike out  
one another's eyes1 but  that fear of   
suffering by others might restrain us   
from doing any such  thing to them4 ,as 
therefore ,he threatened the ,ninevites 
with overthrow1  not that ,he might     
destroy them 7for had that been ,his    
will1 ,he ought to  have been silent71  

but that ,he might by fear make them    
better1 and so  quiet ,his wrath3 so    
also hath ,he appointed a punishment for
 those who  wantonly assail the eyes of 
others1 that if good principle dispose  
them  not to refrain from such cruelty1 
fear may restrain them from injuring    
their neighbors' sight4    ,and if this 
be cruelty1 it is cruelty also for the  
murderer to be  restrained1 and the     
adulterer checked4 ,but these are the   
sayings of  senseless men1 and of those 
that are mad to the extreme of madness4 
,for  ,i1 so far from saying that this  
comes of cruelty1 should say that the   
contrary to this would be unlawful1     
according to men's reckoning4 ,and      
whereas thou sayest1 ',because ,he      
commanded to pluck out an eye for an    
eye1 therefore ,he is cruel'2 ,i say    
that if ,he had not given this          
commandment1 then ,he would have seemed1
 in the judgment of most men1 to  be    
that which thou sayest ,he is4          
,chrysostom clearly recognized the law4 

,an eye for an eye1 as divine1  and the 
contrary of that law1 that is1 the      
doctrine of ,jesus1 ,resist  not evil1  
as an iniquity4 ,for let us suppose1    
says ,chrysostom  further3--    ,for let
 us suppose that this law had been      
altogether done away1 and  that no one  
feared the punishment ensuing thereupon1
 but that license  had been given to all
 the wicked to follow their own         
dispositions in all  security to        
adulterers1 and to murderers1 to        
perjured persons1 and to  parricides2   
would not all things have been turned   
upside down8 would  not cities1         
market-places and houses1 sea and land1 
and the whole world  have been filled   
with unnumbered pollutions and murders8 
,every one sees  it4 ,for if1 when there
 are laws1 and fear1 and threatening1   
our evil  dispositions are hardly       
checked2 were even this security taken  
away1  what is there to prevent men's   
choosing vice8 and what degree of       
mischief would not then come revelling  

upon the whole of human life8    ,the   
rather1 since cruelty lies not only in  
allowing the bad to do what  they will1 
but in another thing too quite as       
much1--to overlook1 and  leave uncared  
for1 him who hath done no wrong1 but who
 is without cause  or reason suffering  
ill4 ,for tell me2 were any one to      
gather together  wicked men from all    
quarters1 and arm them with swords1 and 
bid them go  about the whole city1 and  
massacre all that came in their way1    
could  there be anything more like a    
wild beast than he8 ,and what if some   
others should bind1 and confine with the
 utmost strictness1 those whom  that man
 had armed1 and should snatch from those
 lawless hands them who  were on the    
point of being butchered2 could anything
 be greater humanity  than this8        
,chrysostom does not say what would be  
the estimate of these others in  the    
opinion of the wicked4 ,and what if     
these others were themselves  wicked and
 cast the innocent into prison8         

,chrysostom continues3--    ,now then1  
,i bid thee transfer these examples to  
the ,law likewise2 for  ,he that        
commands to pluck out an eye for an eye 
hath laid the fear as  a kind of strong 
chain upon the souls of the bad1 and so 
resembles him  who detains those        
assassins in prison2 whereas he who     
appoints no  punishment for them1 doth  
all but arm them by such security1 and  
acts  the part of that other1 who was   
putting the swords in their hands1 and  
letting them loose over the whole city4 
7,homilies on the ,gospel of ,st4       
,matthew1 xvi47    ,if ,chrysostom had  
understood the law of ,jesus1 he would  
have said1 ,who  is it that strikes out 
another's eyes8 who is it that casts men
 into  prison8 ,if ,god1 who made the   
law1 does this1 then there is no        
contradiction2 but it is men who carry  
out the decrees1 and the ,son of  ,god  
has said to men that they must abstain  
from violence4 ,god commanded  to strike
 out1 and the ,son of ,god commanded not

 to strike out4 ,we must  accept one    
commandment or the other2 and           
,chrysostom1 like all the rest  of the  
,church1 accepted the commandment of    
,moses and denied that of the  ,christ1 
whose doctrine he nevertheless claims to
 believe4    ,jesus abolished the       
,mosaic law1 and gave his own law in its
 place4 ,to  one who really believes in 
,jesus there is not the slightest       
contradiction2 such an one will pay no  
attention to the law of ,moses1  but    
will practise the law of ,jesus1 which  
he believes4 ,to one who  believes in   
the law of ,moses there is no           
contradiction4 ,the ,jews looked  upon  
the words of ,jesus as foolishness1 and 
believed in the law of  ,moses4 ,the    
contradiction is only for those who     
would follow the law of  ,moses under   
the cover of the law of ,jesus--for     
those whom ,jesus  denounced as         
hypocrites1 as a generation of vipers4  
,instead of recognizing as divine truth 
the one or the other of the two  laws1  

the law of ,moses or that of ,jesus1 we 
recognize the divine quality  of both4  
,but when the question comes with regard
 to the acts of  every-day life1 we     
reject the law of ,jesus and follow that
 of ,moses4 ,and  this false            
interpretation1 when we realize its     
importance1 reveals the  source of that 
terrible drama which records the        
struggle between evil  and good1 between
 darkness and light4    ,to the ,jewish 
people1 trained to the innumerable      
formal regulations  instituted by the   
,levites in the rubric of divine laws1  
each preceded by  the words1 ,and the   
,lord said unto ,moses--to the ,jewish  
people ,jesus  appeared4 ,he found      
everything1 to the minutest detail1     
prescribed by  rule2 not only the       
relation of man with ,god1 but his      
sacrifices1 his  feasts1 his fasts1 his 
social1 civil1 and family duties1 the   
details of  personal habits1            
circumcision1 the purification of the   
body1 of domestic  utensils1 of         

clothing--all these regulated by laws   
recognized as  commandments of ,god1 and
 therefore as divine4    ,excluding the 
question of ,jesus' divine mission1 what
 could any prophet  or reformer do who  
wished to establish his own doctrines   
among a people  so enveloped in         
formalism--what but abolish the law by  
which all these  details were regulated8
 ,jesus selected from what men          
considered as the  law of ,god the      
portions which were really divine2 he   
took what served  his purpose1 rejected 
the rest1 and upon this foundation      
established the  eternal law4 ,it was   
not necessary to abolish all1 but       
inevitable to  abrogate much that was   
looked upon as obligatory4 ,this ,jesus 
did1 and  was accused of destroying the 
divine law2 for this he was condemned   
and  put to death4 ,but his doctrine was
 cherished by his disciples1 traversed  
the centuries1 and is transmitted to    
other peoples4 ,under these  conditions 
it is again hidden beneath heterogeneous

 dogmas1 obscure  comments1 and         
factitious explanations4 ,pitiable human
 sophisms replace  the divine           
revelation4 ,for the formula1 ,and the  
,lord said unto ,moses1  we substitute  
,thus saith the ,holy ,spirit4 ,and     
again formalism hides  the truth4 ,most 
astounding of all1 the doctrine of      
,jesus is amalgamated  with the written 
law1 whose authority he was forced to   
deny4 ,this  ,torah1 this written law1  
is declared to have been inspired by the
 ,holy  ,spirit1 the spirit of truth2   
and thus ,jesus is taken in the snare of
 his  own revelation--his doctrine is   
reduced to nothingness4    ,this is why1
 after eighteen hundred years1 it so    
singularly happened  that ,i discovered 
the meaning of the doctrine of ,jesus as
 some new  thing4 ,but no2 ,i did not   
discover it2 ,i did simply what all must
 do who  seek after ,god and ,his law2  
,i sought for the eternal law amid the  
incongruous elements that men call by   
that name4          ,,chapter ,,vi4     

,,when ,i understood the law of ,jesus  
as the law of ,jesus1 and not as the    
law of ,jesus and of ,moses1 when ,i    
understood the commandment of this law  
which absolutely abrogated the law of   
,moses1 then the ,gospels1 before to  me
 so obscure1 diffuse1 and contradictory1
 blended into a harmonious  whole1 the  
substance of whose doctrine1 until then 
incomprehensible1 ,i  found to be       
formulated in terms simple1 clear1 and  
accessible to every  searcher after     
truth4#d         #d ,matt4 v4 #ba-dh1   
especially #ch    ,throughout the       
,gospels we are called upon to consider 
the commandments  of ,jesus and the     
necessity of practising them4 ,all the  
theologians  discuss the commandments of
 ,jesus2 but what are these             
commandments8 ,i  did not know before4  
,i thought that the commandment of      
,jesus was to love  ,god1 and one's     
neighbor as one's self4 ,i did not see  
that this could not  be a new           
commandment of ,jesus1 since it was     

given by them of old in  ,deuteronomy   
and ,leviticus4 ,the words3--           
,whosoever therefore shall break one of 
these least commandments1 and  shall    
teach men so1 he shall be called the    
least in the kingdom of  heaven3 but    
whosoever shall do and teach them1 the  
same shall be called  great in the      
kingdom of heaven1 7,matt4 v4           
#ai47--these words ,i believed  to      
relate to the ,mosaic law4 ,but it never
 had occurred to me that ,jesus  had    
propounded1 clearly and precisely1 new  
laws4 ,i did not see that in  the       
passage where ,jesus declares1 ,ye have 
heard that it was said4444  ,but ,i say 
unto you1 he formulated a series of very
 definite  commandments--five entirely  
new1 counting as one the two references 
to  the ancient law against adultery4 ,i
 had heard of the beatitudes of ,jesus  
and of their number2 their explanation  
and enumeration had formed a part  of my
 religious instruction2 but the         
commandments of ,jesus--,i had never    

heard them spoken of4 ,to my great      
astonishment1 ,i now discovered them    
for myself4 ,in the fifth chapter of    
,matthew ,i found these verses3--    ,ye
 have heard that it was said by them of 
old time1 ,thou shalt not  kill2 and    
whosoever shall kill shall be in danger 
of the judgment3 ,but ,i  say unto you1 
,that whosoever is angry with his       
brother without a cause  shall be in    
danger of the judgment3 and whosoever   
shall say to his  brother1 ,raca1 shall 
be in danger of the council3 but        
whosoever shall  say1 ,thou fool1 shall 
be in danger of the ,gehenna of fire4   
,therefore if  thou bring thy gift to   
the altar1 and there rememberest that   
thy brother  hath aught against thee2   
,leave there thy gift before the altar1 
and go  thy way2 first be reconciled to 
thy brother1 and then come and offer thy
  gift4 ,agree with thine adversary     
quickly1 while thou art in the way with 
him2 lest at any time the adversary     
deliver thee to the judge1 and the      

judge deliver thee to the officer1 and  
thou be cast into prison4 ,verily  ,i   
say unto thee1 ,thou shalt by no means  
come out thence1 till thou hast  paid   
the uttermost farthing4 7,matt4 v4      
#ba-bf47    ,when ,i understood the     
commandment1 ,resist not evil1 it seemed
 to me  that these verses must have a   
meaning as clear and intelligible as has
  the commandment just cited4 ,the      
meaning ,i had formerly given to the    
passage was1 that every one ought to    
avoid angry feelings against  others1   
ought never to utter abusive language1  
and ought to live in  peace with all    
men1 without exception4 ,but there was  
in the text a  phrase which excluded    
this meaning1 ,whosoever shall be angry 
with his  brother without a cause--the  
words could not then be an exhortation  
to absolute peace4 ,i was greatly       
perplexed1 and ,i turned to the         
commentators1 the theologians1 for the  
removal of my doubts4 ,to my  surprise  
,i found that the commentators were     

chiefly occupied with the  endeavor to  
define under what conditions anger was  
permissible4 ,all the  commentators of  
the ,church dwelt upon the qualifying   
phrase without a  cause1 and explained  
the meaning to be that one must not be  
offended  without a reason1 that one    
must not be abusive1 but that anger is  
not  always unjust2 and1 to confirm     
their view1 they quoted instances of    
anger on the part of saints and         
apostles4 ,i saw plainly that the       
commentators who authorized anger for   
the glory of ,god as not  reprehensible1
 although entirely contrary to the      
spirit of the ,gospel1  based their     
argument on the phrase without a cause1 
in the  twenty-second verse4 ,these     
words change entirely the meaning of the
  passage4    ,be not angry without     
cause8 ,jesus exhorts us to pardon every
 one1 to  pardon without restriction or 
limit4 ,he pardoned all who did him     
wrong1  and chided ,peter for being     
angry with ,malchus when the former     

sought to  defend his ,master at the    
time of the betrayal1 when1 if at any   
time1 it  would seem that anger might   
have been justifiable4 ,and yet did this
 same  ,jesus formally teach men not to 
be angry without a cause1 and thereby   
sanction anger for a cause8 ,did ,jesus 
enjoin peace upon all men1 and  then1 in
 the phrase without a cause1 interpolate
 the reservation that  this rule did not
 apply to all cases2 that there were    
circumstances  under which one might be 
angry with a brother1 and so give the   
commentators the right to say that anger
 is sometimes expedient8    ,but who is 
to decide when anger is expedient and   
when it is not  expedient8 ,i never yet 
encountered an angry person who did not 
believe  his wrath to be justifiable4   
,every one who is angry thinks anger    
legitimate and serviceable4 ,evidently  
the qualifying phrase without a  cause  
destroys the entire force of the verse4 
,and yet there were the  words in the   
sacred text1 and ,i could not efface    

them4 ,the effect was  the same as if   
the word good had been added to the     
phrase4 ,love thy  neighbor--love thy   
good neighbor1 the neighbor that agrees 
with thee6    ,the entire signification 
of the passage was changed by this      
phrase1  without a cause4 ,verses #bc   
and #bd1 which exhort us to be          
reconciled  with all men before         
appealing for divine aid1 also lost     
their direct and  imperative meaning and
 acquired a conditional import through  
the  influence of the foregoing         
qualification4 ,it had seemed to me1    
however1  that ,jesus forbade all anger1
 all evil sentiment1 and1 that it might 
not  continue in our hearts1 exhorted us
 before entering into communion with    
,god to ask ourselves if there were any 
person who might be angry with  us4 ,if 
such were the case1 whether this anger  
were with cause or without  cause1 he   
commanded us to be reconciled4 ,in this 
manner ,i had  interpreted the passage2 
but it now seemed1 according to the     

commentators1 that the injunction must  
be taken as a conditional  affirmation4 
,the commentators all explained that we 
ought to try to be  at peace with       
everybody2 but1 they added1 if this is  
impossible1 if1  actuated by evil       
instincts1 any one is at enmity with    
you1 try to be  reconciled with him in  
spirit1 in idea1 and then the enmity of 
others  will be no obstacle to divine   
communion4    ,nor was this all4 ,the   
words1 ,whosoever shall say to his      
brother1 ,raca1  shall be in danger of  
the council1 always seemed to me strange
 and  absurd4 ,if we are forbidden to be
 abusive1 why this example with its     
ordinary and harmless epithet2 why this 
terrible threat against those  that     
utter abuse so feeble as that implied in
 the word raca1 which  means a          
good-for-nothing8 ,all this was obscure 
to me4    ,i was convinced that ,i had  
before me a problem similar to that     
which had  confronted me in the words1  
,judge not4 ,i felt that here again the 

simple1 grand1 precise1 and practical   
meaning of ,jesus had been hidden1  and 
that the commentators were groping in   
gloom4 ,it seemed to me that  ,jesus1 in
 saying1 be reconciled to thy brother1  
could not have  meant1 be reconciled in 
idea1--an explanation not at all clear1 
supposing it were true4 ,i understood   
what ,jesus meant when1 using the  words
 of the prophet1 he said1 ,i will have  
mercy1 and not sacrifice2  that is1 ,i  
will that men shall love one another4   
,if you would have your  acts acceptable
 to ,god1 then1 before offering prayer1 
interrogate your  conscience2 and if you
 find that any one is angry with you1 go
 and make  your peace with him1 and then
 pray as you desire4 ,after this clear  
interpretation1 what was ,i to          
understand by the comment1 be reconciled
  in idea8    ,i saw that what seemed to
 me the only clear and direct meaning of
 the  verse was destroyed by the phrase1
 without a cause4 ,if ,i could          
eliminate that1 there would be no       

difficulty in the way of a lucid        
interpretation4 ,but all the            
commentators were united against any    
such  course2 and the canonical text    
authorized the rendering to which ,i    
objected4 ,i could not drop these words 
arbitrarily1 and yet1 if they  were     
excluded1 everything would become clear4
 ,i therefore sought for  some          
interpretation which would not conflict 
with the sense of the  entire passage4  
,i consulted the dictionary4 ,in        
ordinary ,greek1 the word ,greek3 eik   
means heedlessly1 inconsiderately4 ,i   
tried to find some term that  would not 
destroy the sense2 but the words1       
without a cause1 plainly  had the       
meaning attributed to them4 ,in ,new    
,testament ,greek the  signification of 
,greek3 eik is exactly the same4 ,i     
consulted the  concordances4 ,the word  
occurs but once in the ,gospels1 namely1
 in this  passage4 ,in the first epistle
 to the ,corinthians1 xv4 #b1 it occurs 
in  exactly the same sense4 ,it is      

impossible to interpret it otherwise1   
and  if we accept it1 we must conclude  
that ,jesus uttered in vague words a    
commandment easily so construed as to be
 of no effect4 ,to admit this  seemed to
 me equivalent to rejecting the entire  
,gospel4 ,there remained  one more      
resource--was the word to be found in   
all the manuscripts8 ,i  consulted      
,griesbach1 who records all recognized  
variants1 and discovered  to my joy that
 the passage in question was not        
invariable1 and that the  variation     
depended upon the word ,greek3 eik4 ,in 
most of the ,gospel  texts and the      
citations of the ,fathers1 this word    
does not occur4 ,i  consulted           
,tischendorf for the most ancient       
reading3 the word ,greek3  eik did not  
appear4    ,this word1 so destructive to
 the meaning of the doctrine of ,jesus1 
is  then an interpolation which had not 
crept into the best copies of the       
,gospel as late as the fifth century4   
,some copyist added the word2 others    

approved it and undertook its           
explanation4 ,jesus did not utter1 could
  not have uttered1 this terrible word2 
and the primary meaning of the  passage1
 its simple1 direct1 impressive meaning1
 is the true  interpretation4    ,now   
that ,i understood ,jesus to forbid     
anger1 whatever the cause1 and  without 
distinction of persons1 the warning     
against the use of the words  raca and  
fool had a purport quite distinct from  
any prohibition with  regard to the     
utterance of abusive epithets4 ,the     
strange ,hebrew word1  raca1 which is   
not translated in the ,greek text1      
serves to reveal the  meaning4 ,raca    
means1 literally1 vain1 empty1 that     
which does not  exist4 ,it was much used
 by the ,hebrews to express exclusion4  
,it is  employed in the plural form in  
,judges ix4 #d1 in the sense1 empty and 
vain4 ,this word ,jesus forbids us to   
apply to any one1 as he forbids us  to  
use the word fool1 which1 like raca1    
relieves us of all the  obligations of  

humanity4 ,we get angry1 we do evil to  
men1 and then to  excuse ourselves we   
say that the object of our anger is an  
empty person1  the refuse of a man1 a   
fool4 ,it is precisely such words as    
these that  ,jesus forbids us to apply  
to men4 ,he exhorts us not to be angry  
with any  one1 and not to excuse our    
anger with the plea that we have to do  
with a  vain person1 a person bereft of 
reason4    ,and so in place of          
insignificant1 vague1 and uncertain     
phrases subject  to arbitrary           
interpretation1 ,i found in ,matthew v4 
#ba-bf the first  commandment of ,jesus3
 ,live in peace with all men4 ,do not   
regard anger as  justifiable under any  
circumstances4 ,never look upon a human 
being as  worthless or as a fool4 ,not  
only refrain from anger yourself1 but do
  not regard the anger of others toward 
you as vain4 ,if any one is angry  with 
you1 even without reason1 be reconciled 
to him1 that all hostile  feelings may  
be effaced4 ,agree quickly with those   

that have a grievance  against you1 lest
 animosity prevail to your loss4    ,the
 first commandment of ,jesus being thus 
freed from obscurity1 ,i was  able to   
understand the second1 which also begins
 with a reference to the  ancient law3--
    ,ye have heard that it was said by  
them of old time1 ,thou shalt not       
commit adultery3 ,but ,i say unto you1  
,that whosoever looketh on a woman  to  
lust after her hath committed adultery  
with her already in his heart4  ,and if 
thy right eye offend thee1 pluck it out1
 and cast it from thee3  for it is      
profitable for thee that one of thy     
members should perish1 and  not that thy
 whole body should be cast into hell4   
,and if thy right hand  offend thee1 cut
 it off1 and cast it from thee3 for it  
is profitable for  thee that one of thy 
members should perish1 and not that thy 
whole body  should be cast into hell4   
,it hath been said1#e ,whosoever shall  
put away  his wife1 saving for the cause
 of fornication1 causeth her to commit  

adultery3 and whosoever shall marry her 
that is divorced committeth  adultery4  
7,matt4 v4 #bg-cb47         #e ,deut4   
xxiv4 #a4    ,by these words ,i         
understood that a man ought not1 even in
 imagination1  to admit that he could   
approach any woman save her to whom he  
had once  been united1 and her he might 
never abandon to take another1 although 
permitted to do so by the ,mosaic law4  
,in the first commandment1 ,jesus       
counselled us to extinguish the germ of 
anger1 and illustrated his meaning by   
the fate of the man who is  delivered to
 the judges2 in the second commandment1 
,jesus declares that  debauchery arises 
from the disposition of men and women to
 regard one  another as instruments of  
voluptuousness1 and1 this being so1 we  
ought  to guard against every idea that 
excites to sensual desire1 and1 once    
united to a woman1 never to abandon her 
on any pretext1 for women thus          
abandoned are sought by other men1 and  
so debauchery is introduced into  the   

world4    ,the wisdom of this           
commandment impressed me profoundly4 ,it
 would  suppress all the evils in the   
world that result from the sexual       
relations4 ,convinced that license in   
the sexual relations leads to           
contention1 men1 in obedience to this   
injunction1 would avoid every  cause for
 voluptuousness1 and1 knowing that the  
law of humanity is to  live in couples1 
would so unite themselves1 and never    
destroy the bond  of union4 ,all the    
evils arising from dissensions caused by
 sexual  attraction would be suppressed1
 since there would be neither men nor   
women deprived of the sexual relation4  
,but ,i was much more impressed1 as ,i  
read the ,sermon on the ,mount1 with    
the words1 ,saving for the cause of     
fornication1 which permitted a man  to  
repudiate his wife in case of           
infidelity4 ,the very form in which the 
idea was expressed seemed to me unworthy
 of the dignity of the  occasion1 for   
here1 side by side with the profound    

truths of the ,sermon  on the ,mount1   
occurred1 like a note in a criminal     
code1 this strange  exception to the    
general rule2 but ,i shall not dwell    
upon the question  of form2 ,i shall    
speak only of the exception itself1 so  
entirely in  contradiction with the     
fundamental idea4    ,i consulted the   
commentators2 all1 ,chrysostom and the  
others1 even  authorities on exegesis   
like ,reuss1 all recognized the meaning 
of the  words to be that ,jesus         
permitted divorce in case of infidelity 
on the  part of the woman1 and that1 in 
the exhortation against divorce in the  
nineteenth chapter of ,matthew1 the same
 words had the same  signification4 ,i  
read the thirty-second verse of the     
fifth chapter again  and again1 and     
reason refused to accept the            
interpretation4 ,to verify my  doubts ,i
 consulted the other portions of the    
,new ,testament texts1 and ,i  found in 
,matthew 7xix471 ,mark 7x471 ,luke      
7xvi471 and in the first  epistle of    

,paul to the ,corinthians1 affirmation  
of the doctrine of the  indissolubility 
of marriage4 ,in ,luke 7xvi4 #ah7 it is 
said3--    ,whosoever putteth away his  
wife1 and marrieth another1 committeth  
adultery3 and whosoever marrieth her    
that is put away from her husband       
committeth adultery4    ,in ,mark 7x4   
#e-ab7 the doctrine is also proclaimed  
without any exception  whatever3--      
,for the hardness of your heart he      
,moses wrote you this precept4  ,but    
from the beginning of the creation ,god 
made them male and female4  ,for this   
cause shall a man leave his father and  
mother1 and cleave to  his wife2 ,and   
they twain shall be one flesh3 so then  
they are no more  twain1 but one flesh4 
,what therefore ,god hath joined        
together1 let not  man put asunder4 ,and
 in the house his disciples asked him   
again of the  same matter4 ,and he said 
unto them1 ,whosoever shall put away his
 wife1  and marry another1 committeth   
adultery against her4 ,and if a woman   

shall  put away her husband1 and be     
married to another1 she committeth      
adultery4    ,the same idea is expressed
 in ,matt4 xix4 #d-i4 ,paul1 in the     
first epistle  to the ,corinthians 7vii4
 #a-aa71 develops systematically the    
idea that  the only way of preventing   
debauchery is that every man have his   
own  wife1 and every woman have her own 
husband1 and that they mutually  satisfy
 the sexual instinct2 then he says1     
without equivocation1 ,let  not the wife
 depart from her husband3 ,but and if   
she depart1 let her  remain unmarried1  
or be reconciled to her husband3 and let
 not the  husband put away his wife4    
,according to ,mark1 and ,luke1 and     
,paul1 divorce is forbidden4 ,it is     
forbidden by the assertion repeated in  
two of the ,gospels1 that husband  and  
wife are one flesh whom ,god hath joined
 together4 ,it is forbidden by  the     
doctrine of ,jesus1 who exhorts us to   
pardon every one1 without  excepting the
 adulterous woman4 ,it is forbidden by  

the general sense of  the whole passage1
 which explains that divorce is         
provocative of  debauchery1 and for this
 reason that divorce with an adulterous 
woman is  prohibited4    ,upon what1    
then1 is based the opinion that divorce 
is permissible in  case of infidelity on
 the part of the woman8 ,upon the words 
which had so  impressed me in ,matt4 v4 
#cb2 the words every one takes to mean  
that  ,jesus permits divorce in case of 
adultery by the woman2 the words1       
repeated in ,matt4 xix4 #i1 in a number 
of copies of the ,gospel text1 and  by  
many ,fathers of the ,church1--the      
words1 unless for the cause of          
adultery4 ,i studied these words        
carefully anew4 ,for a long time ,i     
could  not understand them4 ,it seemed  
to me that there must be a defect in the
  translation1 and an erroneous         
exegesis2 but where was the source of   
the  error8 ,i could not find it2 and   
yet the error itself was very plain4    
,in opposition to the ,mosaic law1 which

 declares that if a man take an         
aversion to his wife he may write her a 
bill of divorcement and send her  out of
 his house--in opposition to this law   
,jesus is made to declare1  ,but ,i say 
unto you1 ,that whosoever shall put away
 his wife1 saving for  the cause of     
fornication1 causeth her to commit      
adultery4 ,i saw  nothing in these words
 to allow us to affirm that divorce was 
either  permitted or forbidden4 ,it is  
said that whoever shall put away his    
wife  causes her to commit adultery1 and
 then an exception is made with regard  
to a woman guilty of adultery4 ,this    
exception1 which throws the guilt of    
marital infidelity entirely upon the    
woman is1 in general1 strange and       
unexpected2 but here1 in relation to the
 context1 it is simply absurd1  for even
 the very doubtful meaning which might  
otherwise be attributed  to it is wholly
 destroyed4 ,whoever puts away his wife 
exposes her to the  crime of adultery1  
and yet a man is permitted to put away a

 wife guilty  of adultery1 as if a woman
 guilty of adultery would no more commit
  adultery after she were put away4     
,but this is not all2 when ,i had       
examined this passage attentively1 ,i   
found it also to be lacking in          
grammatical meaning4 ,the words are1    
,whoever shall put away his wife1 except
 for the fault of adultery1  exposes her
 to the commission of adultery1--and the
 proposition is  complete4 ,it is a     
question of the husband1 of him who in  
putting away  his wife exposes her to   
the commission of the crime of adultery2
 what1  then1 is the purport of the     
qualifying phrase1 except for the fault 
of  adultery8 ,if the proposition were  
in this form3 ,whoever shall put away   
his wife is guilty of adultery1 unless  
the wife herself has been               
unfaithful--it would be grammatically   
correct4 ,but as the passage now        
stands1 the subject whoever has no other
 predicate than the word  exposes1 with 
which the phrase except for the fault of

 adultery  cannot be connected4 ,what1  
then1 is the purport of this phrase8 ,it
 is  plain that whether for or without  
the fault of adultery on the part of    
the woman1 the husband who puts away his
 wife exposes her to the  commission of 
adultery4    ,the proposition is        
analogous to the following sentence3    
,whoever refuses  food to his son1      
besides the fault of spitefulness1      
exposes him to the  possibility of being
 cruel4 ,this sentence evidently cannot 
mean that a  father may refuse food to  
his son if the latter is spiteful4 ,it  
can only  mean that a father who refuses
 food to his son1 besides being spiteful
  towards his son1 exposes his son to   
the possibility of becoming cruel4  ,and
 in the same way1 the ,gospel           
proposition would have a meaning if we  
could replace the words1 the fault of   
adultery1 by libertinism1  debauchery1  
or some similar phrase1 expressing not  
an act but a quality4    ,and so ,i     
asked myself if the meaning here was not

 simply that whoever  puts away his     
wife1 besides being himself guilty of   
libertinism 7since  no one puts away his
 wife except to take another71 exposes  
his wife to  the commission of adultery8
 ,if1 in the original text1 the word    
translated adultery or fornication had  
the meaning of libertinism1  the meaning
 of the passage would be clear4 ,and    
then ,i met with the same  experience   
that had happened to me before in       
similar instances4 ,the text  confirmed 
my suppositions and entirely effaced my 
doubts4    ,the first thing that        
occurred to me in reading the text was  
that the  word ,greek3 porneia1         
translated in common with ,greek3       
moichasthai1  adultery or fornication1  
is an entirely different word from the  
latter4 ,but perhaps these two words are
 used as synonyms in the ,gospels8  ,i  
consulted the dictionary1 and found that
 the word ,greek3 porneia1              
corresponding in ,hebrew to zanah1 in   
,latin to fornicatio1 in ,german  to    

hurerei1 in ,french to libertinage1 has 
a very precise meaning1  and that it    
never has signified1 and never can      
signify1 the act of  adultery1 ehebruch1
 as ,luther and the ,germans after him  
have rendered  the word4 ,it signifies a
 state of depravity1--a quality1 and not
 an  act1--and never can be properly    
translated by adultery or  fornication4 
,i found1 moreover1 that adultery is    
expressed  throughout the ,gospel1 as   
well as in the passage under            
consideration1 by  the word ,greek3     
moicheu4 ,i had only to correct the     
false translation1  which had evidently 
been made intentionally1 to render      
absolutely  inadmissible the meaning    
attributed by commentators to the text1 
and to  show the proper grammatical     
relation of ,greek3 porneia to the      
subject  of the sentence4    ,a person  
acquainted with ,greek would construe as
 follows3 ,greek3  parektos1 except1    
outside1 ,greek3 logou1 the matter1 the 
cause1  ,greek3 porneias1 of            

libertinism1 ,greek3 poiei1 obliges1    
,greek3  autn1 her1 ,greek3 moichasthai1
 to be an adulteress--which  rendering  
gives1 word for word1 ,whoever puts away
 his wife1 besides the  fault of        
libertinism1 obliges her to be an       
adulteress4    ,we obtain the same      
meaning from ,matt4 xix4 #i4 ,when we   
correct the  unauthorized translation of
 ,greek3 porneia1 by substituting       
libertinism for fornication1 we see at  
once that the phrase ,greek3  ei m epi  
porneia cannot apply to wife4 ,and as   
the words ,greek3  parektos logou       
porneias could signify nothing else than
 the fault of  libertinism on the part  
of the husband1 so the words ,greek3 ei 
m epi  porneia1 in the nineteenth       
chapter1 can have no other than the same
  meaning4 ,the phrase ,greek3 ei m epi 
porneia is1 word for word1 if  this is  
not through libertinism 7to give one's  
self up to  libertinism74 ,the meaning  
then becomes clear4 ,jesus replies to   
the  theory of the ,pharisees1 that a   

man who abandons his wife to marry      
another without the intention of giving 
himself up to libertinism does  not     
commit adultery--,jesus replies to this 
theory that the abandonment  of a wife1 
that is1 the cessation of sexual        
relations1 even if not for  the purpose 
of libertinism1 but to marry another1 is
 none the less  adultery4 ,thus we come 
at the simple meaning of this           
commandment--a  meaning which accords   
with the whole doctrine1 with the words 
of which  it is the complement1 with    
grammar1 and with logic4 ,this simple   
and  clear interpretation1 harmonizing  
so naturally with the doctrine and the  
words from which it was derived1 ,i     
discovered after the most careful and   
prolonged research4 ,upon a premeditated
 alteration of the text had been  based 
an exegesis which destroyed the moral1  
religious1 logical1 and  grammatical    
meaning of ,jesus' words4    ,and thus  
once more ,i found a confirmation of the
 terrible fact that the  meaning of the 

doctrine of ,jesus is simple and clear1 
that its  affirmations are emphatic and 
precise1 but that commentaries upon the 
doctrine1 inspired by a desire to       
sanction existing evil1 have so         
obscured it that determined effort is   
demanded of him who would know the      
truth4 ,if the ,gospels had come down to
 us in a fragmentary condition1 it      
would have been easier 7so it seemed to 
me7 to restore the true meaning  of the 
text than to find that meaning now1     
beneath the accumulations of  fallacious
 comments which have apparently no      
purpose save to conceal the  doctrine   
they are supposed to expound4 ,with     
regard to the passage under             
consideration1 it is plain that to      
justify the divorce of some ,byzantine  
emperor this ingenious pretext was      
employed to obscure the doctrine        
regulating the relations between the    
sexes4 ,when we have rejected the       
suggestions of the commentators1 we     
escape from the mist of uncertainty1    

and the second commandment of ,jesus    
becomes precise and clear4 ,guard       
against libertinism4 ,let every man     
justified in entering into the sexual   
relation have one wife1 and every wife  
one husband1 and under no pretext       
whatever let this union be violated by  
either4           99       99       99  
99       99    ,immediately after the   
second commandment is another reference 
to the  ancient law1 followed by the    
third commandment3--    ,again1 ye have 
heard that it hath been said#f by them  
of old time1  ,thou shalt not forswear  
thyself1 but shalt perform unto the     
,lord thine  oaths3 ,but ,i say unto    
you1 ,swear not at all2 neither by      
heaven2 for it  is ,god's throne3 ,nor  
by the earth2 for it is his footstool3  
neither by  ,jerusalem2 for it is the   
city of the great king4 ,neither shalt  
thou  swear by thy head1 because thou   
canst not make one hair white or black4 
,but let your communications be1 ,yea1  
yea2 ,nay1 nay3 for whatsoever is  more 

than these cometh of evil4 7,matt4 v4   
#cc-cg47         #f ,levit4 xix4 #ab2   
,deut4 xxiii4 #ba1 #cd4    ,this passage
 always troubled me when ,i read it4 ,it
 did not trouble me by  its obscurity1  
like the passage about divorce2 or by   
conflicting with  other passages1 like  
the authorization of anger for cause2 or
 by the  difficulty in the way of       
obedience1 as in the case of the command
 to  turn the other cheek2--it troubled 
me rather by its very clearness1        
simplicity1 and practicality4 ,side by  
side with rules whose magnitude  and    
importance ,i felt profoundly1 was this 
saying1 which seemed to me  superfluous1
 frivolous1 weak1 and without           
consequence to me or to  others4 ,i     
naturally did not swear1 either by      
,jerusalem1 or by heaven1 or  by        
anything else1 and it cost me not the   
least effort to refrain from  doing so2 
on the other hand1 it seemed to me that 
whether ,i swore or did  not swear could
 not be of the slightest importance to  

any one4 ,and  desiring to find an      
explanation of this rule1 which troubled
 me through  its very simplicity1 ,i    
consulted the commentators4 ,they were  
in this  case of great assistance to me4
    ,the commentators all found in these
 words a confirmation of the third      
commandment of ,moses1--not to swear by 
the name of the ,lord2 but1 in  addition
 to this1 they explained that this      
commandment of ,jesus against  an oath  
was not always obligatory1 and had no   
reference whatever to the  oath which   
citizens are obliged to take before the 
authorities4 ,and they  brought together
 ,scripture citations1 not to support   
the direct meaning  of ,jesus'          
commandment1 but to prove when it ought 
and ought not to be  obeyed4 ,they      
claimed that ,jesus had himself         
sanctioned the oath in  courts of       
justice by his reply1 ,thou hast said1  
to the words of the  ,high ,priest1 ,i  
adjure thee by the living ,god2 that the
 apostle ,paul  invoked ,god to witness 

the truth of his words1 which invocation
 was  evidently equivalent to an oath2  
that the law of ,moses proscribing the  
oath was not abrogated by ,jesus2 and   
that ,jesus forbade only false  oaths1  
the oaths of ,pharisees and hypocrites4 
,when ,i had read these  comments1 ,i   
understood that unless ,i excepted from 
the oaths forbidden  by ,jesus the oath 
of fidelity to the ,state1 the          
commandment was as  insignificant as    
superficial1 and as easy to practise as 
,i had supposed4    ,and ,i asked myself
 the question1 ,does this passage       
contain an  exhortation to abstain from 
an oath that the commentators of the    
,church  are so zealous to justify8     
,does it not forbid us to take the oath 
indispensable to the assembling of men  
into political groups and the  formation
 of a military caste8 ,the soldier1 that
 special instrument of  violence1 goes  
in ,russia by the nickname of prissaiaga
 7sworn in74 ,if  ,i had asked the      
soldier at the ,borovitzky ,gate how he 

solved the  contradiction between the   
,gospels and military regulations1 he   
would  have replied that he had taken   
the oath1 that is1 that he had sworn by 
the ,gospels4 ,this is the reply that   
soldiers always make4 ,the oath is so   
indispensable to the horrors of war and 
armed coercion that in ,france1  where  
,christianity is out of favor1 the oath 
remains in full force4 ,if  ,jesus did  
not say in so many words1 ,do not take  
an oath1 the  prohibition ought to be a 
consequence of his teaching4 ,he came to
  suppress evil1 and1 if he did not     
condemn the oath1 he left a terrible    
evil untouched4 ,it may be said1        
perhaps1 that at the time at which      
,jesus  lived this evil passed          
unperceived2 but this is not true4      
,epictetus and  ,seneca declare against 
the taking of oaths4 ,a similar rule is 
inscribed  in the laws of ,mani4 ,the   
,jews of the time of ,jesus made        
proselytes1 and  obliged them to take   
the oath4 ,how could it be said that    

,jesus did not  perceive this evil when 
he forbade it in clear1 direct1 and     
circumstantial terms8 ,he said1 ,swear  
not at all4 ,this expression is  as     
simple1 clear1 and absolute as the      
expression1 ,judge not1 condemn  not1   
and is as little subject to explanation2
 moreover1 he added to  this1 ,let your 
communication be1 ,yea1 yea2 ,nay1 nay3 
for whatsoever is  more than these      
cometh of evil4    ,if obedience to the 
doctrine of ,jesus consists in perpetual
 observance  of the will of ,god1 how   
can a man swear to observe the will of  
another  man or other men8 ,the will of 
,god cannot coincide with the will of   
man4  ,and this is precisely what ,jesus
 said in ,matt4 v4 #cf3--    ,neither   
shalt thou swear by thy head1 because   
thou canst not make one  hair white or  
black4    ,and the apostle ,james says  
in his epistle1 v4 #ab3--    ,but above 
all things1 my brethren1 swear not1     
neither by heaven1  neither by earth1   
neither by any other oath3 but let your 

yea be yea2  and your nay1 nay2 lest ye 
fall into condemnation4    ,the apostle 
tells us clearly why we must not swear3 
the oath in itself  may be unimportant1 
but by it men are condemned1 and so we  
ought not to  swear at all4 ,how could  
we express more clearly the saying of   
,jesus and  his apostle8    ,my ideas   
had become so confused that for a long  
time ,i had kept before  me the         
question1 ,do the words and the meaning 
of this passage agree8--it  does not    
seem possible4 ,but1 after having read  
the commentaries  attentively1 ,i saw   
that the impossible had become a fact4  
,the  explanations of the commentators  
were in harmony with those they had     
offered concerning the other            
commandments of ,jesus3 judge not1 be   
not  angry1 do not violate the marital  
bonds4    ,we have organized a social   
order which we cherish and look upon as 
sacred4 ,jesus1 whom we recognize as    
,god1 comes and tells us that our       
social organization is wrong4 ,we       

recognize him as ,god1 but we are not   
willing to renounce our social          
institutions4 ,what1 then1 are we to do8
  ,add1 if we can1 the words without a  
cause to render void the command        
against anger2 mutilate the sense of    
another law1 as audacious  prevaricators
 have done by substituting for the      
command absolutely  forbidding divorce1 
phraseology which permits divorce2 and  
if there is  no possible way of deriving
 an equivocal meaning1 as in the case of
 the  commands1 ,judge not1 condemn not1
 and ,swear not at all1 then  with the  
utmost effrontery openly violate the    
rule while affirming that  we obey it4  
,in fact1 the principal obstacle to a   
comprehension of the truth that the     
,gospel forbids all manner of oaths     
exists in the fact that our             
pseudo-,christian commentators          
themselves1 with unexampled audacity1   
take  oath upon the ,gospel itself4     
,they make men swear by the ,gospel1    
that is  to say1 they do just the       

contrary of what the ,gospel commands4  
,why does  it never occur to the man who
 is made to take an oath upon the cross 
and  the ,gospel that the cross was made
 sacred only by the death of one who    
forbade all oaths1 and that in kissing  
the sacred book he perhaps is  pressing 
his lips upon the very page where is    
recorded the clear and  direct          
commandment1 ,swear not at all8    ,but 
,i was troubled no more with regard to  
the meaning of the passage  comprised in
 ,matt4 v4 #cc-cg when ,i found the     
plain declaration of the  third         
commandment1 that we should take no     
oath1 since all oaths are  imposed for  
an evil purpose4           99       99  
99       99       99    ,after the third
 commandment comes the fourth reference 
to the ancient  law and the enunciation 
of the fourth commandment3--    ,ye have
 heard that it hath been said1 ,an eye  
for an eye1 and a tooth  for a tooth3   
,but ,i say unto you1 ,that ye resist   
not evil3 but whosoever  shall smite    

thee on thy right cheek1 turn to him the
 other also4 ,and if  any man will sue  
thee at the law1 and take away thy coat1
 let him have  thy cloak also4 ,and     
whosoever shall compel thee to go a     
mile1 go with  him twain4 ,give to him  
that asketh thee1 and from him that     
would borrow  of thee turn not thou     
away4 7,matt4 ,v4 #ch-db47    ,i have   
already spoken of the direct and precise
 meaning of these words2  ,i have       
already said that we have no reason     
whatever for basing upon them  an       
allegorical explanation4 ,the comments  
that have been made upon them1  from the
 time of ,chrysostom to our day1 are    
really surprising4 ,the words  are      
pleasing to every one1 and they inspire 
all manner of profound  reflections save
 one1--that these words express exactly 
what ,jesus meant  to say4 ,the ,church 
commentators1 not at all awed by the    
authority of one  whom they recognize as
 ,god1 boldly distort the meaning of his
 words4  ,they tell us1 of course1 that 

these commandments to bear offences and 
to  refrain from reprisals are directed 
against the vindictive character of  the
 ,jews2 they not only do not exclude all
 general measures for the  repression of
 evil and the punishment of evil-doers1 
but they exhort  every one to individual
 and personal effort to sustain justice1
 to  apprehend aggressors1 and to       
prevent the wicked from inflicting evil 
upon others1--for1 otherwise 7they tell 
us7 these spiritual commandments  of the
 ,saviour would become1 as they became  
among the ,jews1 a dead  letter1 and    
would serve only to propagate evil and  
to suppress virtue4  ,the love of the   
,christian should be patterned after the
 love of ,god2 but  divine love         
circumscribes and reproves evil only as 
may be required for  the glory of ,god  
and the safety of his servants4 ,if evil
 is propagated1  we must set bounds to  
evil and punish it1--now this is the    
duty of  authorities4#g         #g ,this
 citation is taken from the             

,commentaries on the ,gospel1       by  
the ,archbishop ,michael1 a work based  
upon the writings of the       ,fathers 
of the ,church4    ,christian scholars  
and free-thinkers are not embarrassed by
 the meaning  of these words of ,jesus1 
and do not hesitate to correct them4    
,the  sentiments here expressed1 they   
tell us1 are very noble1 but are        
completely inapplicable to life2 for if 
we practised to the letter the          
commandment1 ,resist not evil1 our      
entire social fabric would be           
destroyed4 ,this is what ,renan1        
,strauss1 and all the liberal           
commentators  tell us4 ,if1 however1 we 
take the words of ,jesus as we would    
take the  words of any one who speaks to
 us1 and admit that he says exactly what
  he does say1 all these profound       
circumlocutions vanish away4 ,jesus     
says1  ,your social system is absurd and
 wrong4 ,i propose to you another4 ,and 
then he utters the teachings reported by
 ,matthew 7v4 #ch-db74 ,it would  seem  

that before correcting them one ought to
 understand them2 now this  is exactly  
what no one wishes to do4 ,we decide in 
advance that the  social order which    
controls our existence1 and which is    
abolished by  these words1 is the       
superior law of humanity4    ,for my    
part1 ,i consider our social order to be
 neither wise nor sacred2  and that is  
why ,i have understood this commandment 
when others have not4  ,and when ,i had 
understood these words just as they are 
written1 ,i was  struck with their      
truth1 their lucidity1 and their        
precision4 ,jesus  said1 ,you wish to   
suppress evil by evil2 this is not      
reasonable4 ,to  abolish evil1 avoid the
 commission of evil4 ,and then he       
enumerates  instances where we are in   
the habit of returning evil for evil1   
and says  that in these cases we ought  
not so to do4    ,this fourth           
commandment was the one that ,i first   
understood2 and it  revealed to me the  
meaning of all the others4 ,this simple1

 clear1 and  practical fourth           
commandment says3 ,never resist evil by 
force1 never  return violence for       
violence3 if any one beat you1 bear it2 
if one would  deprive you of anything1  
yield to his wishes2 if any one would   
force you  to labor1 labor2 if any one  
would take away your property1 abandon  
it at  his demand4           99       99
       99       99       99    ,after   
the fourth commandment we find a fifth  
reference to the ancient  law1 followed 
by the fifth commandment3--    ,ye have 
heard that it hath been said1#h ,thou   
shall love thy neighbor  and hate thine 
enemy4 ,but ,i say unto you1 ,love your 
enemies1 bless them  that curse you1 do 
good to them that hate you1 and pray for
 them which  despitefully use you1 and  
persecute you2 ,that ye may be the      
children of  your ,father which is in   
heaven3 for he maketh his sun to rise on
 the  evil and on the good1 and sendeth 
rain on the just and on the unjust4     
,for if ye love them which love you1    

what reward have ye8 do not even the    
publicans the same8 ,and if ye salute   
your brethren only1 what do ye more     
than others8 do not even the publicans  
so8 ,be ye therefore perfect1 even  as  
your ,father which is in heaven is      
perfect4 7,matt4 v4 #dc-dh47         #h 
,see ,levit4 xix4 #ag1 #ah4    ,these   
verses ,i had formerly regarded as a    
continuation1 an exposition1  an        
enforcement1 ,i might almost say an     
exaggeration1 of the words1  ,resist not
 evil4 ,but as ,i had found a simple1   
precise1 and practical  meaning in each 
of the passages beginning with a        
reference to the  ancient law1 ,i       
anticipated a similar experience here4  
,after each  reference of this sort had 
thus far come a commandment1 and each   
commandment had been important and      
distinct in meaning2 it ought to be  so 
now4 ,the closing words of the passage1 
repeated by ,luke1 which are to  the    
effect that ,god makes no distinction of
 persons1 but lavishes his  gifts upon  

all1 and that we1 following his         
precepts1 ought to regard all  men as   
equally worthy1 and to do good to       
all1--these words were clear2  they     
seemed to me to be a confirmation and   
exposition of some definite  law--but   
what was this law8 ,for a long time ,i  
could not understand it4    ,to love    
one's enemies8--this was impossible4 ,it
 was one of those sublime  thoughts that
 we must look upon only as an indication
 of a moral ideal  impossible of        
attainment4 ,it demanded all or nothing4
 ,we might1 perhaps1  refrain from doing
 injury to our enemies--but to love     
them6--no2 ,jesus  did not command the  
impossible4 ,and besides1 in the words  
referring to  the ancient law1 ,ye have 
heard that it hath been said1 ,thou     
shalt 444  hate thine enemy1 there was  
cause for doubt4 ,in other references   
,jesus cited textually the terms of the 
,mosaic law2 but here he  apparently    
cites words that have no such authority2
 he seems to  calumniate the law of     

,moses4    ,as with regard to my former 
doubts1 so now the commentators gave me 
no  explanation of the difficulty4 ,they
 all agreed that the words hate  thine  
enemy were not in the ,mosaic law1 but  
they offered no suggestion  as to the   
meaning of the unauthorized phrase4     
,they spoke of the  difficulty of loving
 one's enemies1 that is1 wicked men     
7thus they  emended ,jesus' words72 and 
they said that while it is impossible to
 love  our enemies1 we may refrain from 
wishing them harm and from inflicting   
injury upon them4 ,moreover1 they       
insinuated that we might and should     
convince our enemies1 that is1 resist   
them2 they spoke of the  different      
degrees of love for our enemies which we
 might attain--from  all of which the   
final conclusion was that ,jesus1 for   
some inexplicable  reason1 quoted as    
from the law of ,moses words not to be  
found therein1  and then uttered a      
number of sublime phrases which at      
bottom are  impracticable and empty of  

meaning4    ,i could not agree with this
 conclusion4 ,in this passage1 as in the
  passages containing the first four    
commandments1 there must be some  clear 
and precise meaning4 ,to find this      
meaning1 ,i set myself first of  all to 
discover the purport of the words       
containing the inexact  reference to the
 ancient law1 ,ye have heard that it    
hath been said1  ,thou shalt444 hate    
thine enemy4 ,jesus had some reason for 
placing at  the head of each of his     
commandments certain portions of the    
ancient law  to serve as the antitheses 
of his own doctrine4 ,if we do not      
understand  what is meant by the        
citations from the ancient law1 we      
cannot  understand what ,jesus          
proscribed4 ,the commentators say       
frankly 7it is  impossible not to say   
so7 that ,jesus in this instance made   
use of words  not to be found in the    
,mosaic law1 but they do not tell us why
 he did so  or what meaning we are to   
attach to the words thus used4    ,it   

seemed to me above all necessary to know
 what ,jesus had in view when  he cited 
these words which are not to be found in
 the law4 ,i asked  myself what these   
words could mean4 ,in all other         
references of the sort1  ,jesus quotes a
 single rule from the ancient law3 ,thou
 shalt not  kill--,thou shalt not commit
 adultery--,thou shalt not forswear     
thyself--,an eye for an eye1 a tooth for
 a tooth--and with regard to  each rule 
he propounds his own doctrine4 ,in the  
instance under  consideration1 he cites 
two contrasting rules3 ,ye have heard   
that it  hath been said1 ,thou shalt    
love thy neighbor and hate thine        
enemy1--from which it would appear that 
the contrast between these two  rules of
 the ancient law1 relative to one's     
neighbor and one's enemy1  should be the
 basis of the new law4 ,to understand   
clearly what this  contrast was1 ,i     
sought for the meanings of the words    
neighbor and  enemy1 as used in the     
,gospel text4 ,after consulting         

dictionaries and  ,biblical texts1 ,i   
was convinced that neighbor in the      
,hebrew language  meant1 invariably and 
exclusively1 a ,hebrew4 ,we find the    
same meaning  expressed in the ,gospel  
parable of the ,samaritan4 ,from the    
inquiry of  the ,jewish scribe 7,luke x4
 #bi71 ,and who is my neighbor8 it is   
plain  that he did not regard the       
,samaritan as such4 ,the word neighbor  
is  used with the same meaning in ,acts 
vii4 #bg4 ,neighbor1 in ,gospel         
language1 means a compatriot1 a person  
belonging to the same  nationality4 ,and
 so the antithesis used by ,jesus in the
 citation1 love  thy neighbor1 hate     
thine enemy1 must be in the distinction 
between the  words compatriot and       
foreigner4 ,i then sought for the       
,jewish  understanding of enemy1 and ,i 
found my supposition confirmed4 ,the    
word  enemy is nearly always employed in
 the ,gospels in the sense1 not of a    
personal enemy1 but1 in general1 of a   
hostile people 7,luke i4 #ga1 #gd2      

,matt4 xxii4 #dd2 ,mark xii4 #cf2 ,luke 
xx4 #dc1 etc474 ,the use of the word    
enemy in the singular form1 in the      
phrase hate thine enemy1  convinced me  
that the meaning is a hostile people4   
,in the ,old  ,testament1 the conception
 hostile people is nearly always        
expressed in  the singular form4        
,when ,i understood this1 ,i understood 
why ,jesus1 who had before quoted  the  
authentic words of the law1 had here    
cited the words hate thine  enemy4 ,when
 we understand the word enemy in the    
sense of hostile  people1 and neighbor  
in the sense of compatriot1 the         
difficulty is  completely solved4 ,jesus
 spoke of the manner in which ,moses    
directed  the ,hebrews to act toward    
hostile peoples4 ,the various passages  
scattered through the different books of
 the ,old ,testament1 prescribing  the  
oppression1 slaughter1 and extermination
 of other peoples1 ,jesus  summed up in 
one word1 hate1--make war upon the      
enemy4 ,he said1 in  substance3 ,you    

have heard that you must love those of  
your own race1  and hate foreigners2 but
 ,i say unto you1 love every one without
  distinction of nationality4 ,when ,i  
had understood these words in this  way1
 ,i saw immediately the force of the    
phrase1 ,love your enemies4  ,it is     
impossible to love one's personal       
enemies2 but it is perfectly  possible  
to love the citizens of a foreign nation
 equally with one's  compatriots4 ,and  
,i saw clearly that in saying1 ,ye have 
heard that it  hath been said1 ,thou    
shalt love thy neighbor1 and hate thine 
enemy4 ,but  ,i say unto you1 ,love your
 enemies1 ,jesus meant to say that men  
are in  the habit of looking upon       
compatriots as neighbors1 and foreigners
 as  enemies2 and this he reproved4 ,his
 meaning was that the law of ,moses     
established a difference between the    
,hebrew and the foreigner--the  hostile 
peoples2 but he forbade any such        
difference4 ,and then1 according  to    
,matthew and ,luke1 after giving this   

commandment1 he said that with  ,god all
 men are equal1 all are warmed by the   
same sun1 all profit by the  same rain4 
,god makes no distinction among peoples1
 and lavishes his  gifts upon all men2  
men ought to act exactly in the same way
 toward one  another1 without           
distinction of nationality1 and not like
 the heathen1  who divide themselves    
into distinct nationalities4    ,thus   
once more ,i found confirmed on all     
sides the simple1 clear1  important1 and
 practical meaning of the words of      
,jesus4 ,once more1 in  place of an     
obscure sentence1 ,i had found a clear1 
precise1 important1  and practical rule3
 ,to make no distinction between        
compatriots and  foreigners1 and to     
abstain from all the results of such    
distinction1--from hostility towards    
foreigners1 from wars1 from all         
participation in war1 from all          
preparations for war2 to establish with 
all men1 of whatever nationality1 the   
same relations granted to  compatriots4 

,all this was so simple and so clear1   
that ,i was astonished  that ,i had not 
perceived it from the first4    ,the    
cause of my error was the same as that  
which had perplexed me with  regard to  
the passages relating to judgments and  
the taking of oaths4 ,it  is very       
difficult to believe that tribunals     
upheld by professed  ,christians1 blest 
by those who consider themselves the    
guardians of the  law of ,jesus1 could  
be incompatible with the ,christian     
religion2 could  be1 in fact1           
diametrically opposed to it4 ,it is     
still more difficult to  believe that   
the oath which we are obliged to take by
 the guardians of  the law of ,jesus1 is
 directly reproved by this law4 ,to     
admit that  everything in life that is  
considered essential and natural1 as    
well as  what is considered the most    
noble and grand1--love of country1 its  
defence1 its glory1 battle with its     
enemies1--to admit that all this is  not
 only an infraction of the law of       

,jesus1 but is directly denounced by    
,jesus1--this1 ,i say1 is difficult4    
,our existence is now so entirely in    
contradiction with the doctrine of      
,jesus1 that only with the greatest     
difficulty can we understand its        
meaning4 ,we have been so deaf to the   
rules of life that he has given us1  to 
his explanations1--not only when he     
commands us not to kill1 but when  he   
warns us against anger1 when he commands
 us not to resist evil1 to  turn the    
other cheek1 to love our enemies2 we are
 so accustomed to speak  of a body of   
men especially organized for murder1 as 
a ,christian army1  we are so accustomed
 to prayers addressed to the ,christ for
 the  assurance of victory1 we who have 
made the sword1 that symbol of murder1  
an almost sacred object 7so that a man  
deprived of this symbol1 of his  sword1 
is a dishonored man72 we are so         
accustomed1 ,i say1 to this1 that  the  
words of ,jesus seem to us compatible   
with war4 ,we say1 ,if he had  forbidden

 it1 he would have said so plainly4 ,we 
forget that ,jesus did  not foresee that
 men having faith in his doctrine of    
humility1 love1 and  fraternity1 could  
ever1 with calmness and premeditation1  
organize  themselves for the murder of  
their brethren4    ,jesus did not       
foresee this1 and so he did not forbid a
 ,christian to  participate in war4 ,a  
father who exhorts his son to live      
honestly1 never  to wrong any person1   
and to give all that he has to others1  
would not  forbid his son to kill people
 upon the highway4 ,none of the         
apostles1 no  disciple of ,jesus during 
the first centuries of ,christianity1   
realized  the necessity of forbidding a 
,christian that form of murder which we 
call war4    ,here1 for example1 is what
 ,origen says in his reply to           
,celsus3#i--         #i ,contra ,celsum1
 book ,,viii4 chap4 ,,lxxiii4    ,in the
 next place1 ,celsus urges us 'to help  
the king with all our  might1 and to    
labor with him in the maintenance of    

justice1 to fight for  him2 and1 if he  
requires it1 to fight under him1 or lead
 an army along  with him4' ,to this1 our
 answer is that we do1 when occasion    
requires1  give help to kings1 and that1
 so to say1 a divine help1 'putting on  
the  whole armour of ,god4' ,and this we
 do in obedience to the injunction of   
the apostle1 ',i exhort1 therefore1 that
 first of all1 supplications1  prayers1 
intercessions1 and giving of thanks1 be 
made for all men1 for  kings1 and for   
all that are in authority'2 and the more
 any one excels  in piety1 the more     
effective help does he render to kings1 
even more  than is given by soldiers1   
who go forth to fight and slay as many  
of the  enemy as they can4 ,and to those
 enemies of our faith who require us to 
bear arms for the commonwealth1 and to  
slay men1 we can reply3 ',do not  those 
who are priests at certain shrines1 and 
those who attend on  certain gods1 as   
you account them1 keep their hands free 
from blood1  that they may with hands   

unstained and free from human blood1    
offer the  appointed sacrifices to your 
gods8 and even when war is upon you1 you
  never enlist the priests in the army4 
,if that1 then1 is a laudable  custom1  
how much more so1 that while others are 
engaged in battle1 these  too should    
engage as the priests and ministers of  
,god1 keeping their  hands pure1 and    
wrestling in prayers to ,god on behalf  
of those who are  fighting in a         
righteous cause1 and for the king who   
reigns righteously1  that whatever is   
opposed to those who act righteously may
 be  destroyed6'    ,and at the close of
 the chapter1 in explaining that        
,christians1 through  their peaceful    
lives1 are much more helpful to kings   
than soldiers are1  ,origen says3--     
,and none fight better for the king than
 we do4 ,we do not1 indeed1 fight  under
 him1 although he require it2 but we    
fight on his behalf1 forming a  special 
army1--an army of piety1--by offering   
our prayers to ,god4    ,this is the way

 in which the ,christians of the first  
centuries regarded  war1 and such was   
the language that their leaders         
addressed to the  rulers of the earth at
 a period when martyrs perished by      
hundreds and by  thousands for having   
confessed the religion of ,jesus1 the   
,christ4    ,and now is not the question
 settled as to whether a ,christian may 
or may  not go to war8 ,all young men   
brought up according to the doctrine of 
the  ,church called ,christian1 are     
obliged at a specified date during every
  autumn1 to report at the bureaus of   
conscription and1 under the guidance  of
 their spiritual directors1 deliberately
 to renounce the religion of  ,jesus4   
,not long ago1 there was a peasant who  
refused military service  on the plea   
that it was contrary to the ,gospel4    
,the doctors of the  ,church explained  
to the peasant his error2 but1 as the   
peasant had  faith1 not in their words1 
but in those of ,jesus1 he was thrown   
into  prison1 where he remained until he

 was ready to renounce the law of       
,christ4 ,and all this happened after   
,christians had heard for eighteen      
hundred years the clear1 precise1 and   
practical commandment of their  ,master1
 which teaches not to consider men of   
different nationality as  enemies1 but  
to consider all men as brethren1 and to 
maintain with them  the same relations  
existing among compatriots2 to refrain  
not only from  killing those who are    
called enemies1 but to love them and to 
minister  to their needs4    ,when ,i   
had understood these simple and precise 
commandments of ,jesus1  these          
commandments so ill adapted to the      
ingenious distortions of                
commentators1--,i asked myself what     
would be the result if the whole        
,christian world believed in them1      
believed not only in reading and        
chanting them for the glory of ,god1 but
 also in obeying them for the  good of  
humanity8 ,what would be the result if  
men believed in the  observance of these

 commandments at least as seriously as  
they believe  in daily devotions1 in    
attendance on ,sunday worship1 in weekly
 fasts1 in  the holy sacrament8 ,what   
would be the result if the faith of men 
in  these commandments were as strong as
 their faith in the requirements of  the
 ,church8 ,and then ,i saw in           
imagination a ,christian society living 
according to these commandments and     
educating the younger generation to     
follow their precepts4 ,i tried to      
picture the results if we taught our    
children from infancy1 not what we teach
 them now--to maintain personal         
dignity1 to uphold personal privileges  
against the encroachments of  others    
7which we can never do without          
humiliating or offending  others7--but  
to teach them that no man has a right to
 privileges1 and  can neither be above  
or below any one else2 that he alone    
debases and  demeans himself who tries  
to domineer over others2 that a man can 
be in  a no more contemptible condition 

than when he is angry with another2     
that what may seem to be foolish and    
despicable in another is no excuse  for 
wrath or enmity4 ,i sought to imagine   
the results if1 instead of  extolling   
our social organization as it now is1   
with its theatres1 its  romances1 its   
sumptuous methods for stimulating       
sensuous desires--if1  instead of this1 
we taught our children by precept and by
 example1 that  the reading of          
lascivious romances and attendance at   
theatres and balls  are the most vulgar 
of all distractions1 and that there is  
nothing more  grotesque and humiliating 
than to pass one's time in the          
collection and  arrangement of personal 
finery to make of one's body an object  
of show4  ,i endeavored to imagine a    
state of society where1 instead of      
permitting  and approving libertinism in
 young men before marriage1 instead of  
regarding the separation of husband and 
wife as natural and desirable1  instead 
of giving to women the legal right to   

practise the trade of  prostitution1    
instead of countenancing and sanctioning
 divorce--if1  instead of this1 we      
taught by words and actions that the    
state of  celibacy1 the solitary        
existence of a man properly endowed for1
 and who  has not renounced the sexual  
relation1 is a monstrous and opprobrious
  wrong2 and that the abandonment of    
wife by husband or of husband by wife   
for the sake of another1 is an act      
against nature1 an act bestial and      
inhuman4    ,instead of regarding it as 
natural that our entire existence should
 be  controlled by coercion2 that every 
one of our amusements should be         
provided and maintained by force2 that  
each of us from childhood to old  age   
should be by turns victim and           
executioner--instead of this ,i tried   
to picture the results if1 by precept   
and example1 we endeavored to  inspire  
the world with the conviction that      
vengeance is a sentiment  unworthy of   
humanity2 that violence is not only     

debasing1 but that it  deprives us of   
all capacity for happiness2 that the    
true pleasures of  life are not those   
maintained by force2 and that our       
greatest  consideration ought to be     
bestowed1 not upon those who accumulate 
riches  to the injury of others1 but    
upon those who best serve others and    
give  what they have to lessen the woes 
of their kind4 ,if instead of regarding 
the taking of an oath and the placing of
 ourselves and our lives at the         
disposition of another as a rightful and
 praiseworthy act1--,i tried to  imagine
 what would be the result if we taught  
that the enlightened will  of man is    
alone sacred2 and that if a man place   
himself at the  disposition of any one1 
and promise by oath anything whatever1  
he  renounces his rational manhood and  
outrages his most sacred right4 ,i      
tried to imagine the results1 if1       
instead of the national hatred with     
which we are inspired under the name of 
patriotism2 if1 in place of  the glory  

associated with that form of murder     
which we call war1--if1 in  place of    
this1 we were taught1 on the contrary1  
horror and contempt for  all the        
means--military1 diplomatic1 and        
political--which serve to  divide men2  
if we were educated to look upon the    
division of men into  political ,states1
 and a diversity of codes and frontiers1
 as an  indication of barbarism2 and    
that to massacre others is a most       
horrible  forfeit1 which can only be    
exacted of a depraved and misguided man1
 who  has fallen to the lowest level of 
the brute4 ,i imagined that all men had 
arrived at these convictions1 and ,i    
considered what ,i thought would be  the
 result4    ,up to this time 7,i said71 
what have been the practical results of 
the  doctrine of ,jesus as ,i understand
 it8 and the involuntary reply was1     
,nothing4 ,we continue to pray1 to      
partake of the sacraments1 to believe   
in the redemption1 and in our personal  
salvation as well as that of the  world 

by ,jesus the ,christ1--and yet that    
this salvation will never come  by our  
efforts1 but will come because the      
period set for the end of the  world    
will have arrived when the ,christ will 
appear in his glory to  judge the quick 
and the dead1 and the kingdom of heaven 
will be  established4    ,now the       
doctrine of ,jesus1 as ,i understood it1
 had an entirely different  meaning4    
,the establishment of the kingdom of    
,god depended upon our  personal efforts
 in the practice of ,jesus' doctrine as 
propounded in the  five commandments1   
which instituted the kingdom of ,god    
upon earth4 ,the  kingdom of ,god upon  
earth consists in this1 that all men    
should be at  peace with one another4   
,it was thus that the ,hebrew prophets  
conceived  of the rule of ,god4 ,peace  
among men is the greatest blessing that 
can  exist upon this earth1 and it is   
within reach of all men4 ,this ideal is 
in every human heart4 ,the prophets all 
brought to men the promise of  peace4   

,the whole doctrine of ,jesus has but   
one object1 to establish  peace--the    
kingdom of ,god--among men4    ,in the  
,sermon on the ,mount1 in the interview 
with ,nicodemus1 in the  instructions   
given to his disciples1 in all his      
teachings1 ,jesus spoke  only of this1  
of the things that divided men1 that    
kept them from peace1  that prevented   
them from entering into the kingdom of  
heaven4 ,the  parables make clear to us 
what the kingdom of heaven is1 and show 
us the  only way of entering therein1   
which is to love our brethren1 and to be
  at peace with all4 ,john the ,baptist1
 the forerunner of ,jesus1 proclaimed   
the approach of the kingdom of ,god1 and
 declared that ,jesus was to bring  it  
upon earth4 ,jesus himself said that his
 mission was to bring peace3--    ,peace
 ,i leave with you1 my peace ,i give    
unto you3 not as the world  giveth1 give
 ,i unto you4 ,let not your heart be    
troubled1 neither let it  be afraid     
7,john xiv4 #bg74    ,and the observance

 of his five commandments will bring    
peace upon the  earth4 ,they all have   
but one object1--the establishment of   
peace among  men4 ,if men will only     
believe in the doctrine of ,jesus and   
practise it1  the reign of peace will   
come upon earth1--not that peace which  
is the  work of man1 partial1           
precarious1 and at the mercy of chance2 
but the  peace that is all-pervading1   
inviolable1 and eternal4    ,the first  
commandment tells us to be at peace with
 every one and to  consider none as     
foolish or unworthy4 ,if peace is       
violated1 we are to  seek to            
re-establish it4 ,the true religion is  
in the extinction of  enmity among men4 
,we are to be reconciled without delay1 
that we may not  lose that inner peace  
which is the true life 7,matt4 v4       
#bb-bd74  ,everything is comprised in   
this commandment2 but ,jesus knew the   
worldly  temptations that prevent peace 
among men4 ,the first temptation        
perilous  to peace is that of the sexual

 relation4 ,we are not to consider the  
body  as an instrument of lust2 each man
 is to have one wife1 and each woman    
one husband1 and one is never to forsake
 the other under any pretext  7,matt4 v4
 #bh-cb74 ,the second temptation is that
 of the oath1 which draws  men into sin2
 this is wrong1 and we are not to be    
bound by any such  promise 7,matt4 v4   
#cd-cg74 ,the third temptation is that  
of vengeance1  which we call human      
justice2 this we are not to resort to   
under any  pretext2 we are to endure    
offences and never to return evil for   
evil  7,matt4 v4 #ch-db74 ,the fourth   
temptation is that arising from         
difference  in nationalities1 from      
hostility between peoples and ,states2  
but we are  to remember that all men are
 brothers1 and children of the same     
,father1  and thus take care that       
difference in nationality leads not to  
the  destruction of peace 7,matt4 v4    
#dc-dh74    ,if men abstain from        
practising any one of these             

commandments1 peace will  be violated4  
,let men practise all these             
commandments1 which exclude evil  from  
the lives of men1 and peace will be     
established upon earth4 ,the  practice  
of these five commandments would realize
 the ideal of human  life existing in   
every human heart4 ,all men would be    
brothers1 each  would be at peace with  
others1 enjoying all the blessings of   
earth to  the limit of years accorded by
 the ,creator4 ,men would beat their    
swords  into ploughshares1 and their    
spears into pruning-hooks1 and then     
would  come the kingdom of ,god1--that  
reign of peace foretold by all the      
prophets1 which was foretold by ,john   
the ,baptist as near at hand1 and  which
 ,jesus proclaimed in the words of      
,isaiah3--    ',the ,spirit of the ,lord
 is upon me1 because he hath anointed me
 to  preach the gospel to the poor2 he  
hath sent me to heal the broken         
hearted1 to preach deliverance to the   
captives1 and recovering of sight  to   

the blind1 to set at liberty them that  
are bruised1 to preach the  acceptable  
year of the ,lord4'#aj444 ,and he began 
to say unto them1  ,to-day hath this    
,scripture been fulfilled in your ears  
7,luke iv4 #ah1  #ai1 #ba74         #aj 
,isaiah lxi4 #a1 #b4    ,the            
commandments for peace given by         
,jesus1--those simple and clear         
commandments1 foreseeing all            
possibilities of discussion1 and        
anticipating all objections1--these     
commandments proclaimed the kingdom  of 
,god upon earth4 ,jesus1 then1 was1 in  
truth1 the ,messiah4 ,he fulfilled  what
 had been promised4 ,but we have not    
fulfilled the commands we must  fulfil  
if the kingdom of ,god is to be         
established upon earth1--that  kingdom  
which men in all ages have earnestly    
desired1 and have sought  for           
continually1 all their days4            
,,chapter ,,vii4      ,,why is it that  
men have not done as ,jesus commanded   
them1 and thus  secured the greatest    

happiness within their reach1 the       
happiness they  have always longed for  
and still desire8 ,the reply to this    
inquiry is  always the same1 although   
expressed in different ways4 ,the       
doctrine of  ,jesus 7we are told7 is    
admirable1 and it is true that if we    
practised  it1 we should see the kingdom
 of ,god established upon earth2 but to 
practise it is difficult1 and           
consequently this doctrine is           
impracticable4 ,the doctrine of ,jesus1 
which teaches men how they should  live1
 is admirable1 is divine2 it brings true
 happiness1 but it is  difficult to     
practise4 ,we repeat this1 and hear it  
repeated so many1  many times1 that we  
do not observe the contradiction        
contained in these  words4    ,it is    
natural to each human being to do what  
seems to him best4 ,any  doctrine       
teaching men how they should live       
instructs them only as to  what is best 
for each4 ,if we show men what they have
 to do to attain  what is best for each1

 how can they say that they would like  
to do it1  but that it is impossible of 
attainment8 ,according to the law of    
their  nature they cannot do what is    
worse for each1 and yet they declare    
that  they cannot do what is best4      
,the reasonable activity of man1 from   
his earliest existence1 has been        
applied to the search for what is best  
among the contradictions that  envelop  
human life4 ,men struggled for the soil1
 for objects which are  necessary to    
them2 then they arrived at the division 
of goods1 and  called this property2    
finding that this arrangement1 although 
difficult  to establish1 was best1 they 
maintained ownership4 ,men fought with  
one  another for the possession of      
women1 they abandoned their children2   
then  they found it was best that each  
should have his own family2 and         
although it was difficult to sustain a  
family1 they maintained the  family1 as 
they did ownership and many other       
things4 ,as soon as they  discover that 

a thing is best1 however difficult of   
attainment1 men do  it4 ,what1 then1 is 
the meaning of the saying that the      
doctrine of ,jesus  is admirable1 that a
 life according to the doctrine of      
,jesus would be  better than the life   
which men now lead1 but that men cannot 
lead this  better life because it is    
difficult8    ,if the word difficult1   
used in this way1 is to be understood in
 the  sense that it is difficult to     
renounce the fleeting satisfaction of   
sensual desires that we may obtain a    
greater good1 why do we not say  that it
 is difficult to labor for bread1       
difficult to plant a tree that  we may  
enjoy the fruit8 ,every being endowed   
with even the most  rudimentary reason  
knows that he must endure difficulties  
to procure any  good1 superior to that  
which he has enjoyed before4 ,and yet we
 say that  the doctrine of ,jesus is    
admirable1 but impossible of practice1  
because  it is difficult6 ,now it is    
difficult1 because in following it we   

are  obliged to deprive ourselves of    
many things that we have hitherto       
enjoyed4 ,have we never heard that it is
 far more to our advantage to  endure   
difficulties and privations than to     
satisfy all our desires8 ,man  may fall 
to the level of the beasts1 but he ought
 not to make use of his  reason to      
devise an apology for his bestiality4   
,from the moment that he  begins to     
reason1 he is conscious of being endowed
 with reason1 and this  consciousness   
stimulates him to distinguish between   
the reasonable and  the unreasonable4   
,reason does not proscribe2 it          
enlightens4    ,suppose that ,i am shut 
into a dark room1 and in searching for  
the door ,i  continually bruise myself  
against the walls4 ,some one brings me a
 light1  and ,i see the door4 ,i ought  
no longer to bruise myself when ,i see  
the  door2 much less ought ,i to affirm 
that1 although it is best to go out     
through the door1 it is difficult to do 
so1 and that1 consequently1 ,i  prefer  

to bruise myself against the walls4     
,in this marvellous argument that the   
doctrine of ,jesus is admirable1 and    
that its practice would give the world  
true happiness1 but that men are  weak  
and sinful1 that they would do the best 
and do the worst1 and so  cannot do the 
best1--in this strange plea there is an 
evident  misapprehension2 there is      
something else besides defective        
reasoning2  there is also a chimerical  
idea4 ,only a chimerical idea1 mistaking
  reality for what does not exist1 and  
taking the non-existent for  reality1   
could lead men to deny the possibility  
of practising that which  by their own  
avowal would be for their true welfare4 
,the chimerical idea which has reduced  
men to this condition is that of  the   
dogmatic ,christian religion1 as it is  
taught through the various  catechisms1 
to all who profess the ,christianity of 
the ,church4 ,this  religion1 according 
to the definition of it given by its    
followers1  consists in accepting as    

real that which does not exist--these   
are  ,paul's words1#aa and they are     
repeated in all the theologies and      
catechisms as the best definition of    
faith4 ,it is this faith in the  reality
 of what does not exist that leads men  
to make the strange  affirmation that   
the doctrine of ,jesus is excellent for 
all men1 but is  worth nothing as a     
guide to their way of living4 ,here is  
an exact  summary of what this religion 
teaches3--         #aa ,heb4 ii4 #b4    
,literally1 ,faith is the support of the
 hoped       for1 the conviction of the 
unseen4    ,a personal ,god1 who is from
 all eternity--one of three             
persons--decided  to create a world of  
spirits4 ,this ,god of goodness created 
the world of  spirits for their own     
happiness1 but it so happened that one  
of the  spirits became spontaneously    
wicked4 ,time passed1 and ,god created a
  material world1 created man for man's 
own happiness1 created man happy1       
immortal1 and without sin4 ,the felicity

 of man consisted in the  enjoyment of  
life without toil2 his immortality was  
due to the promise  that this life      
should last forever2 his innocence was  
due to the fact  that he had no         
conception of evil4    ,man was beguiled
 in paradise by one of the spirits of   
the first  creation1 who had become     
spontaneously wicked4 ,from this dates  
the fall  of man1 who engendered other  
men fallen like himself1 and from this  
time  men have endured toil1 sickness1  
suffering1 death1 the physical and      
moral struggle for existence2 that is to
 say1 the fantastic being  preceding the
 fall became real1 as we know him to be1
 as we have no  right or reason to      
imagine him not to be4 ,the state of man
 who toils1  who suffers1 who chooses   
what is for his own welfare and rejects 
what  would be injurious to him1 who    
dies1--this state1 which is the real and
  only conceivable state1 is not1       
according to the doctrine of this       
religion1 the normal state of man1 but a

 state which is unnatural and           
temporary4    ,although this state1     
according to the doctrine1 has lasted   
for all  humanity since the expulsion of
 ,adam from paradise1 that is1 from the 
commencement of the world until the     
birth of ,jesus1 and has continued      
since the birth of ,jesus under exactly 
the same conditions1 the faithful  are  
asked to believe that this is an        
abnormal and temporary state4           
,according to this doctrine1 the ,son of
 ,god1 the second person of the         
,trinity1 who was himself ,god1 was sent
 by ,god into the world in the garb  of 
humanity to rescue men from this        
temporary and abnormal state2 to        
deliver them from the pains with which  
they had been stricken by this  same    
,god because of ,adam's sin2 and to     
restore them to their former  normal    
state of felicity1--that is to          
immortality1 innocence1 and  idleness4  
,the second person of the ,trinity      
7according to this doctrine71  by       

suffering death at the hands of man1    
atoned for ,adam's sin1 and put  an end 
to that abnormal state which had lasted 
from the commencement of  the world4    
,and from that time onward1 the men who 
have had faith in  ,jesus have returned 
to the state of the first man in        
paradise2 that is1  have become         
immortal1 innocent1 and idle4    ,the   
doctrine does not concern itself too    
closely with the practical  result of   
the redemption1 in virtue of which the  
earth after ,jesus'  coming ought to    
have become once more1 at least for     
believers1  everywhere fertile1 without 
need of human toil2 sickness ought to   
have  ceased1 and mothers have borne    
children without pain2--since it is     
difficult to assure even believers who  
are worn by excessive labor and  broken 
down by suffering1 that toil is light1  
and suffering easy to  endure4    ,but  
that portion of the doctrine which      
proclaims the abrogation of death  and  
of sin1 is affirmed with redoubled      

emphasis4 ,it is asserted that the  dead
 continue to live4 ,and as the dead     
cannot bear witness that they are  dead 
or prove that they are living 7just as a
 stone is unable to affirm  either that 
it can or cannot speak71 this absence of
 denial is admitted  as proof1 and it is
 affirmed that dead men are not dead4   
,it is affirmed  with still more        
solemnity and assurance that1 since the 
coming of ,jesus1  the man who has faith
 in him is free from sin2 that is1 that 
since the  coming of ,jesus1 it is no   
longer necessary that man should guide  
his  life by reason1 and choose what is 
best for himself4 ,he has only to       
believe that ,jesus has redeemed his    
sins and he then becomes infallible1    
that is1 perfect4 ,according to this    
doctrine1 men ought to believe that     
reason is powerless1 and that for this  
cause they are without sin1 that  is1   
cannot err4 ,a faithful believer ought  
to be convinced that since the  coming  
of ,jesus1 the earth brings forth       

without labor1 that childbirth  no      
longer entails suffering1 that diseases 
no longer exist1 and that  death and    
sin1 that is1 error1 are destroyed2 in a
 word1 that what is1  is not1 and what  
is not1 is4    ,such is the rigorously  
logical theory of ,christian theology4  
,this  doctrine1 by itself1 seems to be 
innocent4 ,but deviations from truth are
  never inoffensive1 and the            
significance of their consequences is in
  proportion to the importance of the   
subject to which these errors are       
applied4 ,and here the subject at issue 
is the whole life of man4 ,what  this   
doctrine calls the true life1 is a life 
of personal happiness1  without sin1 and
 eternal2 that is1 a life that no one   
has ever known1  and which does not     
exist4 ,but the life that is1 the only  
life that we  know1 the life that we    
live and that all humanity lives and has
 lived1  is1 according to this doctrine1
 a degraded and evil existence1 a mere  
phantasmagoria of the happy life which  

is our due4    ,of the struggle between 
animal instincts and reason1 which is   
the  essence of human life1 this        
doctrine takes no account4 ,the struggle
 that  ,adam underwent in paradise1 in  
deciding whether to eat or not to eat   
the fruit of the tree of knowledge1 is1 
according to this doctrine1 no  longer  
within the range of human experience4   
,the question was decided1  once for    
all1 by ,adam in paradise4 ,adam sinned 
for all2 in other words1  he did wrong1 
and all men are irretrievably degraded2 
and all our  efforts to live by reason  
are vain and even impious4 ,this ,i     
ought to  know1 for ,i am irreparably   
bad4 ,my salvation does not depend upon 
living  by the light of reason1 and1    
after distinguishing between good and   
evil1  choosing the good2 no1 ,adam1    
once for all1 sinned for me1 and ,jesus1
  once for all1 has atoned for the wrong
 committed by ,adam2 and so ,i  ought1  
as a looker-on1 to mourn over the fall  
of ,adam and rejoice at the  redemption 

through ,jesus4    ,all the love for    
truth and goodness in the heart of man1 
all his efforts  to illuminate his      
spiritual life by the light of reason1  
are not only of  slight importance1     
according to this doctrine2 they are a  
temptation1 an  incitement to pride4    
,life as it is upon this earth1 with all
 its joys  and its splendors1 its       
struggles of reason with darkness1--the 
life of  all men that have lived before 
me1 my own life with its inner struggles
  and triumphs1--all this is not the    
true life2 it is the fallen life1 a     
life irretrievably bad4 ,the true life1 
the life without sin1 is only in  faith1
 that is1 in imagination1 that is1 in   
lunacy4    ,let any one break the habit 
contracted from infancy of believing in 
all  this2 let him look boldly at this  
doctrine as it is2 let him endeavor to  
put himself in the position of a man    
without prejudice1 educated             
independently of this doctrine--and then
 let him ask himself if this  doctrine  

would not appear to such a man as a     
product of absolute  insanity4          
,however strange and shocking all this  
might appear to me1 ,i was obliged  to  
examine into it1 for here alone ,i found
 the explanation of the  objection1 so  
devoid of logic and common-sense1 that  
,i heard everywhere  with regard to the 
impossibility of practising the doctrine
 of ,jesus3 ,it  is admirable1 and would
 give true happiness to men1 but men are
 not able  to obey it4    ,only a       
conviction that reality does not exist1 
and that the non-existent  is real1     
could lead men to this surprising       
contradiction4 ,and this false          
conviction ,i found in the              
pseudo-,christian religion which men had
 been  teaching for fifteen hundred     
years4    ,the objection that the       
doctrine of ,jesus is excellent but     
impracticable1  comes not only from     
believers1 but from sceptics1 from those
 who do not  believe1 or think that they
 do not believe1 in the dogmas of the   

fall of  man and the redemption2 from   
men of science and philosophers who     
consider themselves free from all       
prejudice4 ,they believe1 or imagine    
that they believe1 in nothing1 and so   
consider themselves as above such  a    
superstition as the dogma of the fall   
and the redemption4 ,at first it  seemed
 to me that all such persons had serious
 motives for denying the  possibility of
 practising the doctrine of ,jesus4 ,but
 when ,i came to look  into the source  
of their negation1 ,i was convinced that
 the sceptics1  in common with the      
believers1 have a false conception of   
life2 to them  life is not what it is1  
but what they imagine it ought to       
be1--and this  conception rests upon the
 same foundation as does that of the    
believers4  ,it is true that the        
sceptics1 who pretend to believe in     
nothing1 believe  not in ,god1 or in    
,jesus1 or in ,adam2 but they believe in
 a fundamental  idea which is at the    
basis of their misconception1--in the   

rights of man  to a life of             
happiness1--much more firmly than do the
 theologians4    ,in vain do science and
 philosophy pose as the arbiters of the 
human  mind1 of which they are in fact  
only the servants4 ,religion has        
provided  a conception of life1 and     
science travels in the beaten path4     
,religion  reveals the meaning of life1 
and science only applies this meaning to
  the course of circumstances4 ,and so1 
if religion falsifies the meaning  of   
human life1 science1 which builds upon  
the same foundation1 can only  make     
manifest the same fantastic ideas4      
,according to the doctrine of the       
,church1 men have a right to happiness1 
and this happiness is not the result of 
their own efforts1 but of  external     
causes4 ,this conception has become the 
base of science and  philosophy4        
,religion1 science1 and public opinion  
all unite in telling  us that the life  
we now live is bad1 and at the same time
 they affirm  that the doctrine which   

teaches us how we can succeed in        
ameliorating  life by becoming better1  
is an impracticable doctrine4 ,religion 
says  that the doctrine of ,jesus1 which
 provides a reasonable method for the   
improvement of life by our own efforts1 
is impracticable because ,adam  fell and
 the world was plunged into sin4        
,philosophy says that the  doctrine of  
,jesus is impracticable because human   
life is developed  according to laws    
that are independent of the human will4 
,in other  words1 the conclusions of    
science and philosophy are exactly the  
same as  the conclusion reached by      
religion in the dogmas of original sin  
and the  redemption4    ,there are two  
leading theses at the basis of the      
doctrine of the  redemption3 7#a7 the   
normal life of man is a life of         
happiness1 but our  life on earth is one
 of misery1 and it can never be bettered
 by our own  efforts2 7#b7 our salvation
 is in faith1 which enables us to escape
 from  this life of misery4 ,these two  

theses are the source of the religious  
conceptions of the believers and        
sceptics who make up our                
pseudo-,christian societies4 ,the second
 thesis gave birth to the ,church  and  
its organization2 from the first is     
derived the received tenets of  public  
opinion and our political and           
philosophical theories4 ,the germ of    
all political and philosophical theories
 that seek to justify the  existing     
order of things--such as ,hegelianism   
and its offshoots--is in  this second   
thesis4 ,pessimism1 which demands of    
life what it cannot give  and then      
denies its value1 has also its origin in
 the same dogmatic  proposition4        
,materialism1 with its strange and      
enthusiastic affirmation  that man is   
the product of natural forces and       
nothing more1 is the  legitimate result 
of the doctrine that teaches that life  
on earth is a  degraded existence4      
,spiritism1 with its learned adherents1 
is the best  proof we have that the     

conclusions of philosophy and science   
are based  upon the religious doctrine  
of that eternal happiness which should  
be  the natural heritage of man4        
,this false conception of life has had a
 deplorable influence upon all          
reasonable human activity4 ,the dogma of
 the fall and the redemption has        
debarred man from the most important and
 legitimate field for the  exercise of  
his powers1 and has deprived him        
entirely of the idea that  he can of    
himself do anything to make his life    
happier or better4  ,science and        
philosophy1 proudly believing themselves
 hostile to  pseudo-,christianity1 only 
carry out its decrees4 ,science and     
philosophy  concern themselves with     
everything except the theory that man   
can do  anything to make himself better 
or happier4 ,ethical and moral          
instruction have disappeared from our   
pseudo-,christian society without       
leaving a trace4    ,believers and      
sceptics who concern themselves so      

little with the problem  how to live1   
how to make use of the reason with which
 we are endowed1  ask why our earthly   
life is not what they imagine it ought  
to be1 and  when it will become what    
they wish4 ,this singular phenomenon is 
due to  the false doctrine which has    
penetrated into the very marrow of      
humanity4 ,the effects of the knowledge 
of good and evil1 which man so          
unhappily acquired in paradise1 do not  
seem to have been very lasting2  for1   
neglecting the truth that life is only a
 solution of the  contradictions between
 animal instincts and reason1 he        
stolidly  refrains from applying his    
reason to the discovery of the          
historical  laws that govern his animal 
nature4    ,excepting the philosophical 
doctrines of the pseudo-,christian      
world1 all  the philosophical and       
religious doctrines of which we have    
knowledge--,judaism1 the doctrine of    
,confucius1 ,buddhism1 ,brahmanism1 the 
wisdom of the ,greeks--all aim to       

regulate human life1 and to enlighten   
men with regard to what they must do to 
improve their condition4 ,the  doctrine 
of ,confucius teaches the perfecting of 
the individual2 ,judaism1  personal     
fidelity to an alliance with ,god2      
,buddhism1 how to escape from  a life   
governed by animal instincts2 ,socrates 
taught the perfecting of  the individual
 through reason2 the ,stoics recognized 
the independence of  reason as the sole 
basis of the true life4    ,the         
reasonable activity of man has always   
been--it could not be  otherwise--to    
light by the torch of reason his        
progress toward  beatitude4 ,philosophy 
tells us that free-will is an illusion1 
and then  boasts of the boldness of such
 a declaration4 ,free-will is not only  
an  illusion2 it is an empty word       
invented by theologians and experts in  
criminal law2 to refute it would be to  
undertake a battle with a  wind-mill4   
,but reason1 which illuminates our life 
and impels us to  modify our actions1 is

 not an illusion1 and its authority can 
never be  denied4 ,to obey reason in the
 pursuit of good is the substance of the
  teachings of all the masters of       
humanity1 and it is the substance of the
  doctrine of ,jesus2 it is reason      
itself1 and we cannot deny reason by    
the use of reason4    ,making use of the
 phrase son of man1 ,jesus teaches that 
all men have a  common impulse toward   
good and toward reason1 which leads to  
good4 ,it is  superfluous to attempt to 
prove that son of man means ,son of     
,god4 ,to  understand by the words son  
of man anything different from what they
  signify is to assume that ,jesus1 to  
say what he wished to say1              
intentionally made use of words which   
have an entirely different  meaning4    
,but even if1 as the ,church says1 son  
of man means ,son of  ,god1 the phrase  
son of man applies none the less to man1
 for ,jesus  himself called all men the 
sons of ,god4    ,the doctrine of the   
son of man finds its most complete      

expression in  the interview with       
,nicodemus4 ,every man1 ,jesus says1    
aside from his  consciousness of his    
material1 individual life and of his    
birth in the  flesh1 has also a         
consciousness of a spiritual birth      
7,john iii4 #e1 #f1  #g71 of an inner   
liberty1 of something within2 this comes
 from on high1  from the infinite that  
we call ,god 7,john iii4 #ad-ag72 now it
 is this  inner consciousness born of   
,god1 the son of ,god in man1 that we   
must  possess and nourish if we would   
possess true life4 ,the son of man is   
homogeneous 7of the same race7 with     
,god4    ,whoever lifts up within       
himself this son of ,god1 whoever       
identifies his  life with the spiritual 
life1 will not deviate from the true    
way4 ,men  wander from the way because  
they do not believe in this light which 
is  within them1 the light of which     
,john speaks when he says1 ,in him was  
life2 and the life was the light of men4
 ,jesus tells us to lift up the  son of 

man1 who is the son of ,god1 for a light
 to all men4 ,when we have  lifted up   
the son of man1 we shall then know that 
we can do nothing  without his guidance 
7,john viii4 #bh74 ,asked1 ,who is this 
son of man8  ,jesus answers3--    ,yet a
 little while is the light in you4#ab   
,walk while ye have the  light1 lest    
darkness come upon you3 for he that     
walketh in darkness  knoweth not whither
 he goeth4 7,john xii4 #ce47         #ab
 ,in all the translations authorized by 
the ,church1 we find here       a       
perhaps intentional error4 ,the words   
,greek3 en hymin1 in you1       are     
invariably rendered with you4    ,the   
son of man is the light in every man    
that ought to illuminate his  life4     
,take heed therefore1 that the light    
which is in thee be not  darkness1 is   
,jesus' warning to the multitude 7,luke 
xi4 #ce74    ,in all the different ages 
of humanity we find the same thought1   
that man  is the receptacle of the      
divine light descended from heaven1 and 

that  this light is reason1 which alone 
should be the object of our worship1    
since it alone can show the way to true 
well-being4 ,this has been said  by the 
,brahmins1 by the ,hebrew prophets1 by  
,confucius1 by ,socrates1 by  ,marcus   
,aurelius1 by ,epictetus1 and by all the
 true sages1--not by  compilers of      
philosophical theories1 but by men who  
sought goodness for  themselves and for 
others4#ac ,and yet we declare1 in      
accordance with  the dogma of the       
redemption1 that it is entirely         
superfluous to think of  the light that 
is in us1 and that we ought not to speak
 of it at all6         #ac ,marcus      
,aurelius says3 ,reverence that which is
 best in the       universe2 and this is
 that which makes use of all things and 
directs all things4 ,and in like manner 
also reverence that which is       best 
in thyself2 and this is of the same kind
 as that4 ,for in       thyself1 also1  
that which makes use of everything else1
 is this1       and thy life is directed

 by this4 7,meditations v4 #ba47        
,epictetus says3 ,from ,god have        
descended the seeds not only to my      
father and grandfather1 but to all      
beings which are generated on       the 
earth and are produced1 and particularly
 to rational beings2       for these    
only are by their nature formed to have 
communion with       ,god1 being by     
means of reason conjoined with him4     
7,discourses1       chap4 ix47          
,confucius says3 ,the law of the great  
learning consists in       developing   
and re-establishing the luminous        
principle of reason       which we have 
received from on high4 ,this sentence is
 repeated       many times1 and         
constitutes the basis of ,confucius'    
doctrine4    ,we must1 say the          
believers1 study the three persons of   
the ,trinity2 we  must know the nature  
of each of these persons1 and what      
sacraments we  ought or ought not to    
perform1 for our salvation depends1 not 
on our own  efforts1 but on the ,trinity

 and the regular performance of the     
sacraments4 ,we must1 say the sceptics1 
know the laws by which this             
infinitesimal particle of matter was    
evolved in infinite space and  infinite 
time2 but it is absurd to believe that  
by reason alone we can  secure true     
well-being1 because the amelioration of 
man's condition does  not depend upon   
man himself1 but upon the laws that we  
are trying to  discover4    ,i firmly   
believe that1 a few centuries hence1 the
 history of what we  call the scientific
 activity of this age will be a prolific
 subject for  the hilarity and pity of  
future generations4 ,for a number of    
centuries1  they will say1 the scholars 
of the western portion of a great       
continent  were the victims of epidemic 
insanity2 they imagined themselves to be
  the possessors of a life of eternal   
beatitude1 and they busied  themselves  
with divers lucubrations in which they  
sought to determine in  what way this   
life could be realized1 without doing   

anything themselves1  or even concerning
 themselves with what they ought to do  
to ameliorate  the life which they      
already had4 ,and what to the future    
historian will  seem much more          
melancholy1 it will be found that this  
group of men had  once had a master who 
had taught them a number of simple and  
clear  rules1 pointing out what they    
must do to render their lives           
happy1--and  that the words of this     
master had been construed by some to    
mean that he  would come on a cloud to  
re-organize human society1 and by others
 as  admirable doctrine1 but            
impracticable1 since human life was not 
what  they conceived it to be1 and      
consequently was not worthy of          
consideration2 as to human reason1 it   
must concern itself with the study  of  
the laws of an imaginary existence1     
without concerning itself about  the    
welfare of the individual man4    ,the  
,church says that the doctrine of ,jesus
 cannot be literally practised  here on 

earth1 because this earthly life is     
naturally evil1 since it is  only a     
shadow of the true life4 ,the best way  
of living is to scorn this  earthly     
existence1 to be guided by faith 7that  
is1 by imagination7 in a  happy and     
eternal life to come1 and to continue to
 live a bad life here  and to pray to   
the good ,god4    ,philosophy1 science1 
and public opinion all say that the     
doctrine of  ,jesus is not applicable to
 human life as it now is1 because the   
life of  man does not depend upon the   
light of reason1 but upon general laws2 
hence it is useless to try to live      
absolutely conformable to reason2 we    
must live as we can with the firm       
conviction that according to the laws   
of historical and sociological progress1
 after having lived very  imperfectly   
for a very long time1 we shall suddenly 
find that our lives  have become very   
good4    ,people come to a farm2 they   
find there all that is necessary to     
sustain  life1--a house well furnished1 

barns filled with grain1 cellars and    
store-rooms well stocked with           
provisions1 implements of husbandry1    
horses and cattle1--in a word1 all that 
is needed for a life of comfort  and    
ease4 ,each wishes to profit by this    
abundance1 but each for himself1        
without thinking of others1 or of those 
who may come after him4 ,each  wants the
 whole for himself1 and begins to seize 
upon all that he can  possibly grasp4   
,then begins a veritable pillage2 they  
fight for the  possession of the spoils2
 oxen and sheep are slaughtered2 wagons 
and  other implements are broken up into
 firewood2 they fight for the milk  and 
grain2 they grasp more than they can    
consume4 ,no one is able to sit  down to
 the tranquil enjoyment of what he has1 
lest another take away  the spoils      
already secured1 to surrender them in   
turn to some one  stronger4 ,all these  
people leave the farm1 bruised and      
famished4  ,thereupon the ,master puts  
everything to rights1 and arranges      

matters so  that one may live there in  
peace4 ,the farm is again a treasury of 
abundance4 ,then comes another group of 
seekers1 and the same struggle  and     
tumult is repeated1 till these in their 
turn go away bruised and  angry1 cursing
 the ,master for providing so little and
 so ill4 ,the good  ,master is not      
discouraged2 he again provides for all  
that is needed to  sustain life1--and   
the same incidents are repeated over and
 over again4    ,finally1 among those   
who come to the farm1 is one who says to
 his  companions3 ,comrades1 how foolish
 we are6 see how abundantly everything  
is supplied1 how well everything is     
arranged6 ,there is enough here for  us 
and for those who will come after us2   
let us act in a reasonable  manner4     
,instead of robbing each other1 let us  
help one another4 ,let us  work1 plant1 
care for the dumb animals1 and every one
 will be  satisfied4 ,some of the       
company understand what this wise person
 says2  they cease from fighting and    

from robbing one another1 and begin to  
work4 ,but others1 who have not heard   
the words of the wise man1 or who       
distrust him1 continue their former     
pillage of the ,master's goods4 ,this   
condition of things lasts for a long    
time4 ,those who have followed the      
counsels of the wise man say to those   
about them3 ,cease from fighting1  cease
 from wasting the ,master's goods2 you  
will be better off for doing  so2 follow
 the wise man's advice4 ,nevertheless1 a
 great many do not  hear and will not   
believe1 and matters go on very much as 
they did  before4    ,all this is       
natural1 and will continue as long as   
people do not believe  the wise man's   
words4 ,but1 we are told1 a time will   
come when every one  on the farm will   
listen to and understand the words of   
the wise man1 and  will realize that    
,god spoke through his lips1 and that   
the wise man was  himself none other    
than ,god in person2 and all will have  
faith in his  words4 ,meanwhile1 instead

 of living according to the advice of   
the wise  man1 each struggles for his   
own1 and they slay each other without   
pity1  saying1 ,the struggle for        
existence is inevitable2 we cannot do   
otherwise4    ,what does it all mean8   
,even the beasts graze in the fields    
without  interfering with each other's  
needs1 and men1 after having learned the
  conditions of the true life1 and after
 being convinced that ,god himself  has 
shown them how to live the true life1   
follow still their evil ways1  saying   
that it is impossible to live otherwise4
 ,what should we think of  the people at
 the farm if1 after having heard the    
words of the wise man1  they had        
continued to live as before1 snatching  
the bread from each  other's mouths1    
fighting1 and trying to grasp           
everything1 to their own  loss8 ,we     
should say that they had misunderstood  
the wise man's words1  and imagined     
things to be different from what they   
really were4 ,the wise  man said to     

them1 ,your life here is bad2 amend your
 ways1 and it will  become good4 ,and   
they imagined that the wise man had     
condemned their  life on the farm1 and  
had promised them another and a better  
life  somewhere else4 ,they decided that
 the farm was only a temporary          
dwelling-place1 and that it was not     
worth while to try to live well  there2 
the important thing was not to be       
cheated out of the other life  promised 
them elsewhere4 ,this is the only way in
 which we can explain  the strange      
conduct of the people on the farm1 of   
whom some believed  that the wise man   
was ,god1 and others that he was a man  
of wisdom1 but  all continued to live as
 before in defiance of the wise man's   
words4  ,they understood everything but 
the one significant truth in the wise   
man's teachings1--that they must work   
out for themselves their own peace  and 
happiness there on the farm1 which they 
took for a temporary abode  thinking all
 the time of the better life they were  

to possess elsewhere4    ,here is the   
origin of the strange declaration that  
the precepts of the  wise man were      
admirable1 even divine1 but that they   
were difficult to  practise4    ,oh1 if 
men would only cease from evil ways     
while waiting for the ,christ  to come  
in his chariot of fire to their aid2 if 
they would only cease to  invoke the law
 of the differentiation or integration  
of forces1 or any  historical law       
whatever6 ,none will come to their aid  
if they do not aid  themselves4 ,and to 
aid ourselves to a better life1 we need 
expect  nothing from heaven or from     
earth2 we need only to cease from ways  
that  result in our own loss4           
,,chapter ,,viii4      ,,if it be       
admitted that the doctrine of ,jesus is 
perfectly reasonable1  and that it alone
 can give to men true happiness1 what   
would be the  condition of a single     
follower of that doctrine in the midst  
of a world  that did not practise it at 
all8 ,if all men would decide at the    

same  time to obey1 its practice would  
then be possible4 ,but one man alone    
cannot act in defiance of the whole     
world2 and so we hear continually  this 
plea3 ,if1 among men who do not practise
 the doctrine of ,jesus1 ,i  alone obey 
it2 if ,i give away all that ,i possess2
 if ,i turn the other  cheek2 if ,i     
refuse to take an oath or to go to war1 
,i should find myself  in profound      
isolation2 if ,i did not die of hunger1 
,i should be beaten2  if ,i survived    
that1 ,i should be cast into prison2 ,i 
should be shot1 and  all the happiness  
of my life--my life itself--would be    
sacrificed in  vain4    ,this plea is   
founded upon the doctrine of quid pro   
quo1 which is the  basis of all         
arguments against the possibility of    
practising the  doctrine of ,jesus4 ,it 
is the current objection1 and ,i        
sympathized with  it in common with all 
the rest of the world1 until ,i finally 
broke  entirely away from the dogmas of 
the ,church which prevented me from     

understanding the true significance of  
the doctrine of ,jesus4 ,jesus  prepared
 his doctrine as a means of salvation   
from the life of  perdition organized by
 men contrary to his precepts2 and ,i   
declared that  ,i should be very glad to
 follow this doctrine if it were not for
 fear of  this very perdition4 ,jesus   
offered me the true remedy against a    
life of  perdition1 and ,i clung to the 
life of perdition6 from which it was    
plain  that ,i did not consider this    
life as a life of perdition1 but as     
something good1 something real4 ,the    
conviction that my personal1 worldly    
life was something real and good        
constituted the misunderstanding1 the   
obstacle1 that prevented me from        
comprehending ,jesus' doctrine4 ,jesus  
knew the disposition of men to regard   
their personal1 worldly life as  real   
and good1 and so1 in a series of        
apothegms and parables1 he taught  them 
that they had no right to life1 and that
 they were given life only  that they   

might assure themselves of the true life
 by renouncing their  worldly and       
fantastic organization of existence4    
,to understand what is meant by saving  
one's life1 according to the  doctrine  
of ,jesus1 we must first understand what
 the prophets1 what  ,solomon1 what     
,buddha1 what all the wise men of the   
world have said about  the personal life
 of man4 ,but1 as ,pascal says1 we      
cannot endure to think  upon this theme1
 and so we carry always before us a     
screen to conceal  the abyss of death1  
toward which we are constantly moving4  
,it suffices  to reflect on the         
isolation of the personal life of man1  
to be convinced  that this life1 in so  
far as it is personal1 is not only of no
 account  to each separately1 but that  
it is a cruel jest to heart and reason4 
,to  understand the doctrine of ,jesus1 
we must1 before all1 return to          
ourselves1 reflect soberly1 undergo the 
,greek3 metanoia of which ,john  the    
,baptist1 the precursor of ,jesus1      

speaks1 when addressing himself to  men 
of clouded judgment4 ,repent 7such was  
his preaching72 repent1  have another   
mind1 or you shall all perish4 ,the axe 
is laid unto the  root of the trees4    
,death and perdition await each one of  
you4 ,be warned1  turn back1 repent4    
,and ,jesus declared1 ,except ye repent1
 ye shall all  likewise perish4 ,when   
,jesus was told of the death of the     
,galileans  massacred by ,pilate1 he    
said3--    ,suppose ye that these       
,galileans were sinners above all the   
,galileans1  because they suffered such 
things8 ,i tell you1 ,nay3 but1 except  
ye  repent1 ye shall all likewise       
perish4 ,or those eighteen upon whom the
  tower in ,siloam fell1 and slew them1 
think ye that they were sinners  above  
all men that dwelt in ,jerusalem8 ,i    
tell you4 ,nay3 but1 except ye  repent1 
ye shall all likewise perish4 7,luke    
xiii4 #a-e47    ,if he had lived in our 
day1 in ,russia1 he would have said3    
,think you  that those who perished in  

the circus at ,berditchef or on the     
slopes of  ,koukouyef were sinners above
 all others8 ,i tell you1 ,no2 but you1 
if you  do not repent1 if you do not    
arouse yourselves1 if you do not find in
  your life that which is imperishable1 
you also shall perish4 ,you are         
horrified by the death of those crushed 
by the tower1 burned in the  circus2 but
 your death1 equally as frightful and as
 inevitable1 is here1  before you4 ,you 
are wrong to conceal it or to forget it2
 unlocked for1  it is only more hideous4
    ,to the people of his own time he   
said3--    ,when ye see a cloud rise out
 of the west1 straightway ye say1 ,there
  cometh a shower2 and so it is4 ,and   
when ye see the south wind blow1 ye     
say1 ,there will be heat2 and it cometh 
to pass4 ,ye hypocrites1 ye can  discern
 the face of the sky and of the earth2  
but how is it that ye do  not discern   
this time8 ,yea1 and why even of        
yourselves judge ye not what  is right8 
7,luke xii4 #ed-eg47    ,we know how to 

interpret the signs of the weather2 why1
 then1 do we not  see what is before us8
 ,it is in vain that we fly from danger1
 and guard  our material life by all    
imaginable means2 in spite of all1 death
 is  before us1 if not in one way1 then 
in another2 if not by massacre1 or  the 
falling of a tower1 then in our beds1   
amidst much greater suffering4    ,make 
a simple calculation1 as those do who   
undertake any worldly  project1 any     
enterprise whatever1 such as the        
construction of a house1  or the        
purchase of an estate1 such as those    
make who labor with the hope  of seeing 
their calculations realized4    ,for    
which of you intending to build a tower1
 sitteth not down first1  and counteth  
the cost whether he have sufficient to  
finish it8 ,lest  haply1 after he hath  
laid the foundation1 and is not able to 
finish it1  all that behold it begin to 
mock him1 saying1 ,this man began to    
build1  and was not able to finish4 ,or 
what king1 going to make war against    

another king1 sitteth not down first and
 consulteth whether he be able  with ten
 thousand to meet him that cometh       
against him with twenty  thousand8      
7,luke xiv4 #bh-ca47    ,is it not the  
act of a madman to labor at what1 under 
any circumstances1  one can never       
finish8 ,death will always come before  
the edifice of  worldly prosperity can  
be completed4 ,and if we knew beforehand
 that1  however we may struggle with    
death1 it is not we1 but death1 that    
will  triumph2 is it not an indication  
that we ought not to struggle with      
death1 or to set our hearts upon that   
which will surely perish1 but to  seek  
to perform the task whose results cannot
 be destroyed by our  inevitable        
departure8    ,and he said unto his     
disciples1 ,therefore ,i say unto you1  
,take no  thought for your life what ye 
shall eat2 neither for the body1 what ye
  shall put on4 ,the life is more than  
meat and the body is more than  raiment4
 ,consider the ravens3 for they neither 

sow nor reap2 which  neither have       
storehouse nor barn2 and ,god feedeth   
them3 ,how much more  are ye better than
 the fowls8 ,and which of you with      
taking thought can  add to his stature  
one cubit8 ,if ye then be not able to do
 that thing  which is least1 why take ye
 thought for the rest8 ,consider the    
lilies  how they grow3 they toil not1   
they spin not2 and yet ,i say unto you  
that  ,solomon in all his glory was not 
arrayed like one of these4 7,luke xii4  
#bb-bg47    ,whatever pains we may take 
for our nourishment1 for the care of the
  body1 we cannot prolong life by a     
single hour4#ad ,is it not folly to     
trouble ourselves about a thing that we 
cannot possibly accomplish8 ,we  know   
perfectly well that our material life   
will end with death1 and we  give       
ourselves up to evil to procure riches4 
,life cannot be measured by  what we    
possess2 if we think so1 we only delude 
ourselves4 ,jesus tells  us that the    
meaning of life does not lie in what we 

possess or in what  we can accumulate1  
but in something entirely different4 ,he
 says3--         #ad ,the words of verse
 #be are incorrectly translated2 the    
word       ,greek3 hlikian means age1   
age of life3 consequently the whole     
phrase should be rendered3 can add one  
hour to his life4    ,the ground of a   
certain rich man brought forth          
plentifully3 ,and he  thought within    
himself1 saying1 ,what shall ,i do1     
because ,i have no room  where to bestow
 my fruits8 ,and he said1 ,this will ,i 
do3 ,i will pull down  my barns1 and    
build greater2 and there will ,i bestow 
all my fruits and  my goods4 ,and ,i    
will say to my soul1 ,soul1 thou hast   
much goods lead up  for many years2 take
 thine ease1 eat1 drink1 and be merry4  
,but ,god said  unto him1 ,thou fool1   
this night thy soul shall be required of
 thee3 then  whose shall those things   
be1 which thou hast provided8 ,so is he 
that  layeth up treasure for himself1   
and is not rich toward ,god4 7,luke xii4

  #af-ba47    ,death threatens us every 
moment2 ,jesus says3--    ,let your     
loins be girded about1 and your lights  
burning2 and ye  yourselves like unto   
men that wait for their lord1 when he   
will return  from the wedding2 that1    
when he cometh and knocketh1 they may   
open unto  him immediately4 ,blessed are
 those servants1 whom the lord when he  
cometh shall find watching2 444,and if  
he shall come in the second watch1  or  
come in the third watch1 and find them  
so1 blessed are those  servants4 ,and   
this know1 that if the goodman of the   
house had known  what hour the thief    
would come1 he would have watched1 and  
not have  suffered his house to be      
broken through4 ,be ye therefore ready  
also3 for  the son of man cometh at an  
hour when ye think not4 7,luke xii4     
#ce-dj47    ,the parable of the virgins 
waiting for the bridegroom1 that of the 
consummation of the age and the last    
judgment1 as the commentators all       
agree1 are designed to teach that death 

awaits us at every moment4 ,death       
awaits us at every moment4 ,life is     
passed in sight of death4 ,if we labor  
for ourselves alone1 for our personal   
future1 we know that what awaits  us in 
the future is death4 ,and death will    
destroy all the fruits of our  labor4   
,consequently1 a life for self can have 
no meaning4 ,the reasonable  life is    
different2 it has another aim than the  
poor desires of a single  individual4   
,the reasonable life consists in living 
in such a way that  life cannot be      
destroyed by death4 ,we are troubled    
about many things1  but only one thing  
is necessary4    ,from the moment of his
 birth1 man is menaced by an inevitable 
peril1  that is1 by a life deprived of  
meaning1 and a wretched death1 if he    
does  not discover the thing essential  
to the true life4 ,now it is precisely  
this one thing which insures the true   
life that ,jesus reveals to men4 ,he    
invents nothing1 he promises nothing    
through divine power2 side by side  with

 this personal life1 which is a         
delusion1 he simply reveals to men  the 
truth4    ,in the parable of the        
husbandmen 7,matt4 xxi4 #cc-db71 ,jesus 
explains the  cause of that blindness in
 men which conceals the truth from them1
 and  which impels them to take the     
apparent for the real1 their personal   
life  for the true life4 ,certain men1  
having leased a vineyard1 imagined that 
they were its masters4 ,and this        
delusion leads them into a series of    
foolish and cruel actions1 which ends in
 their exile4 ,so each one of us        
imagines that life is his personal      
property1 and that he has a right to    
enjoy it in such a way as may seem to   
him good1 without recognizing any       
obligation to others4 ,and the          
inevitable consequence of this delusion 
is  a series of foolish and cruel       
actions followed by exclusion from life4
  ,and as the husbandmen killed the     
servants and at last the son of the     
householder1 thinking that the more     

cruel they were1 the better able  they  
would be to gain their ends1 so we      
imagine that we shall obtain the        
greatest security by means of violence4 
,expulsion1 the inevitable sentence     
visited upon the husbandmen for  having 
taken to themselves the fruits of the   
vineyard1 awaits also all  men who      
imagine that the personal life is the   
true life4 ,death expels  them from     
life2 they are replaced by others1 as a 
consequence of the  error which led them
 to misconceive the meaning of life4 ,as
 the  husbandmen forgot1 or did not wish
 to remember1 that they had received a  
vineyard already hedged about and       
provided with winepress and tower1  that
 some one had labored for them and      
expected them to labor in their  turn   
for others2--so the men who would live  
for themselves forget1 or do  not wish  
to remember1 all that has been done for 
them during their  life2 they forget    
that they are under an obligation to    
labor in their  turn1 and that all the  

blessings of life which they enjoy are  
fruits  that they ought to divide with  
others4    ,this new manner of looking  
at life1 this ,greek3 metanoia1 or      
repentance1 is the corner-stone of the  
doctrine of ,jesus4 ,according to  this 
doctrine1 men ought to understand and   
feel that they are insolvent1  as the   
husbandmen should have understood and   
felt that they were  insolvent to the   
householder1 unable to pay the debt     
contracted by  generations past1        
present1 and to come1 with the          
overruling power4 ,they  ought to feel  
that every hour of their existence is   
only a mortgage upon  this debt1 and    
that every man who1 by a selfish life1  
rejects this  obligation1 separates     
himself from the principle of life1 and 
so  forfeits life4 ,each one should     
remember that in striving to save his   
own  life1 his personal life1 he loses  
the true life1 as ,jesus so many times  
said4 ,the true life is the life which  
adds something to the store of          

happiness accumulated by past           
generations1 which increases this       
heritage  in the present1 and hands it  
down to the future4 ,to take part in    
this  true life1 man should renounce his
 personal will for the will of the      
,father1 who gives this life to man4 ,in
 ,john viii4 #ce1 we read3--    ,and the
 servant abideth not in the house       
forever3 but the son abideth  forever4  
,that is1 only the son who observes the 
will of the father shall have  eternal  
life4 ,now1 the will of the ,father of  
,life is not the personal1  selfish     
life1 but the filial life of the son of 
man2 and so a man saves  his life when  
he considers it as a pledge1 as         
something confided to him  by the       
,father for the profit of all1 as       
something with which to live the  life  
of the son of man4    ,a man1 about to  
travel into a far country1 called his   
servants together  and divided among    
them his goods4 ,although receiving no  
precise  instructions as to the manner  

in which they were to use these goods1  
some of the servants understood that the
 goods still belonged to the  master1   
and that they ought to employ them for  
the master's gain4 ,and  the servants   
who had labored for the good of the     
master were rewarded1  while the others1
 who had not so labored1 were despoiled 
even of what  they had received4 7,matt4
 xxv4 #ad-df47    ,the life of the son  
of man has been given to all men1 and   
they know not  why4 ,some of them       
understand that life is not for their   
personal use1  but that they must use it
 for the good of the son of man2 others1
  feigning not to understand the true   
object of life1 refuse to labor for  the
 son of man2 and those that labor for   
the true life will be united  with the  
source of life2 those that do not so    
labor1 will lose the life  they already 
have4 ,jesus tells us in what the       
service of the son of man  consists and 
what will be the recompense of that     
service4 ,the son of  man1 endowed with 

kingly authority1 will call upon the    
faithful to  inherit the true life2 they
 have fed the hungry1 given drink to the
  thirsty1 clothed and consoled the     
wretched1 and in so doing they have     
ministered to the son of man1 who is the
 same in all men2 they have not  lived  
the personal life1 but the life of the  
son of man1 and they are  given the life
 eternal4    ,according to all the      
,gospels1 the object of ,jesus' teaching
 was the life  eternal4 ,and1 strange as
 it may seem1 ,jesus1 who is supposed to
 have  been raised in person1 and to    
have promised a general resurrection1   
--,jesus not only said nothing in       
affirmation of individual  resurrection 
and individual immortality beyond the   
grave1 but on the  contrary1 every time 
that he met with this superstition      
7introduced at  this period into the    
,talmud1 and of which there is not a    
trace in the  records of the ,hebrew    
prophets71 he did not fail to deny its  
truth4 ,the  ,pharisees and the         

,sadducees were constantly discussing   
the subject of  the resurrection of the 
dead4 ,the ,pharisees believed in the   
resurrection  of the dead1 in angels1   
and in spirits 7,acts xxiii4 #h71 but   
the  ,sadducees did not believe in      
resurrection1 or angel1 or spirit4 ,we  
do  not know the source of the          
difference in belief1 but it is certain 
that  it was one of the polemical       
subjects among the secondary questions  
of  the ,hebraic doctrine that were     
constantly under discussion in the      
,synagogues4 ,and ,jesus not only did   
not recognize the resurrection1 but     
denied it every time he met with the    
idea4 ,when the ,sadducees demanded  of 
,jesus1 supposing that he believed with 
the ,pharisees in the  resurrection1 to 
which of the seven brethren the woman   
should belong1 he  refuted with         
clearness and precision the idea of     
individual  resurrection1 saying that on
 this subject they erred1 knowing       
neither  the ,scriptures nor the power  

of ,god4 ,those who are worthy of       
resurrection1 he said1 will remain like 
the angels of heaven 7,mark xii4        
#ba-bd72 and with regard to the dead3-- 
,have ye not read in the book of ,moses1
 how in the bush ,god spake unto  him1  
saying1 ,i am the ,god of ,abraham1 and 
the ,god of ,isaac1 and the ,god  of    
,jacob8#ae ,he is not the ,god of the   
dead1 but the ,god of the living3  ye1  
therefore1 do greatly err4 7,mark xii4  
#bf1 #bg47         #ae ,exod4 iii4 #f4  
,jesus' meaning was that the dead are   
living in ,god4 ,god said to ,moses1  ,i
 am the ,god of ,abraham1 and of ,isaac1
 and of ,jacob4 ,to ,god1 all those  who
 have lived the life of the son of man1 
are living4 ,jesus affirmed  only this1 
that whoever lives in ,god1 will be     
united to ,god2 and he  admitted no     
other idea of the resurrection4 ,as to  
personal resurrection1  strange as it   
may appear to those who have never      
carefully studied the  ,gospels for     
themselves1 ,jesus said nothing about it

 whatever4    ,if1 as the theologians   
teach1 the foundation of the ,christian 
faith is  the resurrection of ,jesus1 is
 it not strange that ,jesus1 knowing of 
his  own resurrection1 knowing that in  
this consisted the principal dogma of   
faith in him--is it not strange that    
,jesus did not speak of the matter  at  
least once1 in clear and precise terms8 
,now1 according to the  canonical       
,gospels1 he not only did not speak of  
it in clear and precise  terms2 he did  
not speak of it at all1 not once1 not a 
single word4    ,the doctrine of ,jesus 
consisted in the elevation of the son of
 man1 that  is1 in the recognition on   
the part of man1 that he1 man1 was the  
son of  ,god4 ,in his own individuality 
,jesus personified the man who has      
recognized the filial relation with     
,god4 ,he asked his disciples whom men  
said that he was--the son of man8 ,his  
disciples replied that some took  him   
for ,john the ,baptist1 and some for    
,elijah4 ,then came the question1  ,but 

whom say ye that ,i am8 ,and ,peter     
answered1 ,thou art the  ,messiah1 the  
son of the living ,god4 ,jesus          
responded1 ,flesh and blood  hath not   
revealed it unto thee1 but my ,father   
which is in heaven2  meaning that ,peter
 understood1 not through faith in human 
explanations1  but because1 feeling     
himself to be the son of ,god1 he       
understood that  ,jesus was also the son
 of ,god4 ,and after having explained to
 ,peter that  the true faith is founded 
upon the perception of the filial       
relation to  ,god1 ,jesus charged his   
other disciples that they should tell no
 man that  he was the ,messiah4 ,after  
this1 ,jesus told them that although he 
might  suffer many things and be put to 
death1 he1 that is his doctrine1 would  
be triumphantly re-established4 ,and    
these words are interpreted as a        
prophecy of the resurrection 7,matt4    
xvi4 #ac-ba74    ,of the thirteen       
passages#af which are interpreted as    
prophecies of  ,jesus in regard to his  

own resurrection1 two refer to ,jonah in
 the  whale's belly1 another to the     
rebuilding of the temple4 ,the others   
affirm that the son of man shall not be 
destroyed2 but there is not a  word     
about the resurrection of ,jesus4 ,in   
none of these passages is the  word     
resurrection found in the original text4
 ,ask any one who is  ignorant of       
theological interpretations1 but who    
knows ,greek1 to  translate them1 and he
 will never agree with the received     
versions4 ,in  the original we find two 
different words1 ,greek3 anistmi and    
,greek3 egeir1 which are rendered in the
 sense of resurrection2 one of  these   
words means to re-establish2 the other  
means to awaken1 to rise  up1 to arouse 
one's self4 ,but neither the one nor the
 other can ever1  in any case1 mean to  
resuscitate--to raise from the dead4    
,with regard  to these ,greek words and 
the corresponding ,hebrew word1 qum1 we 
have  only to examine the scriptural    
passages where these words are employed1

  as they are very frequently1 to see   
that in no case is the meaning to       
resuscitate admissible4 ,the word       
voskresnovit1 auferstehn1               
resusciter--to resuscitate--did not     
exist in the ,greek or ,hebrew  tongues1
 for the reason that the conception     
corresponding to this word  did not     
exist4 ,to express the idea of          
resurrection in ,greek or in  ,hebrew1  
it is necessary to employ a periphrasis1
 meaning1 is arisen1  has awakened among
 the dead4 ,thus1 in the ,gospel of     
,matthew 7xiv4 #b7  where reference is  
made to ,herod's belief that ,john the  
,baptist had been  resuscitated1 we     
read1 ,greek3 autos gerth apo tn nekrn1 
has  awakened among the dead4 ,in the   
same manner1 in ,luke 7xvi4 #ca71 at the
  close of the parable of ,lazarus1     
where it said that if men believe not   
the prophets1 they would not believe    
even though one be resuscitated1 we     
find the periphrasis1 ,greek3 ean tis ek
 nekrn anast1 if one arose  among the   

dead4 ,but1 if in these passages the    
words among the dead  were not added to 
the words arose or awakened1 the last   
two could  never signify resuscitation4 
,when ,jesus spoke of himself1 he did   
not  once use the words among the dead  
in any of the passages quoted in        
support of the affirmation that ,jesus  
foretold his own resurrection4          
#af ,john xi4 #ai-bb2 ,matt4 xii4 #dj2  
,luke xi4 #cj2 ,matt4 xvi4 #ba2         
,mark viii4 #ca2 ,luke ix4 #bb2 ,matt4  
xvii4 #bc2 ,mark ix4 #ca2 ,matt4 xx4    
#ai2 ,mark x4 #cd2 ,luke xviii4 #cc2    
,matt4 xxvi4 #cb2 ,mark xiv4 #be4       
,our conception of the resurrection is  
so entirely foreign to any idea  that   
the ,hebrews possessed with regard to   
life1 that we cannot even  imagine how  
,jesus would have been able to talk to  
them of the  resurrection1 and of an    
eternal1 individual life1 which should  
be the  lot of every man4 ,the idea of a
 future eternal life comes neither from 
,jewish doctrine nor from the doctrine  

of ,jesus1 but from an entirely         
different source4 ,we are obliged to    
believe that belief in a future life  is
 a primitive and crude conception based 
upon a confused idea of the  resemblance
 between death and sleep1--an idea      
common to all savage  races4    ,the    
,hebraic doctrine 7and much more the    
,christian doctrine7 was far  above this
 conception4 ,but we are so convinced of
 the elevated character  of this        
superstition1 that we use it as a proof 
of the superiority of  our doctrine to  
that of the ,chinese or the ,hindus1 who
 do not believe  in it at all4 ,not the 
theologians only1 but the free-thinkers1
 the  learned historians of religions1  
such as ,tiele1 and ,max ,mller1 make   
use  of the same argument4 ,in their    
classification of religions1 they give  
the first place to those which recognize
 the superstition of the  resurrection1 
and declare them to be far superior to  
those not  professing that belief4      
,schopenhauer boldly denounced the      

,hebraic  religion as the most          
despicable of all religions because it  
contains not  a trace of this belief4   
,not only the idea itself1 but all means
 of  expressing it1 were wanting to the 
,hebraic religion4 ,eternal life is in  
,hebrew hayail eolam4 ,by olam is meant 
the infinite1 that which is  permanent  
in the limits of time2 olam also means  
world or cosmos4  ,universal life1 and  
much more hayai leolam1 eternal life1   
is1  according to the ,jewish doctrine1 
the attribute of ,god alone4 ,god is the
  ,god of life1 the living ,god4 ,man1  
according to the ,hebraic idea1 is      
always mortal4 ,god alone is always     
living4 ,in the ,pentateuch1 the        
expression eternal life is twice met    
with2 once in ,deuteronomy and  once in 
,genesis4 ,god is represented as        
saying3--      ,see now that ,i1 even   
,i1 am he1     ,and there is no god with
 me3     ,i kill1 and ,i make alive2    
,i have wounded1 and ,i heal3     ,and  
there is none that can deliver out of my

 hand4     ,for ,i lift up my hand to   
heaven1     ,and say1 ,as ,i live       
forever4           7,deut4 xxxii4 #ci1  
#dj47    ,and ,jehovah said1 ,behold1   
the man is become as one of us1 to know 
good  and evil2 and now1 lest he put    
forth his hand1 and take also the tree  
of  life1 and live forever4 7,gen4 iii4 
#bb47    ,these two sole instances of   
the use of the expression eternal life  
in  the ,old ,testament 7with the       
exception of another instance in the    
apocryphal book of ,daniel7 determine   
clearly the ,hebraic conception of  the 
life of man and the life eternal4 ,life 
itself1 according to the  ,hebrews1 is  
eternal1 is in ,god2 but man is always  
mortal3 it is his  nature to be so4     
,according to the ,jewish doctrine1 man 
as man1 is  mortal4 ,he has life only as
 it passes from one generation to       
another1  and is so perpetuated in a    
race4 ,according to the ,jewish         
doctrine1 the  faculty of life exists in
 the people4 ,when ,god said1 ,ye may   

live1 and  not die1 he addressed these  
words to the people4 ,the life that ,god
  breathed into man is mortal for each  
separate human being2 this life is      
perpetuated from generation to          
generation1 if men fulfil the union with
  ,god1 that is1 obey the conditions    
imposed by ,god4 ,after having          
propounded the ,law1 and having told    
them that this ,law was to be found  not
 in heaven1 but in their own hearts1    
,moses said to the people3--    ,see1 ,i
 have set before thee this day life and 
good1 and death and  evil2 in that ,i   
command thee this day to love the       
,eternal1 to walk in  his ways1 and to  
keep his commandments1 that thou mayest 
live4444 ,i call  heaven and earth to   
witness against you this day1 that ,i   
have set before  thee life and death1   
the blessing and the curse3 therefore   
choose life1  that thou mayest live1    
thou and thy seed3 to love the ,eternal1
 to obey  his voice1 and to cleave unto 
him3 for he is thy life1 and the length 

of  thy days4 7,deut4 xxx4 #ae-ai47     
,the principal difference between our   
conception of human life and that       
possessed by the ,jews is1 that while we
 believe that our mortal life1          
transmitted from generation to          
generation1 is not the true life1 but a 
fallen life1 a life temporarily         
depraved1--the ,jews1 on the contrary1  
believed this life to be the true and   
supreme good1 given to man on  condition
 that he obey the will of ,god4 ,from   
our point of view1 the  transmission of 
the fallen life from generation to      
generation is the  transmission of a    
curse2 from the ,jewish point of view1  
it is the  supreme good to which man can
 attain1 on condition that he accomplish
  the will of ,god4 ,it is precisely    
upon the ,hebraic conception of life    
that ,jesus founded his doctrine of the 
true or eternal life1 which he          
contrasted with the personal and mortal 
life4 ,jesus said to the ,jews3--       
,search the ,scriptures2 for in them ye 

think ye have eternal life3 and  they   
are they which testify of me4 7,john v4 
#ci47    ,to the young man who asked    
what he must do to have eternal life1   
,jesus  said in reply1 ,if thou wilt    
enter into life1 keep the commandments4 
,he did not say the eternal life1 but   
simply the life 7,matt4 xix4  #ag74 ,to 
the same question propounded by the     
scribe1 the answer was1  ,this do1 and  
thou shalt live 7,luke x4 #bh71 once    
more promising life1  but saying nothing
 of eternal life4 ,from these two       
instances1 we know  what ,jesus meant by
 eternal life2 whenever he made use of  
the phrase in  speaking to the ,jews1 he
 employed it in exactly the same sense  
in which  it was expressed in their own 
law1--the accomplishment of the will of 
,god4 ,in contrast with the life that is
 temporary1 isolated1 and  personal1    
,jesus taught of the eternal life       
promised by ,god to  ,israel--with this 
difference1 that while the ,jews        
believed the eternal  life was to be    

perpetuated solely by their chosen      
people1 and that  whoever wished to     
possess this life must follow the       
exceptional laws  given by ,god to      
,israel1--the doctrine of ,jesus holds  
that the eternal  life is perpetuated in
 the son of man1 and that to obtain it  
we must  practise the commandments of   
,jesus1 who summed up the will of ,god  
for  all humanity4    ,as opposed to the
 personal life1 ,jesus taught us1 not of
 a life beyond  the grave1 but of that  
universal life which comprises within   
itself the  life of humanity1 past1     
present1 and to come4 ,according to the 
,jewish  doctrine1 the personal life    
could be saved from death only by       
accomplishing the will of ,god as       
propounded in the ,mosaic law4 ,on this 
condition only the life of the ,jewish  
race would not perish1 but would  pass  
from generation to generation of the    
chosen people of ,god4  ,according to   
the doctrine of ,jesus1 the personal    
life is saved from  death by the        

accomplishment of the will of ,god as   
propounded in the  commandments of      
,jesus4 ,on this condition alone the    
personal life does  not perish1 but     
becomes eternal and immutable1 in union 
with the son of  man4 ,the difference   
is1 that while the religion given by    
,moses was that  of a people for a      
national ,god1 the religion of ,jesus is
 the expression  of the aspirations of  
all humanity4 ,the perpetuity of life in
 the  posterity of a people is doubtful1
 because the people itself may          
disappear1 and perpetuity depends upon a
 posterity in the flesh4  ,perpetuity of
 life1 according to the doctrine of     
,jesus1 is indubitable1  because life1  
according to his doctrine1 is an        
attribute of all humanity  in the son of
 man who lives in harmony with the will 
of ,god4    ,if we believe that ,jesus' 
words concerning the last judgment and  
the  consummation of the age1 and other 
words reported in the ,gospel of ,john1 
are a promise of a life beyond the grave

 for the souls of men1--if we  believe  
this1 it is none the less true that his 
teachings in regard to  the light of    
life and the kingdom of ,god have the   
same meaning for us  that they had for  
his hearers eighteen centuries ago2 that
 is1 that the  only real life is the    
life of the son of man conformable to   
the will of  the ,giver of ,life4 ,it is
 easier to admit this than to admit that
 the  doctrine of the true life1        
conformable to the will of the ,giver of
 ,life1  contains the promise of the    
immortality of life beyond the grave4   
,perhaps it is right to think that man1 
after this terrestrial life  passed in  
the satisfaction of personal desires1   
will enter upon the  possession of an   
eternal personal life in paradise1 there
 to taste all  imaginable enjoyments2   
but to believe that this is so1 to      
endeavor to  persuade ourselves that for
 our good actions we shall be           
recompensed  with eternal felicity1 and 
for our bad actions punished with       

eternal  torments1--to believe this1    
does not aid us in understanding the    
doctrine of ,jesus1 but1 on the         
contrary1 takes away the principal      
foundation of that doctrine4 ,the entire
 doctrine of ,jesus inculcates          
renunciation of the personal1 imaginary 
life1 and a merging of this  personal   
life in the universal life of humanity1 
in the life of the son  of man4 ,now the
 doctrine of the individual immortality 
of the soul does  not impel us to       
renounce the personal life2 on the      
contrary1 it affirms  the continuance of
 individuality forever4    ,the ,jews1  
the ,chinese1 the ,hindus1 all men who  
do not believe in the  dogma of the fall
 and the redemption1 conceive of life as
 it is4 ,a man  lives1 is united with a 
woman1 engenders children1 cares for    
them1 grows  old1 and dies4 ,his life   
continues in his children1 and so passes
 on from  one generation to another1    
like everything else in the             
world1--stones1  metals1 earth1 plants1 

animals1 stars4 ,life is life1 and we   
must make  the best of it4    ,to live  
for self alone1 for the animal life1 is 
not reasonable4 ,and so  men1 from their
 earliest existence1 have sought for    
some reason for  living aside from the  
gratification of their own desires2 they
 live for  their children1 for their    
families1 for their nation1 for         
humanity1 for  all that does not die    
with the personal life4    ,but         
according to the doctrine of the        
,church1 human life1 the supreme  good  
that we possess1 is but a very small    
portion of another life of  which we are
 deprived for a season4 ,our life is not
 the life that ,god  intended to give us
 or such as is our due4 ,our life is    
degenerate and  fallen1 a mere fragment1
 a mockery1 compared with the real life 
to which  we think ourselves entitled4  
,the principal object of life is not to 
try  to live this mortal life           
conformably to the will of the ,giver of
 ,life2  or to render it eternal in the 

generations1 as the ,hebrews believed2  
or  to identify ourselves with the will 
of ,god1 as ,jesus taught2 no1 it is  to
 believe that after this unreal life the
 true life will begin4    ,jesus did not
 speak of the imaginary life that we    
believe to be our due1  and that ,god   
did not give to us for some unexplained 
reason4 ,the theory  of the fall of     
,adam1 of eternal life in paradise1 of  
an immortal soul  breathed by ,god into 
,adam1 was unknown to ,jesus2 he never  
spoke of it1  never made the slightest  
allusion to its existence4 ,jesus spoke 
of life  as it is1 as it must be for all
 men2 we speak of an imaginary life that
  has never existed4 ,how1 then1 can we 
understand the doctrine of ,jesus8      
,jesus did not anticipate such a        
singular change of view in his          
disciples4 ,he supposed that all men    
understood that the destruction of  the 
personal life is inevitable1 and he     
revealed to them an imperishable  life4 
,he offers true peace to them that      

suffer2 but to those who believe  that  
they are certain to possess more than   
,jesus gives1 his doctrine can  be of no
 value4 ,how shall ,i persuade a man to 
toil in return for food  and clothing if
 this man is persuaded that he already  
possesses great  riches8 ,evidently he  
will pay no attention to my             
exhortations4 ,so it is  with regard to 
the doctrine of ,jesus4 ,why should ,i  
toil for bread when ,i  can be rich     
without labor8 ,why should ,i trouble   
myself to live this life  according to  
the will of ,god when ,i am sure of a   
personal life for all  eternity8        
,that ,jesus ,christ1 as the second     
person of the ,trinity1 as ,god made    
manifest in the flesh1 was the salvation
 of men2 that he took upon  himself the 
penalty for the sin of ,adam and the    
sins of all men2 that he  atoned to the 
first person of the ,trinity for the    
sins of humanity2 that  he instituted   
the ,church and the sacraments for our  
salvation--believing  this1 we are      

saved1 and shall enter into the         
possession of personal1  eternal life   
beyond the grave4 ,but meanwhile we     
cannot deny that he has  saved and still
 saves men by revealing to them their   
inevitable loss1  showing them that he  
is the way1 the truth1 and the life1 the
 true way  to life instead of the false 
way to the personal life that men had   
heretofore followed4    ,if there are   
any who doubt the life beyond the grave 
and salvation based  upon redemption1 no
 one can doubt the salvation of all men1
 and of each  individual man1 if they   
will accept the evidence of the         
destruction of  the personal life1 and  
follow the true way to safety by        
bringing their  personal wills into     
harmony with the will of ,god4 ,let each
 man endowed  with reason ask himself1  
,what is life8 and ,what is death8 and  
let him  try to give to life and death  
any other meaning than that revealed by 
,jesus1 and he will find that any       
attempt to find in life a meaning not   

based upon the renunciation of self1 the
 service of humanity1 of the son  of    
man1 is utterly futile4 ,it cannot be   
doubted that the personal life  is      
condemned to destruction1 and that a    
life conformable to the will of  ,god   
alone gives the possibility of          
salvation4 ,it is not much in           
comparison with the sublime belief in   
the future life6 ,it is not much1  but  
it is sure4    ,i am lost with my       
companions in a snow-storm4 ,one of them
 assures me  with the utmost sincerity  
that he sees a light in the distance1   
but it  is only a mirage which deceives 
us both2 we strive to reach this light1 
but we never can find it4 ,another      
resolutely brushes away the snow2 he    
seeks and finds the road1 and he cries  
to us1 ,go not that way1 the  light you 
see is false1 you will wander to        
destruction2 here is the  road1 ,i feel 
it beneath my feet2 we are saved4 ,it is
 very little1 we  say4 ,we had faith in 
that light that gleamed in our deluded  

eyes1 that  told us of a refuge1 a warm 
shelter1 rest1 deliverance1--and now in 
exchange for it we have nothing but the 
road4 ,ah1 but if we continue to  travel
 toward the imaginary light1 we shall   
perish2 if we follow the  road1 we shall
 surely arrive at a haven of safety4    
,what1 then1 must ,i do if ,i alone     
understand the doctrine of ,jesus1 and  
,i  alone have trust in it among a      
people who neither understand it nor    
obey  it8 ,what ought ,i to do1 to live 
like the rest of the world1 or to live  
according to the doctrine of ,jesus8 ,i 
understood the doctrine of ,jesus  as   
expressed in his commandments1 and ,i   
believed that the practice of  these    
commandments would bring happiness to me
 and to all men4 ,i  understood that the
 fulfilment of these commandments is the
 will of ,god1  the source of life4     
,more than this1 ,i saw that ,i should  
die like a brute  after a farcical      
existence if ,i did not fulfil the will 
of ,god1 and that  the only chance of   

salvation lay in the fulfilment of ,his 
will4 ,in  following the example of the 
world about me1 ,i should unquestionably
 act  contrary to the welfare of all    
men1 and1 above all1 contrary to the    
will  of the ,giver of ,life2 ,i should 
surely forfeit the sole possibility of  
bettering my desperate condition4 ,in   
following the doctrine of ,jesus1 ,i    
should continue the work common to all  
men who had lived before me2 ,i  should 
contribute to the welfare of my fellows1
 and of those who were to  live after   
me2 ,i should obey the command of the   
,giver of ,life2 ,i should  seize upon  
the only hope of salvation4    ,the     
circus at ,berditchef#ag is in flames4  
,a crowd of people are  struggling      
before the only place of exit1--a door  
that opens inward4  ,suddenly1 in the   
midst of the crowd1 a voice rings out3  
,back1 stand  back from the door2 the   
closer you press against it1 the less   
the chance  of escape2 stand back2 that 
is your only chance of safety6 ,whether 

,i am  alone in understanding this      
command1 or whether others with me also 
hear  and understand1 ,i have but one   
duty1 and that is1 from the moment ,i   
have  heard and understood1 to fall back
 from the door and to call upon every   
one to obey the voice of the saviour4 ,i
 may be suffocated1 ,i may be  crushed  
beneath the feet of the multitude1 ,i   
may perish2 my sole chance  of safety is
 to do the one thing necessary to gain  
an exit4 ,and ,i can do  nothing else4  
,a saviour should be a saviour1 that is1
 one who saves4 ,and  the salvation of  
,jesus is the true salvation4 ,he came1 
he preached his  doctrine1 and humanity 
is saved4         #ag ,a city in ,russia
 become famous by a recent catastrophe4 
,the circus may burn in an hour1 and    
those penned up in it may have no  time 
to escape4 ,but the world has been      
burning for eighteen hundred  years2 it 
has burned ever since ,jesus said1 ,i am
 come to send fire on  the earth2 and ,i
 suffer as it burns1 and it will        

continue to burn  until humanity is     
saved4 ,was not this fire kindled that  
men might have  the felicity of         
salvation8 ,understanding this1 ,i      
understood and believed  that ,jesus is 
not only the ,messiah1 that is1 the     
,anointed ,one1 the  ,christ1 but that  
he is in truth the ,saviour of the      
world4 ,i know that he  is the only way1
 that there is no other way for me or   
for those who are  tormented with me in 
this life4 ,i know1 that for me as for  
all1 there  is no other safety than the 
fulfilment of the commandments of       
,jesus1 who  gave to all humanity the   
greatest conceivable sum of benefits4   
,would there be great trials to endure8 
,should ,i die in following the         
doctrine of ,jesus8 ,this question did  
not alarm me4 ,it might seem  frightful 
to any one who does not realize the     
nothingness and absurdity  of an        
isolated personal life1 and who believes
 that he will never die4  ,but ,i know  
that my life1 considered in relation to 

my individual  happiness1 is1 taken by  
itself1 a stupendous farce1 and that    
this  meaningless existence will end in 
a stupid death4 ,knowing this1 ,i have  
nothing to fear4 ,i shall die as others 
die who do not observe the  doctrine of 
,jesus2 but my life and my death will   
have a meaning for  myself and for      
others4 ,my life and my death will have 
added something to  the life and        
salvation of others1 and this will be in
 accordance with  the doctrine of       
,jesus4          ,,chapter ,,ix4        
,,let all the world practise the        
doctrine of ,jesus1 and the reign of    
,god  will come upon earth2 if ,i alone 
practise it1 ,i shall do what ,i can to 
better my own condition and the         
condition of those about me4 ,there is  
no  salvation aside from the fulfilment 
of the doctrine of ,jesus4 ,but who     
will give me the strength to practise   
it1 to follow it without ceasing1  and  
never to fail8 ,lord1 ,i believe2 help  
thou mine unbelief4 ,the  disciples     

called upon ,jesus to strengthen their  
faith4 ,when ,i would do  good1 says the
 apostle ,paul1 evil is present with me4
 ,it is hard  to work out one's         
salvation4    ,a drowning man calls for 
aid4 ,a rope is thrown to him1 and he   
says3  ,strengthen my belief that this  
rope will save me4 ,i believe that the  
rope will save me2 but help my unbelief4
 ,what is the meaning of this8  ,if a   
man will not seize upon his only means  
of safety1 it is plain that  he does not
 understand his condition4    ,how can a
 ,christian who professes to believe in 
the divinity of ,jesus  and of his      
doctrine1 whatever may be the meaning   
that he attaches  thereto1 say that he  
wishes to believe1 and that he cannot   
believe8 ,god  comes upon earth1 and    
says1 ,fire1 torments1 eternal darkness 
await you2  and here is your            
salvation--fulfil my doctrine4 ,it is   
not possible  that a believing          
,christian should not believe and profit
 by the  salvation thus offered to him2 

it is not possible that he should say1  
,help my unbelief4 ,if a man says this1 
he not only does not believe in  his    
perdition1 but he must be certain that  
he shall not perish4    ,a number of    
children have fallen from a boat into   
the water4 ,for an  instant their       
clothes and their feeble struggles keep 
them on the  surface of the stream1 and 
they do not realize their danger4 ,those
 in  the boat throw out a rope4 ,they   
warn the children against their peril1  
and urge them to grasp the rope 7the    
parables of the woman and the piece  of 
silver1 the shepherd and the lost sheep1
 the marriage feast1 the  prodigal son1 
all have this meaning71 but the children
 do not believe2  they refuse to        
believe1 not in the rope1 but that they 
are in danger of  drowning4 ,children as
 frivolous as themselves have assured   
them that  they can continue to float   
gaily along even when the boat is far   
away4  ,the children do not believe2 but
 when their clothes are saturated1 the  

strength of their little arms exhausted1
 they will sink and perish4 ,this  they 
do not believe1 and so they do not      
believe in the rope of safety4    ,just 
as the children in the water will not   
grasp the rope that is thrown  to them1 
persuaded that they will not perish1 so 
men who believe in the  resurrection of 
the soul1 convinced that there is no    
danger1 do not  practise the            
commandments of ,jesus4 ,they do not    
believe in what is  certain1 simply     
because they do believe in what is      
uncertain4 ,it is for  this cause they  
cry1 ,lord1 strengthen our faith1 lest  
we perish4 ,but  this is impossible4 ,to
 have the faith that will save them from
  perishing1 they must cease to do what 
will lead them to perdition1 and  they  
must begin to do something for their own
 safety2 they must grasp  the rope of   
safety4 ,now this is exactly what they  
do not wish to do2  they wish to        
persuade themselves that they will not  
perish1 although  they see their        

comrades perishing one after another    
before their very  eyes4 ,they wish to  
persuade themselves of the truth of what
 does not  exist1 and so they ask to be 
strengthened in faith4 ,it is plain that
  they have not enough faith1 and they  
wish for more4    ,when ,i understood   
the doctrine of ,jesus1 ,i saw that what
 these men call  faith is the faith     
denounced by the apostle ,james3#ah--   
#ah ,the epistle of ,james was for a    
long time rejected by the       ,church1
 and when accepted1 was subjected to    
various alterations3       certain words
 are omitted1 others are transposed1 or 
translated in       an arbitrary way4 ,i
 have restored the defective passages   
after the       text authorized by      
,tischendorf4    ,what doth it profit1  
my brethren1 if a man believe he hath   
faith1 but  hath not works8 can that    
faith save him8 ,if a brother or sister 
be naked  and in lack of daily food1 and
 one of you say unto them1 ,go in peace1
 be  ye warmed and filled2 and yet ye   

give them not the things needful to the 
body2 what doth it profit8 ,even so     
faith1 if it have not works1 is dead  in
 itself4 ,but some one will say1 ,thou  
hast faith1 and ,i have works3  ,shew me
 thy faith which is without works1 and  
,i1 by my works1 will show  thee my     
faith4 ,thou believest there is one     
,god2 thou doest well3 the  demons also 
believe1 and tremble4 ,but wilt thou    
know1 ,o vain man1 that  faith without  
works is dead8 ,was not ,abraham our    
father justified by  works when he      
offered up ,isaac his son upon the      
altar8 ,thou seest that  faith wrought  
with his works1 and by works was faith  
made perfect4444 ,ye  see that by works 
a man is justified1 and not only by     
faith4444 ,for as  the body without the 
spirit is dead1 so faith is dead without
 works4  7,james ii4 #ad-bf47    ,james 
says that the indication of faith is the
 acts that it inspires1  and            
consequently that a faith which does not
 result in acts is of words  merely1    

with which one cannot feed the hungry1  
or justify belief1 or  obtain salvation4
 ,a faith without acts is not faith4 ,it
 is only a  disposition to believe in   
something1 a vain affirmation of belief 
in  something in which one does not     
really believe4 ,faith1 as the apostle  
,james defines it1 is the motive power  
of actions1 and actions are a           
manifestation of faith4    ,the ,jews   
said to ,jesus3 ,what signs shewest thou
 then1 that we may see1  and believe    
thee8 what dost thou work8 7,john vi4   
#cj4 ,see also ,mark xv4  #cb2 ,matt4   
xxvii4 #db74 ,jesus told them that their
 desire was vain1 and  that they could  
not be made to believe what they did not
 believe4 ,if ,i  tell you1 he said1 ye 
will not believe 7,luke xxii4 #fg72 ,i  
told  you1 and ye believed not4444 ,but 
ye believe not because ye are not of my 
sheep 7,john x4 #be1 #bf74    ,the ,jews
 asked exactly what is asked by         
,christians brought up in the  ,church2 
they asked for some outward sign which  

should make them believe  in the        
doctrine of ,jesus4 ,jesus explained    
that this was impossible1 and  he told  
them why it was impossible4 ,he told    
them that they could not  believe       
because they were not of his sheep2 that
 is1 they did not follow  the road he   
had pointed out4 ,he explained why some 
believed1 and why  others did not       
believe1 and he told them what faith    
really was4 ,he said3  ,how can ye      
believe which receive your doctrine     
7,greek3 doxa#ai7  one of another1 and  
seek not the doctrine that cometh only  
from ,god8  7,john v4 #dd74         #ai 
,here1 as in other passages1 ,greek3    
doxa has been incorrectly               
translated honor2 ,greek3 doxa1 from the
 verb ,greek3 doke1       means manner  
of seeing1 judgment1 doctrine4    ,to   
believe1 ,jesus says1 we must seek for  
the doctrine that comes from  ,god      
alone4    ,he that speaketh of himself  
seeketh 7to extend7 his own doctrine1   
,greek3 doxan tn idian1 but he that     

seeketh 7to extend7 the doctrine  of him
 that sent him1 the same is true1 and no
 untruth is in him4  7,john vii4 #ah47  
,the doctrine of life1 ,greek3 doxa1 is 
the foundation of faith1 and  actions   
result spontaneously from faith4 ,but   
there are two doctrines of  life3 ,jesus
 denies the one and affirms the other4  
,one of these  doctrines1 a source of   
all error1 consists of the idea that the
 personal  life is one of the essential 
and real attributes of man4 ,this       
doctrine  has been followed1 and is     
still followed1 by the majority of men2 
it is  the source of divergent beliefs  
and acts4 ,the other doctrine1 taught by
  ,jesus and by all the prophets1       
affirms that our personal life has no   
meaning save through fulfilment of the  
will of ,god4 ,if a man confess a       
doctrine that emphasizes his own        
personal life1 he will consider that    
his personal welfare is the most        
important thing in the world1 and he    
will consider riches1 honors1 glory1    

pleasure1 as true sources of  happiness2
 he will have a faith in accordance with
 his inclination1 and  his acts will    
always be in harmony with his faith4 ,if
 a man confess a  different doctrine1 if
 he find the essence of life in         
fulfilment of the  will of ,god in      
accordance with the example of ,abraham 
and the teaching  and example of ,jesus1
 his faith will accord with his         
principles1 and his  acts will be       
conformable to his faith4 ,and so those 
who believe that  true happiness is to  
be found in the personal life can never 
have faith  in the doctrine of ,jesus4  
,all their efforts to fix their faith   
upon it  will be always vain4 ,to       
believe in the doctrine of ,jesus1 they 
must look  at life in an entirely       
different way4 ,their actions will      
coincide always  with their faith and   
not with their intentions and their     
words4    ,in men who demand of ,jesus  
that he shall work miracles we may      
recognize  a desire to believe in his   

doctrine2 but this desire never can be  
realized in life1 however arduous the   
efforts to obtain it4 ,in vain they     
pray1 and observe the sacraments1 and   
give in charity1 and build  churches1   
and convert others2 they cannot follow  
the example of ,jesus  because their    
acts are inspired by a faith based upon 
an entirely  different doctrine from    
that which they confess4 ,they could not
  sacrifice an only son as ,abraham was 
ready to do1 although ,abraham had  no  
hesitation whatever as to what he should
 do1 just as ,jesus and his  disciples  
were moved to give their lives for      
others1 because such action  alone      
constituted for them the true meaning of
 life4 ,this incapacity to  understand  
the substance of faith explains the     
strange moral state of  men1 who1       
acknowledging that they ought to live in
 accordance with the  doctrine of       
,jesus1 endeavor to live in opposition  
to this doctrine1  conformably to their 
belief that the personal life is a      

sovereign good4    ,the basis of faith  
is the meaning that we derive from life1
 the meaning  that determines whether we
 look upon life as important and good1  
or  trivial and corrupt4 ,faith is the  
appreciation of good and of evil4 ,men  
with a faith based upon their own       
doctrines do not succeed at all in      
harmonizing this faith with the faith   
inspired by the doctrine of ,jesus2  and
 so it was with the early disciples4    
,this misapprehension is  frequently    
referred to in the ,gospels in clear and
 decisive terms4  ,several times the    
disciples asked ,jesus to strengthen    
their faith in his  words 7,matt4 xx4   
#bj-bh2 ,mark x4 #ce-dh74 ,after the    
message1 so terrible  to every man who  
believes in the personal life and who   
seeks his  happiness in the riches of   
this world1 after the words1 ,how hardly
  shall they that have riches enter into
 the kingdom of ,god1 and after  words  
still more terrible for men who believe 
only in the personal life1  ,sell       

whatsoever thou hast and give to the    
poor2 after these warning  words ,peter 
asked1 ,behold1 we have forsaken all and
 followed thee2  what shall we have     
therefore8 ,then ,james and ,john and1  
according to  the ,gospel of ,matthew1  
their mother1 asked him that they might 
be  allowed to sit with him in glory4   
,they asked ,jesus to strengthen their  
faith with a promise of future          
recompense4 ,to ,peter's question ,jesus
  replied with a parable 7,matt4 xx4    
#a-af72 to ,james he replied that they  
did not know what they asked2 that they 
asked what was impossible2 that  they   
did not understand the doctrine1 which  
meant a renunciation of the  personal   
life1 while they demanded personal      
glory1 a personal  recompense2 that they
 should drink the cup he drank of 7that 
is1 live as  he lived71 but to sit upon 
his right hand and upon his left was not
 his  to give4 ,and ,jesus added that   
the great of this world had their profit
  and enjoyment of glory and personal   

power only in the worldly life2 but     
that his disciples ought to know that   
the true meaning of human life is  not  
in personal happiness1 but in           
ministering to others2 the son of  man  
came not to be ministered unto1 but to  
minister1 and to give his  life a ransom
 for many4 ,in reply to the unreasonable
 demands which  revealed their slowness 
to understand his doctrine1 ,jesus did  
not  command his disciples to have faith
 in his doctrine1 that is1 to modify    
the ideas inspired by their own doctrine
 7he knew that to be  impossible71 but  
he explained to them the meaning of that
 life which is  the basis of true faith1
 that is1 taught them how to discern    
good from  evil1 the important from the 
secondary4    ,to ,peter's question1    
,what shall we receive8 ,jesus replies  
with the  parable of the laborers in the
 vineyard 7,matt4 xx4 #a-af71 beginning 
with  the words ,for the kingdom of     
heaven is like unto a man that is a     
householder1 and by this means ,jesus   

explains to ,peter that failure to      
understand the doctrine is the cause of 
lack of faith2 and that  remuneration in
 proportion to the amount of work done  
is important only  from the point of    
view of the personal life4    ,this     
faith is based upon the presumption of  
certain imaginary rights2  but a man has
 a right to nothing2 he is under        
obligations for the good  he has        
received1 and so he can exact nothing4  
,even if he were to give up  his whole  
life to the service of others1 he could 
not pay the debt he  has incurred1 and  
so he cannot complain of injustice4 ,if 
a man sets a  value upon his rights to  
life1 if he keeps a reckoning with the  
,overruling ,power from whom he has     
received life1 he proves simply that  he
 does not understand the meaning of     
life4 ,men who have received a  benefit 
act far otherwise4 ,the laborers        
employed in the vineyard were  found by 
the householder idle and unhappy2 they  
did not possess life in  the proper     

meaning of the term4 ,and then the      
householder gave them the  supreme      
welfare of life1--work4 ,they accepted  
the benefits offered1 and  were         
discontented because their remuneration 
was not graduated according  to their   
imaginary deserts4 ,they did the work1  
believing in their false  doctrine of   
life and work as a right1 and           
consequently with an idea of  the       
remuneration to which they were         
entitled4 ,they did not understand  that
 work is the supreme good1 and that they
 should be thankful for the  opportunity
 to work1 instead of exacting payment4  
,and so all men who  look upon life as  
these laborers looked upon it1 never can
 possess true  faith4 ,this parable of  
the laborers1 related by ,jesus in      
response to the  request by his         
disciples that he strengthen their      
faith1 shows more  clearly than ever the
 basis of the faith that ,jesus taught4 
,when ,jesus told his disciples that    
they must forgive a brother who         

trespassed against them not only once1  
but seventy times seven times1  the     
disciples were overwhelmed at the       
difficulty of observing this            
injunction1 and said1 ,increase our     
faith1 just as a little while  before   
they had asked1 ,what shall we receive8 
,now they uttered the  language of      
would-be ,christians3 ,we wish to       
believe1 but cannot2  strengthen our    
faith that we may be saved2 make us     
believe 7as the ,jews  said to ,jesus   
when they demanded miracles72 either by 
miracles or  promises of recompense1    
make us to have faith in our salvation4 
,the disciples said what we all say3    
,how pleasant it would be if we  could  
live our selfish life1 and at the same  
time believe that it is far  better to  
practise the doctrine of ,god by living 
for others4 ,this  disposition of mind  
is common to us all2 it is contrary to  
the meaning  of the doctrine of ,jesus1 
and yet we are astonished at our lack of
  faith4 ,jesus disposed of this        

misapprehension by means of a parable   
illustrating true faith4 ,faith cannot  
come of confidence in his words2  faith 
can come only of a consciousness of our 
condition2 faith is based  only upon the
 dictates of reason as to what is best  
to do in a given  situation4 ,he showed 
that this faith cannot be awakened in   
others by  promises of recompense or    
threats of punishment1 which can only   
arouse a  feeble confidence that will   
fail at the first trial2 but that the   
faith  which removes mountains1 the     
faith that nothing can shatter1 is      
inspired  by the consciousness of our   
inevitable loss if we do not profit by  
the  salvation that is offered4    ,to  
have faith1 we must not count on any    
promise of recompense2 we must          
understand that the only way of escape  
from a ruined life is a life            
conformable to the will of the ,master4 
,he who understands this will not  ask  
to be strengthened in his faith1 but    
will work out his salvation  without the

 need of any exhortation4 ,the          
householder1 when he comes from  the    
fields with his workman1 does not ask   
the latter to sit down at once  to      
dinner1 but directs him to attend first 
to other duties and to wait  upon him1  
the master1 and then to take his place  
at the table and dine4  ,this the       
workman does without any sense of being 
wronged2 he does not  boast of his labor
 nor does he demand recognition or      
recompense1 for he  knows that labor is 
the inevitable condition of his         
existence and the  true welfare of his  
life4 ,so ,jesus says that when we have 
done all that  we are commanded to do1  
we have only fulfilled our duty4 ,he who
  understands his relations to his      
master will understand that he has life 
only as he obeys the master's will2 he  
will know in what his welfare  consists1
 and he will have a faith that does not 
demand the impossible4  ,this is the    
faith taught by ,jesus1 which has for   
its foundation a  thorough perception of

 the true meaning of life4 ,the source  
of faith is  light3--    ,that was the  
true light which lighteth every man that
 cometh into the  world4 ,he was in the 
world1 and the world was made by him1   
and the world  knew him not4 ,he came   
unto his own1 and his own received him  
not4 ,but as  many as received him1 to  
them gave he the right to become the    
children  of ,god1 even to them that    
believe on his name4 7,john i4 #i-ab47  
,and this is the condemnation1 that     
light is come into the world1 and  men  
loved darkness rather than light1       
because their deeds were evil4 ,for     
every one that doeth ill hateth the     
light1 and cometh not to the light1     
lest his works should be reproved4 ,but 
he that doeth the truth cometh to  the  
light1 that his works may be made       
manifest1 because they have been        
wrought in ,god4 7,john iii4 #ai-ba47   
,he who understands the doctrine of     
,jesus will not ask to be strengthened  
in his faith4 ,the doctrine of ,jesus   

teaches that faith is inspired by  the  
light of truth4 ,jesus never asked men  
to have faith in his person2  he called 
upon them to have faith in truth4 ,to   
the ,jews he said3--    ,ye seek to kill
 me1 a man that hath told you the truth 
which ,i have  heard of ,god4 7,john    
viii4 #dj47    ,which of you convicteth 
me of sin8 ,if ,i say truth1 why do ye  
not  believe me8 7,john viii4 #df47     
,to this end have ,i been born1 and to  
this end am ,i come into the  world1    
that ,i should bear witness unto the    
truth4 ,every one that is of  the truth 
heareth my voice4 7,john xviii4 #cg47   
,to his disciples he said3--    ,i am   
the way1 and the truth1 and the life4   
7,john xiv4 #f47    ,the ,father 444    
shall give you another ,comforter1 that 
he may be with  you forever1 even the   
,spirit of truth3 whom the world cannot 
receive2  for it beholdeth him not1     
neither knoweth him3 ye know him2 for he
  abideth with you1 and shall be in you4
 7,john xiv4 #af1 #ag47    ,jesus'      

doctrine1 then1 is truth1 and he himself
 is truth4 ,the doctrine  of ,jesus is  
the doctrine of truth4 ,faith in ,jesus 
is not belief in a  system based upon   
his personality1 but a consciousness of 
truth4 ,no one  can be persuaded to     
believe in the doctrine of ,jesus1 nor  
can any one be  stimulated by any       
promised reward to practise it4 ,he who 
understands the  doctrine of ,jesus will
 have faith in him1 because this        
doctrine is true4  ,he who knows the    
truth indispensable to his happiness    
must believe in  it1 just as a man who  
knows that he is drowning grasps the    
rope of  safety4 ,thus1 the question1   
,what must ,i do to believe8 is an      
indication  that he who asks it does not
 understand the doctrine of ,jesus4     
,,chapter ,x4      ,,we say1 ,it is     
difficult to live according to the      
doctrine of ,jesus6 ,and  why should it 
not be difficult1 when by our           
organization of life we  carefully hide 
from ourselves our true situation2 when 

we endeavor to  persuade ourselves that 
our situation is not at all what it is1 
but that  it is something else8 ,we call
 this faith1 and regarding it as sacred1
 we  endeavor by all possible means1 by 
threats1 by flattery1 by falsehood1  by 
stimulating the emotions1 to attract men
 to its support4 ,in this mad           
determination to believe what is        
contrary to sense and reason1 we reach  
such a degree of aberration that we are 
ready to take as an indication  of truth
 the very absurdity of the object in    
whose behalf we solicit the  confidence 
of men4 ,are there not ,christians who  
are ready to declare  with enthusiasm   
,credo quia absurdum1 supposing that the
 absurd is the  best medium for teaching
 men the truth8 ,not long ago a man of  
intelligence and great learning said to 
me that the ,christian doctrine  had no 
importance as a moral rule of life4     
,morality1 he said1 must be  sought in  
the teachings of the ,stoics and the    
,brahmins1 and in the  ,talmud4 ,the    

essence of the ,christian doctrine is   
not in morality1 he  said1 but in the   
theosophical doctrine propounded in its 
dogmas4  ,according to this ,i ought to 
prize in the ,christian doctrine not    
what it  contains of eternal good to    
humanity1 not its teachings             
indispensable to  a reasonable life2 ,i 
ought to regard as the most important   
element of  ,christianity that portion  
of it which it is impossible to         
understand1  and therefore useless1--and
 this in the name of thousands of men   
who  have perished for their faith4     
,we have a false conception of life1 a  
conception based upon wrong doing  and  
inspired by selfish passions1 and we    
consider our faith in this  false       
conception 7which we have in some way   
attached to the doctrine of  ,jesus71 as
 the most important and necessary thing 
with which we are  concerned4 ,if men   
had not for centuries maintained faith  
in what is  untrue1 this false          
conception of life1 as well as the truth

 of the  doctrine of ,jesus1 would long 
ago have been revealed4    ,it is a     
terrible thing to say1 but it seems to  
me that if the doctrine  of ,jesus1 and 
that of the ,church which has been      
foisted upon it1 had  never existed1    
those who to-day call themselves        
,christians would be much  nearer than  
they are to the truth of the doctrine of
 ,jesus2 that is1 to  the reasonable    
doctrine which teaches the true meaning 
of life4 ,the  moral doctrines of all   
the prophets of the world would not then
 be  closed to them4 ,they would have   
their little ideas of truth1 and would  
regard them with confidence4 ,now1 all  
truth is revealed1 and this truth  has  
so horrified those whose manner of life 
it condemned1 that they  have disguised 
it in falsehood1 and men have lost      
confidence in the  truth4    ,in our    
,european society1 the words of ,jesus1 
,to this end ,i am come  into the world1
 that ,i shall bear witness unto the    
truth4 ,every one that  is of the truth 

heareth my voice1--have been for a long 
time  supplanted by ,pilate's question1 
,what is truth8 ,this question1  quoted 
as a bitter and profound irony against a
 ,roman1 we have taken as  of serious   
purport1 and have made of it an article 
of faith4    ,with us1 all men live not 
only without truth1 not only without the
 least  desire to know truth1 but with  
the firm conviction that1 among all     
useless occupations1 the most useless is
 the endeavor to find the truth  that   
governs human life4 ,the rule of life1  
the doctrine that all  peoples1         
excepting our ,european societies1 have 
always considered as the  most important
 thing1 the rule of which ,jesus spoke  
as the one thing  needful1 is an object 
of universal disdain4 ,an institution   
called the  ,church1 in which no one1   
not even if he belong to it1 really     
believes1  has for a long time usurped  
the place of this rule4    ,the only    
source of light for those who think and 
suffer is hidden4 ,for a  solution of   

the questions1 ,what am ,i8 what ought  
,i to do8 ,i am not  allowed to depend  
upon the doctrine of him who came to    
save2 ,i am told  to obey the           
authorities1 and believe in the ,church4
 ,but why is life so  full of evil8 ,why
 so much wrong-doing8 ,may ,i not       
abstain from taking  part therein8 ,is  
it impossible to lighten this heavy load
 that weighs me  down8 ,the reply is    
that this is impossible1 that the desire
 to live  well and to help others to    
live well is only a temptation of pride2
 that  one thing is possible1--to save  
one's soul for the future life4 ,he who 
is not willing to take part in this     
miserable life may keep aloof from  it2 
this way is open to all2 but1 says the  
doctrine of the ,church1 he  who chooses
 this way can take no part in the life  
of the world2 he  ceases to live4 ,our  
masters tell us that there are only two 
ways1--to  believe in and obey the      
powers that be1 to participate in the   
organized  evil about us1 or to forsake 

the world and take refuge in convent or 
monastery2 to take part in the offices  
of the ,church1 doing nothing for  men1 
and declaring the doctrine of ,jesus    
impossible to practise1  accepting the  
iniquity of life sanctioned by the      
,church1 or to renounce  life for what  
is equivalent to slow suicide4          
,however surprising the belief that the 
doctrine of ,jesus is excellent1  but   
impossible of practice1 there is a still
 more surprising tradition  that he who 
wishes to practise this doctrine1 not in
 word1 but in deed1  must retire from   
the world4 ,this erroneous belief that  
it is better for  a man to retire from  
the world than to expose himself to     
temptations1  existed amongst the       
,hebrews of old1 but is entirely        
foreign1 not only to  the spirit of     
,christianity1 but to that of the       
,jewish religion4 ,the  charming and    
significant story of the prophet ,jonah1
 which ,jesus so  loved to quote1 was   
written in regard to this very error4   

,the prophet  ,jonah1 wishing to remain 
upright and virtuous1 retires from the  
perverse  companionship of men4 ,but    
,god shows him that as a prophet he     
ought to  communicate to misguided men a
 knowledge of the truth1 and so ought   
not  to fly from men1 but ought rather  
to live in communion with them4 ,jonah1 
disgusted with the depravity of the     
inhabitants of ,nineveh1 flies from  the
 city2 but he cannot escape his         
vocation4 ,he is brought back1 and the  
will of ,god is accomplished2 the       
,ninevites receive the words of ,jonah  
and are saved4 ,instead of rejoicing    
that he has been made the instrument  of
 ,god's will1 ,jonah is angry1 and      
condemns ,god for the mercy shown the   
,ninevites1 arrogating to himself alone 
the exercise of reason and  goodness4   
,he goes out into the desert and makes  
him a shelter1 whence he  addresses his 
reproaches to ,god4 ,then a gourd comes 
up over ,jonah and  protects him from   
the sun1 but the next day it withers4   

,jonah1 smitten  by the heat1 reproaches
 ,god anew for allowing the gourd to    
wither4 ,then  ,god says to him3--      
,thou hast had pity on the gourd1 for   
the which thou hast not labored1        
neither madest it grow2 which came up in
 a night1 and perished in a  night3 and 
should ,i not have pity on ,nineveh1    
that great city2 wherein  are more than 
six score thousand persons that cannot  
discern between  their right hand and   
their left hand8    ,jesus knew this    
story1 and often referred to it4 ,in the
 ,gospels we find  it related how       
,jesus1 after the interview with ,john1 
who had retired  into the desert1 was   
himself subjected to the same temptation
 before  beginning his mission4 ,he was 
led by the ,spirit into the wilderness1 
and there tempted by the ,devil 7error71
 over which he triumphed and  returned  
to ,galilee4 ,thereafter he mingled with
 the most depraved men1  and passed his 
life among publicans1 ,pharisees1 and   
fishermen1 teaching  them the truth4#bj 

#bj ,jesus is led into the desert to be 
tempted of error4 ,error       suggests 
to ,jesus that he is not the ,son of    
,god if he cannot make       stones into
 bread4 ,jesus replies that he lives1   
not by bread alone1       but by the    
word of ,god4 ,then ,error says that if 
he lives by the       word or spirit of 
,god1 the flesh may be destroyed1 but   
the spirit       will not perish4       
,jesus' reply is that life in the flesh 
is the will       of ,god2 to destroy   
the flesh is to act contrary to the will
 of ,god1       to tempt ,god4 ,error   
then suggests that if this be true1 he  
should1       like the rest of the      
world1 place himself at the service of  
the       flesh1 and the flesh will give
 him satisfaction4 ,jesus' reply is     
that he can serve ,god only because the 
true life is spiritual1 and       has   
been placed in the flesh by the will of 
,god4 ,jesus then leaves       the      
desert and returns to the world4 7,matt4
 iv4 #a-aa2 ,luke iv4       #a-ac47     

,even according to the doctrine of the  
,church1 ,jesus1 as ,god in man1 has    
given us the example of his life4 ,all  
of his life that is known to us  was    
passed in the company of publicans1 of  
the downfallen1 and of  ,pharisees4 ,the
 principal commandments of ,jesus are   
that his followers  shall love others   
and spread his doctrine4 ,both exact    
constant communion  with the world4 ,and
 yet the deduction is made that the     
doctrine of ,jesus  permits retirement  
from the world4 ,that is1 to imitate    
,jesus we may do  exactly contrary to   
what he taught and did himself4    ,as  
the ,church explains it1 the doctrine of
 ,jesus offers itself to men of  the    
world and to dwellers in monasteries1   
not as a rule of life for  bettering    
one's own condition and the condition of
 others1 but as a  doctrine which       
teaches the man of the world how to live
 an evil life and  at the same time gain
 for himself another life1 and the monk 
how to  render existence still more     

difficult than it naturally is4 ,but    
,jesus  did not teach this4 ,jesus      
taught the truth1 and if metaphysical   
truth is  the truth1 it will remain such
 in practice4 ,if life in ,god is the   
only  true life1 and is in itself       
profitable1 then it is so here in this  
world  in spite of all that may happen4 
,if in this world a life in accordance  
with the doctrine of ,jesus is not      
profitable1 his doctrine cannot be      
true4    ,jesus did not ask us to pass  
from better to worse1 but1 on the       
contrary1  from worse to better4 ,he had
 pity upon men1 who to him were like    
sheep  without a shepherd4 ,he said that
 his disciples would be persecuted for  
his doctrine1 and that they must bear   
the persecutions of the world with      
resolution4 ,but he did not say that    
those who followed his doctrine  would  
suffer more than those who followed the 
world's doctrine2 on the  contrary1 he  
said that those who followed the world's
 doctrine would be  wretched1 and that  

those who followed his doctrine would   
have joy and  peace4 ,jesus did not     
teach salvation by faith in asceticism  
or voluntary  torture1 but he taught us 
a way of life which1 while saving us    
from the  emptiness of the personal     
life1 would give us less of suffering   
and more  of joy4 ,jesus told men that  
in practising his doctrine among        
unbelievers  they would be1 not more    
unhappy1 but1 on the contrary1 much more
 happy1  than those who did not practise
 it4 ,there was1 he said1 one infallible
  rule1 and that was to have no care    
about the worldly life4 ,when ,peter    
said to ,jesus1 ,we have forsaken all1  
and followed thee2 what then  shall we  
have8 ,jesus replied3--    ,there is no 
man that hath left house1 or brethren1  
or sisters1 or  mother1 or father1 or   
children1 or lands1 for my sake1 and for
 the  gospel's sake1 but he shall       
receive a hundred fold more in this     
time1  houses1 and brethren1 and        
sisters1 and mothers1 and children1 and 

lands1  with persecutions2 and in the   
age to come eternal life4 7,mark x4     
#bh-cj47    ,jesus declared1 it is true1
 that those who follow his doctrine must
  expect to be persecuted by those who  
do not follow it1 but he did not  say   
that his disciples will be the worse off
 for that reason2 on the  contrary1 he  
said that his disciples would have1     
here1 in this world1  more benefits than
 those who did not follow him4 ,that    
,jesus said and  thought this is beyond 
a doubt1 as the clearness of his words  
on this  subject1 the meaning of his    
entire doctrine1 his life and the life  
of  his disciples1 plainly show4 ,but   
was his teaching in this respect true8  
,when we examine the question as to     
which of the two conditions would be    
the better1 that of the disciples of    
,jesus or that of the disciples of  the 
world1 we are obliged to conclude that  
the condition of the  disciples of      
,jesus ought to be the most desirable1  
since the disciples  of ,jesus1 in doing

 good to every one1 would not arouse the
 hatred of  men4 ,the disciples of      
,jesus1 doing evil to no one1 would be  
persecuted  only by the wicked4 ,the    
disciples of the world1 on the contrary1
 are  likely to be persecuted by every  
one1 since the law of the disciples of  
the world is the law of each for        
himself1 the law of struggle2 that is1  
of mutual persecution4 ,moreover1 the   
disciples of ,jesus would be  prepared  
for suffering1 while the disciples of   
the world use all  possible means to    
avoid suffering2 the disciples of ,jesus
 would feel  that their sufferings were 
useful to the world2 but the disciples  
of the  world do not know why they      
suffer4 ,on abstract grounds1 then1 the 
condition of the disciples of ,jesus    
would be more advantageous than that  of
 the disciples of the world4 ,but is it 
so in reality8 ,to answer this1  let    
each one call to mind all the painful   
moments of his life1 all the  physical  
and moral sufferings that he has        

endured1 and let him ask  himself if he 
has suffered these calamities in behalf 
of the doctrine of  the world or in     
behalf of the doctrine of ,jesus4 ,every
 sincere man will  find in recalling his
 past life that he has never once       
suffered for  practising the doctrine of
 ,jesus4 ,he will find that the greater 
part of  the misfortunes of his life    
have resulted from following the        
doctrines  of the world4 ,in my own life
 7an exceptionally happy one from a     
worldly  point of view7 ,i can reckon up
 as much suffering caused by following  
the  doctrine of the world as many a    
martyr has endured for the doctrine of  
,jesus4 ,all the most painful moments of
 my life1--the orgies and duels  in     
which ,i took part as a student1 the    
wars in which ,i have  participated1 the
 diseases that ,i have endured1 and the 
abnormal and  insupportable conditions  
under which ,i now live1--all these are 
only so  much martyrdom exacted by      
fidelity to the doctrine of the world4  

,but ,i  speak of a life exceptionally  
happy from a worldly point of view4 ,how
  many martyrs have suffered for the    
doctrine of the world torments that ,i  
should find difficulty in enumerating6  
,we do not realize the difficulties and 
dangers entailed by the practice  of the
 doctrine of the world1 simply because  
we are persuaded that we  could not do  
otherwise than follow that doctrine4 ,we
 are persuaded that  all the calamities 
that we inflict upon ourselves are the  
result of the  inevitable conditions of 
life1 and we cannot understand that the 
doctrine of ,jesus teaches us how we may
 rid ourselves of these  calamities and 
render our lives happy4 ,to be able to  
reply to the  question1 ,which of these 
two conditions is the happier8 we must1 
at  least for the time being1 put aside 
our prejudices and take a careful       
survey of our surroundings4    ,go      
through our great cities and observe the
 emaciated1 sickly1 and  distorted      
specimens of humanity to be found       

therein2 recall your own  existence and 
that of all the people with whose lives 
you are familiar2  recall the instances 
of violent deaths and suicides of which 
you have  heard1--and then ask yourself 
for what cause all this suffering and   
death1 this despair that leads to       
suicide1 has been endured4 ,you will    
find1 perhaps to your surprise1 that    
nine-tenths of all human suffering      
endured by men is useless1 and ought not
 to exist1 that1 in fact1 the  majority 
of men are martyrs to the doctrine of   
the world4    ,one rainy autumn day ,i  
rode on the tramway by the ,sukhareff   
,tower in  ,moscow4 ,for the distance of
 half a verst the vehicle forced its way
  through a compact crowd which quickly 
reformed its ranks4 ,from morning  till 
night these thousands of men1 the       
greater portion of them starving  and in
 rags1 tramped angrily through the mud1 
venting their hatred in  abusive        
epithets and acts of violence4 ,the same
 sight may be seen in all  the          

market-places of ,moscow4 ,at sunset    
these people go to the taverns  and     
gaming-houses2 their nights are passed  
in filth and wretchedness4  ,think of   
the lives of these people1 of what they 
abandon through choice  for their       
present condition2 think of the heavy   
burden of labor without  reward which   
weighs upon these men and women1 and you
 will see that they  are true martyrs4  
,all these people have forsaken houses1 
lands1 parents1  wives1 and children2   
they have renounced all the comforts of 
life1 and  they have come to the cities 
to acquire that which according to the  
gospel of the world is indispensable to 
every one4 ,and all these tens of       
thousands of unhappy people sleep in    
hovels1 and subsist upon strong  drink  
and wretched food4 ,but aside from this 
class1 all1 from factory  workman1      
cab-driver1 sewing girl1 and lorette1 to
 merchant and  government official1 all 
endure the most painful and abnormal    
conditions without being able to acquire

 what1 according to the doctrine  of the
 world1 is indispensable to each4       
,seek among all these men1 from beggar  
to millionaire1 one who is  contented   
with his lot1 and you will not find one 
such in a thousand4  ,each one spends   
his strength in pursuit of what is      
exacted by the  doctrine of the world1  
and of what he is unhappy not to        
possess1 and  scarcely has he obtained  
one object of his desires when he       
strives for  another1 and still another1
 in that infinite labor of ,sisyphus    
which  destroys the lives of men4 ,run  
over the scale of individual fortunes1  
ranging from a yearly income of three   
hundred roubles to fifty thousand       
roubles1 and you will rarely find a     
person who is not striving to gain  four
 hundred roubles if he have three       
hundred1 five hundred if he have  four  
hundred1 and so on to the top of the    
ladder4 ,among them all you  will       
scarcely find one who1 with five hundred
 roubles1 is willing to  adopt the mode 

of life of him who has only four        
hundred4 ,when such an  instance does   
occur1 it is not inspired by a desire to
 make life more  simple1 but to amass   
money and make it more sure4 ,each      
strives  continually to make the heavy  
burden of existence still more heavy1 by
  giving himself up body and soul to the
 practice of the doctrine of the  world4
 ,to-day we must buy an overcoat and    
galoches1 to-morrow1 a watch  and chain2
 the next day we must install ourselves 
in an apartment with a  sofa and a      
bronze lamp2 then we must have carpets  
and velvet gowns2  then a house1 horses 
and carriages1 paintings and            
decorations1 and  then--then we fall ill
 of overwork and die4 ,another continues
 the same  task1 sacrifices his life to 
this same ,moloch1 and then dies also1  
without realizing for what he has lived4
    ,but possibly this existence is in  
itself attractive8 ,compare it with     
what men have always called happiness1  
and you will see that it is  hideous4   

,for what1 according to the general     
estimate1 are the principal  conditions 
of earthly happiness8 ,one of the first 
conditions of  happiness is that the    
link between man and nature shall not be
 severed1  that is1 that he shall be    
able to see the sky above him1 and that 
he  shall be able to enjoy the sunshine1
 the pure air1 the fields with their    
verdure1 their multitudinous life4 ,men 
have always regarded it as a  great     
unhappiness to be deprived of all these 
things4 ,but what is the  condition of  
those men who live according to the     
doctrine of the world8  ,the greater    
their success in practising the doctrine
 of the world1 the  more they are       
deprived of these conditions of         
happiness4 ,the greater  their worldly  
success1 the less they are able to enjoy
 the light of the  sun1 the freshness of
 the fields and woods1 and all the      
delights of  country life4 ,many of     
them--including nearly all the          
women--arrive at  old age without having

 seen the sun rise or the beauties of   
the early  morning1 without having seen 
a forest except from a seat in a        
carriage1  without ever having planted a
 field or a garden1 and without having  
the  least idea as to the ways and      
habits of dumb animals4    ,these       
people1 surrounded by artificial light  
instead of sunshine1 look  only upon    
fabrics of tapestry and stone and wood  
fashioned by the hand  of man2 the roar 
of machinery1 the roll of vehicles1 the 
thunder of  cannon1 the sound of musical
 instruments1 are always in their ears2 
they  breathe an atmosphere heavy with  
distilled perfumes and tobacco smoke2   
because of the weakness of their        
stomachs and their depraved tastes they 
eat rich and highly spiced food4 ,when  
they move about from place to  place1   
they travel in closed carriages4 ,when  
they go into the country1  they have the
 same fabrics beneath their feet2 the   
same draperies shut  out the sunshine2  
and the same array of servants cut off  

all  communication with the men1 the    
earth1 the vegetation1 and the animals  
about them4 ,wherever they go1 they are 
like so many captives shut out  from the
 conditions of happiness4 ,as prisoners 
sometimes console  themselves with a    
blade of grass that forces its way      
through the  pavement of their prison   
yard1 or make pets of a spider or a     
mouse1 so  these people sometimes amuse 
themselves with sickly plants1 a parrot1
 a  poodle1 or a monkey1 to whose needs 
however they do not themselves          
administer4    ,another inevitable      
condition of happiness is work3 first1  
the  intellectual labor that one is free
 to choose and loves2 secondly1 the     
exercise of physical power that brings a
 good appetite and tranquil and         
profound sleep4 ,here1 again1 the       
greater the imagined prosperity that    
falls to the lot of men according to the
 doctrine of the world1 the more  such  
men are deprived of this condition of   
happiness4 ,all the prosperous  people  

of the world1 the men of dignity and    
wealth1 are as completely  deprived of  
the advantages of work as if they were  
shut up in solitary  confinement4 ,they 
struggle unsuccessfully with the        
diseases caused by  the need of physical
 exercise1 and with the ennui which     
pursues  them--unsuccessfully1 because  
labor is a pleasure only when it is     
necessary1 and they have need of        
nothing2 or they undertake work that is 
odious to them1 like the bankers1       
solicitors1 administrators1 and         
government officials1 and their wives1  
who plan receptions and routs and       
devise toilettes for themselves and     
their children4 7,i say odious1  because
 ,i never yet met any person of this    
class who was contented with  his work  
or took as much satisfaction in it as   
the porter feels in  shovelling away the
 snow from before their doorsteps47 ,all
 these  favorites of fortune are either 
deprived of work or are obliged to work 
at what they do not like1 after the     

manner of criminals condemned to  hard  
labor4    ,the third undoubted condition
 of happiness is the family4 ,but the   
more  men are enslaved by worldly       
success1 the more certainly are they cut
 off  from domestic pleasures4 ,the     
majority of them are libertines1 who    
deliberately renounce the joys of family
 life and retain only its cares4  ,if   
they are not libertines1 their children1
 instead of being a source  of pleasure1
 are a burden1 and all possible means   
are employed to render  marriage        
unfruitful4 ,if they have children1 they
 make no effort to  cultivate the       
pleasures of companionship with them4   
,they leave their  children almost      
continually to the care of strangers1   
confiding them  first to the instruction
 of persons who are usually foreigners1 
and then  sending them to public        
educational institutions1 so that of    
family life  they have only the sorrows1
 and the children from infancy are as   
unhappy  as their parents and wish their

 parents dead that they may become the  
heirs4#ba ,these people are not confined
 in prisons1 but the  consequences of   
their way of living with regard to the  
family are more  melancholy than the    
deprivation from the domestic relations 
inflicted  upon those who are kept in   
confinement under sentence of the law4  
#ba ,the justification of this existence
 made by parents is very       curious4 
,i need nothing for myself1 the father  
says2 this way of       living is very  
distasteful to me2 but1 because of      
affection for my       children1 ,i     
endure its burdens4 ,in plain terms his 
argument would       be3 ,i know by     
experience that my way of living is a   
source of       unhappiness1            
consequently ,i am training my children 
to the same       unhappy method of     
existence4 ,for love of them1 ,i bring  
them into a       city permeated with   
physical and moral miasma2 ,i give them 
into the       care of strangers1 who   
regard the education of the young as a  

lucrative enterprise2 ,i surround my    
children with physical1 moral1       and
 intellectual corruption4 ,and this     
reasoning must serve as a               
justification of the absurd existence   
led by the parents       themselves4    
,the fourth condition of happiness is   
sympathetic and unrestricted            
intercourse with all classes of men4    
,and the higher a man is placed in  the 
social scale1 the more certainly is he  
deprived of this essential  condition of
 happiness4 ,the higher he goes1 the    
narrower becomes his  circle of         
associates2 the lower sinks the moral   
and intellectual level  of those to     
whose companionship he is restrained4   
,the peasant and his wife are free to   
enter into friendly relations with      
every one1 and if a million men will    
have nothing to do with them1 there     
remain eighty millions of people with   
whom they may fraternize1 from          
,archangel to ,astrakhan1 without       
waiting for a ceremonious visit or an   

introduction4 ,a clerk and his wife will
 find hundreds of people who are  their 
equals2 but the clerks of a higher rank 
will not admit them to a  footing of    
social equality1 and they1 in their     
turn1 are excluded by  others4 ,the     
wealthy man of the world reckons by     
dozens the families with  whom he is    
willing to maintain social ties--all the
 rest of the world  are strangers4 ,for 
the cabinet minister and the millionaire
 there are  only a dozen people as rich 
and as important as themselves4 ,for    
kings  and emperors1 the circle is still
 more narrow4 ,is not the whole system  
like a great prison where each inmate is
 restricted to association with  a few  
fellow-convicts8    ,finally1 the fifth 
condition of happiness is bodily health4
 ,and once  more we find that as we     
ascend the social scale this condition  
of  happiness is less and less within   
the reach of the followers of the       
doctrine of the world4 ,compare a family
 of medium social status with a  family 

of peasants4 ,the latter toil           
unremittingly and are robust of  body2  
the former is made up of men and women  
more or less subject to  disease4       
,recall to mind the rich men and women  
whom you have known2 are  not most of   
them invalids8 ,a person of that class  
whose physical  disabilities do not     
oblige him to take a periodical course  
of hygienic  and medical treatment is as
 rare as is an invalid among the        
laboring  classes4 ,all these favorites 
of fortune are the victims and          
practitioners of sexual vices that have 
become a second nature1 and they  are   
toothless1 gray1 and bald at an age when
 a workingman is in the  prime of       
manhood4 ,nearly all are afflicted with 
nervous or other  diseases arising from 
excesses in eating1 drunkenness1 luxury1
 and  perpetual medication4 ,those who  
do not die young1 pass half of their    
lives under the influence of morphine or
 other drugs1 as melancholy  wrecks of  
humanity incapable of self-attention1   

leading a parasitic  existence like that
 of a certain species of ants which are 
nourished by  their slaves4 ,here is the
 death list4 ,one has blown out his     
brains1  another has rotted away from   
the effects of syphilitic poison2 this  
old  man succumbed to sexual excesses1  
this young man to a wild outburst of    
sensuality2 one died of drunkenness1    
another of gluttony1 another from  the  
abuse of morphine1 another from an      
induced abortion4 ,one after  another   
they perished1 victims of the doctrine  
of the world4 ,and a  multitude presses 
on behind them1 like an army of martyrs1
 to undergo  the same sufferings1 the   
same perdition4    ,to follow the       
doctrine of ,jesus is difficult6 ,jesus 
said that they who  would forsake       
houses1 and lands1 and brethren1 and    
follow his doctrine  should receive a   
hundred-fold in houses1 and lands1 and  
brethren1 and  besides all this1 eternal
 life4 ,and no one is willing even to   
make the  experiment4 ,the doctrine of  

the world commands its followers to     
leave  houses1 and lands1 and brethren2 
to forsake the country for the filth of 
the city1 there to toil as a bath-keeper
 soaping the backs of others2 as  an    
apprentice in a little underground shop 
passing life in counting  kopecks2 as a 
prosecuting attorney to serve in        
bringing unhappy wretches  under        
condemnation of the law2 as a cabinet   
minister1 perpetually  signing documents
 of no importance2 as the head of an    
army1 killing  men4--,forsake all and   
live this hideous life ending in a cruel
 death1  and you shall receive nothing  
in this world or the other1 is the      
command1 and every one listens and      
obeys4 ,jesus tells us to take up the   
cross and follow him1 to bear           
submissively the lot apportioned out to 
us4 ,no one hears his words or follows  
his command4 ,but let a man in a        
uniform decked out with gold lace1 a man
 whose speciality is to kill his        
fellows1 say1 ,take1 not your cross1 but

 your knapsack and carbine1 and  march  
to suffering and certain death1--and a  
mighty host is ready to  receive his    
orders4 ,leaving parents1 wives1 and    
children1 clad in  grotesque costumes1  
subject to the will of the first comer  
of a higher  rank1 famished1 benumbed1  
and exhausted by forced marches1 they   
go1 like  a herd of cattle to the       
slaughter-house1 not knowing where1--and
 yet  these are not cattle1 they are    
men4    ,with despair in their hearts   
they move on1 to die of hunger1 or cold1
 or  disease1 or1 if they survive1 to be
 brought within range of a storm of     
bullets and commanded to kill4 ,they    
kill and are killed1 none of them  knows
 why or to what end4 ,an ambitious      
stripling has only to brandish  his     
sword and shout a few magniloquent words
 to induce them to rush to  certain     
death4 ,and yet no one finds this to be 
difficult4 ,neither the  victims1 nor   
those whom they have forsaken1 find     
anything difficult in  such sacrifices1 

in which parents encourage their        
children to take part4  ,it seems to    
them not only that such things should   
be1 but that they  could not be         
otherwise1 and that they are altogether 
admirable and  moral4    ,if the        
practice of the doctrine of the world   
were easy1 agreeable1 and  without      
danger1 we might perhaps believe that   
the practice of the  doctrine of ,jesus 
is difficult1 frightful1 and cruel4 ,but
 the doctrine  of the world is much more
 difficult1 more dangerous1 and more    
cruel1  than is the doctrine of ,jesus4 
,formerly1 we are told1 there were      
martyrs  for the cause of ,jesus2 but   
they were exceptional4 ,we cannot count 
up  more than about three hundred and   
eighty thousand of them1 voluntary and  
involuntary1 in the whole course of     
eighteen hundred years2 but who  shall  
count the martyrs to the doctrine of the
 world8 ,for each ,christian  martyr    
there have been a thousand martyrs to   
the doctrine of the world1  and the     

sufferings of each one of them have been
 a hundred times more  cruel than those 
endured by the others4 ,the number of   
the victims of  wars in our century     
alone amounts to thirty millions of men4
 ,these are  the martyrs to the doctrine
 of the world1 who would have escaped   
suffering and death even if they had    
refused to follow the doctrine of  the  
world1 to say nothing of following the  
doctrine of ,jesus4    ,if a man will   
cease to have faith in the doctrine of  
the world and not  think it             
indispensable to wear varnished boots   
and a gold chain1 to  maintain a useless
 salon1 or to do the various other      
foolish things the  doctrine of the     
world demands1 he will never know the   
effects of  brutalizing occupations1 of 
unlimited suffering1 of the anxieties of
 a  perpetual struggle2 he will remain  
in communion with nature2 he will be    
deprived neither of the work he loves1  
or of his family1 or of his  health1 and
 he will not perish by a cruel and      

brutish death4    ,the doctrine of      
,jesus does not exact martyrdom similar 
to that of the  doctrine of the world2  
it teaches us rather how to put an end  
to the  sufferings that men endure in   
the name of the false doctrine of the   
world4 ,the doctrine of ,jesus has a    
profound metaphysical meaning2 it has  a
 meaning as an expression of the        
aspirations of humanity2 but it has     
also for each individual a very simple1 
very clear1 and very practical  meaning 
with regard to the conduct of his own   
life4 ,in fact1 we might  say that      
,jesus taught men not to do foolish     
things4 ,the meaning of the  doctrine of
 ,jesus is simple and accessible to all4
    ,jesus said that we were not to be  
angry1 and not to consider ourselves  as
 better than others2 if we were angry   
and offended others1 so much the  worse 
for us4 ,again1 he said that we were to 
avoid libertinism1 and to  that end     
choose one woman1 to whom we should     
remain faithful4 ,once more1  he said   

that we were not to bind ourselves by   
promises or oaths to the  service of    
those who may constrain us to commit    
acts of folly and  wickedness4 ,then he 
said that we were not to return evil for
 evil1 lest  the evil rebound upon      
ourselves with redoubled force4 ,and1   
finally1 he  says that we are not to    
consider men as foreigners because they 
dwell in  another country and speak a   
language different from our own4 ,and   
the  conclusion is1 that if we avoid    
doing any of these foolish things1 we   
shall be happy4    ,this is all very    
well 7we say71 but the world is so      
organized that1 if  we place ourselves  
in opposition to it1 our condition will 
be much more  calamitous than if we live
 in accordance with its doctrine4 ,if a 
man  refuses to perform military        
service1 he will be shut up in a        
fortress1  and possibly will be shot4   
,if a man will not do what is necessary 
for  the support of himself and his     
family1 he and his family will starve4  

,thus argue the people who feel         
themselves obliged to defend the        
existing  social organization2 but they 
do not believe in the truth of their own
  words4 ,they only say this because    
they cannot deny the truth of the       
doctrine of ,jesus which they profess1  
and because they must justify           
themselves in some way for their failure
 to practise it4 ,they not only  do not 
believe in what they say2 they have     
never given any serious  consideration  
to the subject4 ,they have faith in the 
doctrine of the  world1 and they only   
make use of the plea they have learned  
from the  ,church1--that much suffering 
is inevitable for those who would       
practise  the doctrine of ,jesus2 and so
 they have never tried to practise the  
doctrine of ,jesus at all4    ,we see   
enough of the frightful suffering       
endured by men in following the         
doctrine of the world1 but in these     
times we hear nothing of suffering  in  
behalf of the doctrine of ,jesus4       

,thirty millions of men have perished   
in wars1 fought in behalf of the        
doctrine of the world2 thousands of     
millions of beings have perished1       
crushed by a social system organized  on
 the principle of the doctrine of the   
world2 but where1 in our day1  shall we 
find a million1 a thousand1 a dozen1 or 
a single one1 who has  died a cruel     
death1 or has even suffered from hunger 
and cold1 in behalf  of the doctrine of 
,jesus8 ,this fear of suffering is only 
a puerile  excuse that proves how little
 we really know of ,jesus' doctrine4 ,we
 not  only do not follow it2 we do not  
even take it seriously4 ,the ,church has
  explained it in such a way that it    
seems to be1 not the doctrine of a      
happy life1 but a bugbear1 a source of  
terror4    ,jesus calls men to drink of 
a well of living water1 which is free to
  all4 ,men are parched with thirst1    
they have eaten of filth and drunk      
blood1 but they have been told that they
 will perish if they drink of  this     

water that is offered them by ,jesus1   
and men believe in the  warnings of     
superstition4 ,they die in torment1 with
 the water that they  dare not touch    
within their reach4 ,if they would only 
have faith in  ,jesus' words1 and go to 
this well of living water and quench    
their  thirst1 they would realize how   
cunning has been the imposture practised
  upon them by the ,church1 and how     
needlessly their sufferings have been   
prolonged4 ,if they would only accept   
the doctrine of ,jesus1 frankly and     
simply1 they would see at once the      
horrible error of which we are each  and
 all the victims4    ,one generation    
after another strives to find the       
security of its  existence in violence1 
and by violence to protect its          
privileges4 ,we  believe that the       
happiness of our life is in power1 and  
domination1 and  abundance of worldly   
goods4 ,we are so habituated to this    
idea that we  are alarmed at the        
sacrifices exacted by the doctrine of   

,jesus1 which  teaches that man's       
happiness does not depend upon fortune  
and power1 and  that the rich cannot    
enter into the kingdom of ,god4 ,but    
this is a false  idea of the doctrine of
 ,jesus1 which teaches us1 not to do    
what is the  worst1 but to do what is   
the best for ourselves here in this     
present  life4 ,inspired by his love for
 men1 ,jesus taught them not to depend  
upon  security based upon violence1 and 
not to seek after riches1 just as we    
teach the common people to abstain1 for 
their own interest1 from  quarrels and  
intemperance4 ,he said that if men lived
 without defending  themselves against  
violence1 and without possessing riches1
 they would  be more happy2 and he      
confirms his words by the example of his
 life4 ,he  said that a man who lives   
according to his doctrine must be ready 
at any  moment to endure violence from  
others1 and1 possibly1 to die of hunger 
and cold4 ,but this warning1 which seems
 to exact such great and  unbearable    

sacrifices1 is simply a statement of the
 conditions under  which men always have
 existed1 and always will continue to   
exist4    ,a disciple of ,jesus should  
be prepared for everything1 and         
especially  for suffering and death4    
,but is the disciple of the world in a  
more  desirable situation8 ,we are so   
accustomed to believe in all we do for  
the so-called security of life 7the     
organization of armies1 the building  of
 fortresses1 the provisioning of        
troops71 that our wardrobes1 our        
systems of medical treatment1 our       
furniture1 and our money1 all seem  like
 real and stable pledges of our         
existence4 ,we forget the fate of him   
who resolved to build greater           
storehouses to provide an abundance for 
many years3 he died in a night4         
,everything that we do to make our      
existence secure is like the act of the 
ostrich1 when she hides her head  in the
 sand1 and does not see that her        
destruction is near4 ,but we are  even  

more foolish than the ostrich4 ,to      
establish the doubtful security  of an  
uncertain life in an uncertain future1  
we sacrifice a life of  certainty in a  
present that we might really possess4   
,the illusion is in the firm conviction 
that our existence can be made  secure  
by a struggle with others4 ,we are so   
accustomed to this illusory  so-called  
security of our existence and our       
property1 that we do not  realize what  
we lose by striving after it4 ,we lose  
everything1--we lose  life itself4 ,our 
whole life is taken up with anxiety for 
personal  security1 with preparations   
for living1 so that we really never live
 at  all4    ,if we take a general      
survey of our lives1 we shall see that  
all our  efforts in behalf of the       
so-called security of existence are not 
made at  all for the assurance of       
security1 but simply to help us to      
forget that  existence never has been1  
and never can be1 secure4 ,but it is not
 enough  to say that we are the dupes of

 our own illusions1 and that we forfeit 
the true life for an imaginary life2 our
 efforts for security often  result in  
the destruction of what we most wish to 
preserve4 ,the ,french  took up arms in 
#ahgj to make their national existence  
secure1 and the  attempt resulted in the
 destruction of hundreds of thousands of
  ,frenchmen4 ,all people who take up   
arms undergo the same experience4 ,the  
rich man believes that his existence is 
secure because he possesses  money1 and 
his money attracts a thief who kills    
him4 ,the invalid thinks  to make his   
life secure by the use of medicines1 and
 the medicines  slowly poison him2 if   
they do not bring about his death1 they 
at least  deprive him of life1 till he  
is like the impotent man who waited     
thirty-five years at the pool for an    
angel to come down and trouble the      
waters4 ,the doctrine of ,jesus1 which  
teaches us that we cannot possibly  make
 life secure1 but that we must be ready 
to die at any moment1 is  unquestionably

 preferable to the doctrine of the      
world1 which obliges us  to struggle for
 the security of existence4 ,it is      
preferable because the  impossibility of
 escaping death1 and the impossibility  
of making life  secure1 is the same for 
the disciples of ,jesus as it is for the
  disciples of the world2 but1 according
 to the doctrine of ,jesus1 life  itself
 is not absorbed in the idle attempt to 
make existence secure4 ,to  the follower
 of ,jesus life is free1 and can be     
devoted to the end for  which it is     
worthy1--its own welfare and the welfare
 of others4 ,the  disciple of ,jesus    
will be poor1 but that is only saying   
that he will  always enjoy the gifts    
that ,god has lavished upon men4 ,he    
will not ruin  his own existence4 ,we   
make the word poverty a synonym for     
calamity1 but  it is in truth a source  
of happiness1 and however much we may   
regard it  as a calamity1 it remains a  
source of happiness still4 ,to be poor  
means  not to live in cities1 but in the

 country1 not to be shut up in close    
rooms1 but to labor out of doors1 in the
 woods and fields1 to have the  delights
 of sunshine1 of the open heavens1 of   
the earth1 of observing  the habits of  
dumb animals2 not to rack our brains    
with inventing dishes  to stimulate an  
appetite1 and not to endure the pangs of
 indigestion4 ,to  be poor is to be     
hungry three times a day1 to sleep      
without passing  hours tossing upon the 
pillow a victim of insomnia1 to have    
children1  and have them always with us1
 to do nothing that we do not wish to do
  7this is essential71 and to have no   
fear for anything that may happen4  ,the
 poor person will be ill and will       
suffer2 he will die like the rest  of   
the world2 but his sufferings and his   
death will probably be less  painful    
than those of the rich2 and he will     
certainly live more happily4  ,poverty  
is one of the conditions of following   
the doctrine of ,jesus1 a  condition    
indispensable to those who would enter  

into the kingdom of ,god  and be happy4 
,the objection to this is1 that no one  
will care for us1 and that we  shall be 
left to die of hunger4 ,to this         
objection we may reply in the  words of 
,jesus1 7words that have been           
interpreted to justify the  idleness of 
the clergy73--    ,get you no gold1 nor 
silver1 nor brass in your purses2 no    
wallet for  your journey1 neither two   
coats1 nor shoes1 nor staff3 for the    
laborer  is worthy of his food 7,matt4  
x4 #aj74    ,and into whatsoever house  
ye shall enter1 444 in that same house  
remain1 eating and drinking such things 
as they give3 for the laborer is  worthy
 of his hire 7,luke x4 #e1 #g74    ,the 
laborer is worthy of 7,greek3 axios esti
 means1 word for word1 can  and ought to
 have7 his food4 ,it is a very short    
sentence1 but he who  understands it as 
,jesus understood it1 will no longer    
have any fear of  dying of hunger4 ,to  
understand the true meaning of these    
words we must  get rid of that          

traditional idea which we have developed
 from the  doctrine of the redemption   
that man's felicity consists in         
idleness4 ,we  must get back to that    
point of view natural to all men who are
 not  fallen1 that work1 and not        
idleness1 is the indispensable condition
 of  happiness for every human being2   
that man cannot1 in fact1 refrain from  
work4 ,we must rid ourselves of the     
savage prejudice which leads us to      
think that a man who has an income from 
a place under the government1  from     
landed property1 or from stocks and     
bonds1 is in a natural and  happy       
position because he is relieved from the
 necessity of work4 ,we  must get back  
into the human brain the idea of work   
possessed by  undegenerate men1 the idea
 that ,jesus has1 when he says that the 
laborer  is worthy of his food4 ,jesus  
did not imagine that men would regard   
work  as a curse1 and consequently he   
did not have in mind a man who would not
  work1 or desired not to work4 ,he     

supposed that all his disciples would   
work1 and so he said that if a man would
 work1 his work would bring him  food4  
,he who makes use of the labor of       
another will provide food for him  who  
labors1 simply because he profits by    
that labor4 ,and so he who works  will  
always have food2 he may not have       
property1 but as to food1 there  need be
 no uncertainty whatever4    ,with      
regard to work there is a difference    
between the doctrine of ,jesus  and the 
doctrine of the world4 ,according to the
 doctrine of the world1  it is very     
meritorious in a man to be willing to   
work2 he is thereby  enabled to enter   
into competition with others1 and to    
demand wages  proportionate to his      
qualifications4 ,according to the       
doctrine of ,jesus1  labor is the       
inevitable condition of human life1 and 
food is the  inevitable consequence of  
labor4 ,labor produces food1 and food   
produces  labor4 ,however cruel and     
grasping the employer may be1 he will   

always  feed his workman1 as he will    
always feed his horse2 he feeds him that
 he  may get all the work possible1 and 
in this way he contributes to the       
welfare of the workman4    ,for verily  
the ,son of man came not to be          
ministered unto1 but to  minister and to
 give his life a ransom for many4       
,according to the doctrine of ,jesus1   
every individual will be the happier    
the more clearly he understands that his
 vocation consists1 not in  exacting    
service from others1 but in ministering 
to others1 in giving  his life for the  
ransom of many4 ,a man who does this    
will be worthy of  his food and will not
 fail to have it4 ,by the words1 came   
not to be  ministered unto but to       
minister1 ,jesus established a method   
which  would insure the material        
existence of man2 and by the words1 the 
laborer is worthy of his food1 he       
answered once for all the objection     
that a man who should practise the      
doctrine of ,jesus in the midst of      

those who do not practise it would be in
 danger of perishing from hunger  and   
cold4 ,jesus practised his own doctrine 
amid great opposition1 and he  did not  
perish from hunger and cold4 ,he showed 
that a man does not  insure his own     
subsistence by amassing worldly goods at
 the expense of  others1 but by         
rendering himself useful and            
indispensable to others4 ,the  more     
necessary he is to others1 the more will
 his existence be made  secure4         
,there are in the world as it is now    
organized millions of men who  possess  
no property and do not practise the     
doctrine of ,jesus by  ministering unto 
others1 but they do not die of hunger4  
,how1 then1 can  we object to the       
doctrine of ,jesus1 that those who      
practise it by  working for others will 
perish for want of food8 ,men cannot die
 of  hunger while the rich have bread4  
,in ,russia there are millions of men   
who possess nothing and subsist entirely
 by their own toil4 ,the  existence of a

 ,christian would be as secure among    
pagans as it would be  among those of   
his own faith4 ,he would labor for      
others2 he would be  necessary to them1 
and therefore he would be fed4 ,even a  
dog1 if he be  useful1 is fed and cared 
for2 and shall not a man be fed and     
cared for  whose service is necessary to
 the whole world8    ,but those who seek
 by all possible means to justify the   
personal life  have another objection4  
,they say that if a man be sick1 even if
 he have  a wife1 parents1 and children 
dependent upon him1--if this man cannot 
work1 he will not be fed4 ,they say so1 
and they will continue to say so2  but  
their own actions prove that they do not
 believe what they say4  ,these same    
people who will not admit that the      
doctrine of ,jesus is  practicable1     
practise it to a certain extent         
themselves4 ,they do not  cease to care 
for a sick sheep1 a sick ox1 or a sick  
dog4 ,they do not  kill an old horse1   
but they give him work in proportion to 

his strength4  ,they care for all sorts 
of animals without expecting any benefit
 in  return2 and can it be that they    
will not care for a useful man who has  
fallen sick1 that they will not find    
work suited to the strength of the  old 
man and the child1 that they will not   
care for the very babes who  later on   
will be able to work for them in return8
 ,as a matter of fact  they do all this4
 ,nine-tenths of men are cared for by   
the other tenth1  like so many cattle4  
,and however great the darkness in which
 this  one-tenth live1 however mistaken 
their views in regard to the other      
nine-tenths of humanity1 the tenth1 even
 if they had the power1 would  not      
deprive the other nine-tenths of food4  
,the rich will not deprive the  poor of 
what is necessary1 because they wish    
them to multiply and work1  and so in   
these days the little minority of rich  
people provide directly  or indirectly  
for the nourishment of the majority1    
that the latter may  furnish the maximum

 of work1 and multiply1 and bring up a  
new supply of  workers4 ,ants care for  
the increase and welfare of their       
slaves4 ,shall  not men care for those  
whose labor they find necessary8        
,laborers are  necessary4 ,and those who
 profit by labor will always be careful 
to  provide the means of labor for those
 who are willing to work4    ,the       
objection concerning the possibility of 
practising the doctrine of  ,jesus1 that
 if men do not acquire something for    
themselves and have  wealth in reserve  
no one will take care of their families1
 is true1 but  it is true only in regard
 to idle and useless and obnoxious      
people such  as make up the majority of 
our opulent classes4 ,no one 7with the  
exception of foolish parents7 takes the 
trouble to care for lazy people1        
because lazy people are of no use to any
 one1 not even to themselves2 as  for   
the workers1 the most selfish and cruel 
of men will contribute to  their        
welfare4 ,people breed and train and    

care for oxen1 and a man1 as a  beast of
 burden1 is much more useful than an ox1
 as the tariff of the  slave-mart shows4
 ,this is why children will never be    
left without  support4    ,man is not in
 the world to work for himself2 he is in
 the world to work  for others1 and the 
laborer is worthy of his hire4 ,these   
truths are  justified by universal      
experience2 now1 always1 and everywhere1
 the man  who labors receives the means 
of bodily subsistence4 ,this subsistence
 is  assured to him who works against   
his will2 for such a workman desires    
only to relieve himself of the necessity
 of work1 and acquires all that  he     
possibly can in order that he may take  
the yoke from his own neck and  place it
 upon the neck of another4 ,a workman   
like this--envious1  grasping1 toiling  
against his will--will never lack for   
food and will be  happier than one1 who 
without labor1 lives upon the labor of  
others4 ,how  much more happy1 then1    
will that laborer be who labors in      

obedience to  the doctrine of ,jesus    
with the object of accomplishing all the
 work of  which he is capable and       
wishing for it the least possible       
return8 ,how  much more desirable will  
his condition be1 as1 little by little1 
he sees  his example followed by others4
 ,for services rendered he will then be 
the recipient of equal services in      
return4    ,the doctrine of ,jesus with 
regard to labor and the fruits of labor 
is  expressed in the story of the loaves
 and fishes1 wherein it was shown  that 
man enjoys the greatest sum of the      
benefits accessible to humanity1  not by
 appropriating all that he can possibly 
grasp and using what he  has for his    
personal pleasure1 but by administering 
to the needs of  others1 as ,jesus did  
by the borders of ,galilee4    ,there   
were several thousand men and women to  
be fed4 ,one of the  disciples told     
,jesus that there was a lad who had five
 loaves and two  fishes4 ,jesus         
understood that some of the people      

coming from a distance  had brought     
provisions with them and that some had  
not1 for after all  were filled1 the    
disciples gathered up twelve basketsful 
of fragments4  7,if no one but the boy  
had brought anything1 how could so much 
have been  left after so many were fed87
 ,if ,jesus had not set them an example1
 the  people would have acted as people 
of the world act now4 ,some of those    
who had food would have eaten all that  
they had through gluttony or  avidity1  
and some1 after eating what they could  
eat1 would have taken  the rest to their
 homes4 ,those who had nothing would    
have been famished1  and would have     
regarded their more fortunate companions
 with envy and  hatred2 some of them    
would perhaps have tried to take food by
 force from  them who had it1 and so    
hunger and anger and quarrels would have
 been  the result4 ,that is1 the        
multitude would have acted just as      
people act  nowadays4    ,but ,jesus    
knew exactly what to do4 ,he asked that 

all be made to sit  down1 and then      
commanded his disciples to give of what 
they had to those  who had nothing1 and 
to request others to do the same4 ,the  
result was  that those who had food     
followed the example of ,jesus and his  
disciples1  and offered what they had to
 others4 ,every one ate and was         
satisfied1  and with the broken pieces  
that remained the disciples filled      
twelve  baskets4    ,jesus teaches every
 man to govern his life by the law of   
reason and  conscience1 for the law of  
reason is as applicable to the          
individual as  it is to humanity at     
large4 ,work is the inevitable condition
 of human  life1 the true source of     
human welfare4 ,for this reason a       
refusal to  divide the fruits of one's  
labor with others is a refusal to accept
 the  conditions of true happiness4 ,to 
give of the fruits of one's labor to    
others is to contribute to the welfare  
of all men4 ,the retort is made  that if
 men did not wrest food from others1    

they would die of hunger4 ,to  me it    
seems more reasonable to say1 that if   
men do wrest their food from  one       
another1 some of them will die of       
hunger1 and experience confirms  this   
view4    ,every man1 whether he lives   
according to the doctrine of ,jesus or  
according to the doctrine of the world1 
lives only by the sufferance and  care  
of others4 ,from his birth1 man is cared
 for and nourished by  others4          
,according to the doctrine of the world1
 man has a right to  demand that others 
should continue to nourish and care for 
him and for  his family1 but1 according 
to the doctrine of ,jesus1 he is only   
entitled  to care and nourishment on the
 condition that he do all he can for the
  service of others1 and so render      
himself useful and indispensable to     
mankind4 ,men who live according to the 
doctrine of the world are usually       
anxious to rid themselves of any one who
 is useless and whom they are  obliged  
to feed2 at the first possible          

opportunity they cease to feed  such a  
one1 and leave him to die1 because of   
his uselessness2 but him  who lives for 
others according to the doctrine of     
,jesus1 all men1  however wicked they   
may be1 will always nourish and care    
for1 that he  may continue to labor in  
their behalf4    ,which1 then1 is the   
more reasonable2 which offers the more  
joy and the  greater security1 a life   
according to the doctrine of the world1 
or a  life according to the doctrine of 
,jesus8          ,,chapter ,,xi4        
,,the doctrine of ,jesus is to bring the
 kingdom of ,god upon earth4 ,the       
practice of this doctrine is not        
difficult2 and not only so1 its         
practice is a natural expression of the 
belief of all who recognize its  truth4 
,the doctrine of ,jesus offers the only 
possible chance of  salvation for those 
who would escape the perdition that     
threatens the  personal life4 ,the      
fulfilment of this doctrine not only    
will deliver men  from the privations   

and sufferings of this life1 but will   
put an end to  nine-tenths of the       
suffering endured in behalf of the      
doctrine of the  world4    ,when ,i     
understood this ,i asked myself why ,i  
had never practised a  doctrine which   
would give me so much happiness and     
peace and joy2 why1  on the other hand1 
,i always had practised an entirely     
different  doctrine1 and thereby made   
myself wretched8 ,why8 ,the reply was a 
simple  one4 ,because ,i never had known
 the truth4 ,the truth had been         
concealed  from me4    ,when the        
doctrine of ,jesus was first revealed to
 me1 ,i did not believe  that the       
discovery would lead me to reject the   
doctrine of the  ,church4#bb ,i dreaded 
this separation1 and in the course of my
 studies  ,i did not attempt to search  
out the errors in the doctrine of the   
,church4 ,i sought1 rather1 to close my 
eyes to propositions that seemed  to be 
obscure and strange1 provided they were 
not in evident  contradiction with what 

,i regarded as the substance of the     
,christian  doctrine4         #bb ,see  
,appendix4    ,but the further ,i       
advanced in the study of the ,gospels1  
and the more  clearly the doctrine of   
,jesus was revealed to me1 the more     
inevitable  the choice became4 ,i must  
either accept the doctrine of ,jesus1 a 
reasonable and simple doctrine in       
accordance with my conscience and my    
hope of salvation2 or ,i must accept an 
entirely different doctrine1 a  doctrine
 in opposition to reason and conscience 
and that offered me  nothing except the 
certainty of my own perdition and that  
of others4 ,i  was therefore forced to  
reject1 one after another1 the dogmas of
 the  ,church4 ,this ,i did against my  
will1 struggling with the desire to     
mitigate as much as possible my         
disagreement with the ,church1 that ,i  
might not be obliged to separate from   
the ,church1 and thereby deprive  myself
 of communion with fellow-believers1 the
 greatest happiness that  religion can  

bestow4 ,but when ,i had completed my   
task1 ,i saw that in  spite of all my   
efforts to maintain a connecting-link   
with the ,church1  the separation was   
complete4 ,i knew before that the bond  
of union1 if it  existed at all1 must be
 a very slight one1 but ,i was soon     
convinced that  it did not exist at all4
    ,my son came to me one day1 after ,i
 had completed my examination of the    
,gospels1 and told me of a discussion   
that was going on between two  domestics
 7uneducated persons who scarcely knew  
how to read7 concerning  a passage in   
some religious book which maintained    
that it was not a sin  to put criminals 
to death1 or to kill enemies in war4 ,i 
could not  believe that an assertion of 
this sort could be printed in any book1 
and  ,i asked to see it4 ,the volume    
bore the title of ,a ,book of ,selected 
,prayers2 third edition2 eighth ten     
thousand2 ,moscow3 #ahgi4 ,on page #afc 
of this book ,i read3--    ,what is the 
sixth commandment of ,god8    ,thou     

shalt not kill4    ,what does ,god      
forbid by this commandment8    ,he      
forbids us to kill1 to take the life of 
any man4    ,is it a sin to punish a    
criminal with death according to the    
law1 or to  kill an enemy in war8       
,no2 that is not a sin4 ,we take the    
life of the criminal to put an end  to  
the wrong that he commits2 we slay an   
enemy in war1 because in war we  fight  
for our sovereign and our native land4  
,and in this manner was enjoined the    
abrogation of the law of ,god6 ,i  could
 scarcely believe that ,i had read      
aright4    ,my opinion was asked with   
regard to the subject at issue4 ,to the 
one who  maintained that the instruction
 given by the book was true1 ,i said    
that  the explanation was not correct4  
,why1 then1 do they print untrue        
explanations contrary to the law8 was   
his question1 to which ,i could say     
nothing in reply4    ,i kept the volume 
and looked over its contents4 ,the book 
contained  thirty-one prayers with      

instructions concerning genuflexions and
 the  joining of the fingers2 an        
explanation of the ,credo2 a citation   
from  the fifth chapter of ,matthew     
without any explanation whatever1 but   
headed1 ,commands for those who would   
possess the ,beatitudes2 the ten        
commandments accompanied by comments    
that rendered most of them void2  and   
hymns for every saint's day4    ,as ,i  
have said1 ,i not only had sought to    
avoid censure of the religion  of the   
,church2 ,i had done my best to see only
 its most favorable side2  and knowing  
its academic literature from beginning  
to end1 ,i had paid no  attention       
whatever to its popular literature4     
,this book of devotion1  spread         
broadcast in an enormous number of      
copies1 awakening doubts in  the minds  
of the most unlearned people1 set me to 
thinking4 ,the contents  of the book    
seemed to me so entirely pagan1 so      
wholly out of accord with               
,christianity1 that ,i could not believe

 it to be the deliberate purpose  of the
 ,church to propagate such a doctrine4  
,to verify my belief1 ,i  bought and    
read all the books published by the     
synod with its  benediction             
7blagoslovnia71 containing brief        
expositions of the  religion of the     
,church for the use of children and the 
common people4    ,their contents were  
to me almost entirely new1 for at the   
time when ,i  received my early         
religious instruction1 they had not yet 
appeared4 ,as  far as ,i could remember 
there were no commandments with regard  
to the  beatitudes1 and there was no    
doctrine which taught that it was not a 
sin  to kill4 ,no such teachings        
appeared in the old catechisms2 they    
were  not to be found in the catechism  
of ,peter ,mogilas1 or in that of       
,beliokof1 or the abridged ,catholic    
catechisms4 ,the innovation was         
introduced by the metropolitan          
,philaret1 who prepared a catechism with
  proper regard for the susceptibilities

 of the military class1 and from  this  
catechism the ,book of ,selected        
,prayers was compiled4 ,philaret's  work
 is entitled1 ,the ,christian ,catechism
 of the ,orthodox ,church1 for  the ,use
 of all ,orthodox ,christians1 and is   
published1 by order of his  ,imperial   
,majesty4#bc         #bc ,this book has 
been in use in all the schools and      
churches of       ,russia since         
#ahci4--,,tr4    ,the book is divided   
into three parts1 ,concerning ,faith1   
,concerning  ,hope1 and ,concerning     
,love4 ,the first part contains the     
analysis of  the symbol of faith as     
given by the ,council of ,nice4 ,the    
second part is  made up of an exposition
 of the ,pater ,noster1 and the first   
eight  verses of the fifth chapter of   
,matthew1 which serve as an introduction
  to the ,sermon on the ,mount1 and are 
called 7,i know not why7 ,commands  for 
those who would possess the ,beatitudes4
 ,these first two parts treat  of the   
dogmas of the ,church1 prayers1 and the 

sacraments1 but they  contain no rules  
with regard to the conduct of life4 ,the
 third part1  ,concerning ,love1        
contains an exposition of ,christian    
duties1 based not  on the commandments  
of ,jesus1 but upon the ten commandments
 of ,moses4  ,this exposition of the    
commandments of ,moses seems to have    
been made for  the especial purpose of  
teaching men not to obey them4 ,each    
commandment  is followed by a           
reservation which completely destroys   
its force4 ,with  regard to the first   
commandment1 which enjoins the worship  
of ,god alone1  the catechism inculcates
 the worship of saints and angels1 to   
say  nothing of the ,mother of ,god and 
the three persons of the ,trinity       
7,special ,catechism1 pp4 #ajg1 #ajh74  
,with regard to the second  commandment1
 against the worship of idols1 the      
catechism enjoins the  worship of images
 7p4 #ajh74 ,with regard to the third   
commandment1 the  catechism enjoins the 
taking of oaths as the principal token  

of  legitimate authority 7p4 #aaa74     
,with regard to the fourth commandment1 
concerning the observance of the        
,sabbath1 the catechism inculcates the  
observance of ,sunday1 of the thirteen  
principal feasts1 of a number of  feasts
 of less importance1 the observance of  
,lent1 and of fasts on  ,wednesdays and 
,fridays 7pp4 #aab-aae74 ,with regard to
 the fifth  commandment1 ,honor thy     
father and thy mother1 the catechism    
prescribes honor to the sovereign1 the  
country1 spiritual fathers1 all  persons
 in authority1 and of these last gives  
an enumeration in three  pages1         
including college authorities1 civil1   
judicial1 and military  authorities1 and
 owners of serfs1 with instructions as  
to the manner of  honoring each of these
 classes 7pp4 #aaf-aai74 ,my citations  
are taken  from the sixty-fourth edition
 of the catechism1 dated #ahhj4 ,twenty 
years  have passed since the abolition  
of serfdom1 and no one has taken the    
trouble to strike out the phrase which1 

in connection with the  commandment of  
,god to honor parents1 was introduced   
into the catechism  to sustain and      
justify slavery4    ,with regard to the 
sixth commandment1 ,thou shalt not kill1
 the  instructions of the catechism are 
from the first in favor of murder4      
,question4--,what does the sixth        
commandment forbid8    ,answer4--,it    
forbids manslaughter1 to take the life  
of one's neighbor  in any manner        
whatever4    ,question4--,is all        
manslaughter a transgression of the law8
    ,answer4--,manslaughter is not a    
transgression of the law when life is   
taken in pursuance of its mandate4 ,for 
example3    #ast4 ,when a criminal      
condemned in justice is punished by     
death4    #b;d4 ,when we kill in war for
 the sovereign and our country4    ,the 
italics are in the original4 ,further on
 we read3--    ,question4--,with regard 
to manslaughter1 when is the law        
transgressed8    ,answer4--,when any one
 conceals a murderer or sets him at     

liberty  7sic74    ,all this is printed 
in hundreds of thousands of copies1 and 
under the  name of ,christian doctrine  
is taught by compulsion to every        
,russian1 who  is obliged to receive it 
under penalty of castigation4 ,this is  
taught to  all the ,russian people4 ,it 
is taught to the innocent children1--to 
the  children whom ,jesus commanded to  
be brought to him as belonging to the   
kingdom of ,god2 to the children whom we
 must resemble1 in ignorance of  false  
doctrines1 to enter into the kingdom of 
,god2 to the children whom  ,jesus tried
 to protect in proclaiming woe on him   
who should cause one of  the little ones
 to stumble6 ,and the little children   
are obliged to learn  all this1 and are 
told that it is the only and sacred law 
of ,god4 ,these  are not proclamations  
sent out clandestinely1 whose authors   
are punished  with penal servitude2 they
 are proclamations which inflict the    
punishment of penal servitude upon all  
those who do not agree with the         

doctrines they inculcate4    ,as ,i     
write these lines1 ,i experience a      
feeling of insecurity1 simply  because  
,i have allowed myself to say that men  
cannot render void the  fundamental law 
of ,god inscribed in all the codes and  
in all hearts1 by  such words as        
these3--    ,manslaughter is not a      
transgression of the law when life is   
taken in  pursuance of its mandate444   
when we kill in war for our sovereign   
and  our country4    ,i tremble because 
,i have allowed myself to say that such 
things should  not be taught to         
children4    ,it was against such       
teachings as these that ,jesus warned   
men when he  said3--    ,look1          
therefore1 whether the light that is in 
thee be not darkness4  7,luke xi4 #ce47 
,the light that is in us has become     
darkness2 and the darkness of our  lives
 is full of terror4    ,woe unto you1   
scribes and ,pharisees1 hypocrites6     
because ye shut the  kingdom of heaven  
against men3 for ye enter not in        

yourselves1 neither  suffer ye them that
 are entering in to enter4 ,woe unto    
you1 scribes and  ,pharisees1           
hypocrites6 for ye devour widows'       
houses1 even while for a  pretense ye   
make long prayers3 therefore ye shall   
receive greater  condemnation4 ,woe unto
 you1 scribes and ,pharisees1           
hypocrites6 for ye  compass sea and land
 to make one proselyte2 and when he is  
become so1 ye  make him twofold more a  
son of hell than yourselves4 ,woe unto  
you1 ye  blind guides4444    ,woe unto  
you1 scribes and ,pharisees1 hypocrites6
 for ye build the  sepulchres of the    
prophets1 and garnish the tombs of the  
righteous1 and  say1 ,if we had been in 
the days of our fathers1 ice should not 
have been  partakers with them in the   
blood of the prophets4 ,wherefore ye    
witness  to yourselves1 that ye are sons
 of them that slew the prophets4 ,fill  
ye  up1 then1 the measure of your       
fathers4444 ,i send unto you prophets1  
and  wise men1 and scribes3 some of them

 shall ye kill and crucify2 and some  of
 them shall ye scourge in your          
synagogues1 and persecute from city to  
city3 that upon you may come all the    
righteous blood shed on the earth1  from
 the blood of ,abel4444    ,every sin   
and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto    
men2 but the blasphemy  against the     
,spirit shall not be forgiven4    ,of a 
truth we might say that all this was    
written but yesterday1 not  against men 
who no longer compass sea and land to   
blaspheme against the  ,spirit1 or to   
convert men to a religion that renders  
its proselytes  worse than they were    
before1 but against men who deliberately
 force  people to embrace their         
religion1 and persecute and bring to    
death all  the prophets and the         
righteous who seek to reveal their      
falsehoods to  mankind4 ,i became       
convinced that the doctrine of the      
,church1 although  bearing the name of  
,christian1 is one with the darkness    
against which  ,jesus struggled1 and    

against which he commanded his disciples
 to strive4    ,the doctrine of ,jesus1 
like all religious doctrines1 is        
regarded in two  ways1--first1 as a     
moral and ethical system which teaches  
men how they  should live as            
individuals1 and in relation to each    
other2 second1 as a  metaphysical theory
 which explains why men should live in a
 given manner  and not otherwise4 ,one  
necessitates the other4 ,man should live
 in this  manner because such is his    
destiny2 or1 man's destiny is this way1 
and  consequently he should follow it4  
,these two methods of doctrinal         
expression are common to all the        
religions of the world1 to the religion 
of the ,brahmins1 to that of ,confucius1
 to that of ,buddha1 to that of  ,moses1
 and to that of the ,christ4 ,but1 with 
regard to the doctrine of  ,jesus1 as   
with regard to all other doctrines1 men 
wander from its  precepts1 and they     
always find some one to justify their   
deviations4  ,those who1 as ,jesus said1

 sit in ,moses' seat1 explain the       
metaphysical  theory in such a way that 
the ethical prescriptions of the        
doctrine  cease to be regarded as       
obligatory1 and are replaced by external
 forms  of worship1 by ceremonial4 ,this
 is a condition common to all religions1
  but1 to me1 it seems that it never has
 been manifested with so much pomp  as  
in connection with ,christianity1--and  
for two reasons3 first1 because  the    
doctrine of ,jesus is the most elevated 
of all doctrines 7the most  elevated    
because the metaphysical and ethical    
portions are so closely  united that one
 cannot be separated from the other     
without destroying  the vitality of the 
whole72 second1 because the doctrine of 
,jesus is in  itself a protest against  
all forms1 a negation not only of       
,jewish  ceremonial1 but of all exterior
 rites of worship4 ,therefore1 the      
arbitrary separation of the metaphysical
 and ethical aspects of  ,christianity  
entirely disfigures the doctrine1 and   

deprives it of every  sort of meaning4  
,the separation began with the preaching
 of ,paul1 who  knew but imperfectly the
 ethical doctrine set forth in the      
,gospel of  ,matthew1 and who preached a
 metaphysico-cabalistic theory entirely 
foreign to the doctrine of ,jesus2 and  
this theory was perfected under         
,constantine1 when the existing pagan   
social organization was proclaimed      
,christian simply by covering it with   
the mantle of ,christianity4 ,after     
,constantine1 that arch-pagan1 whom the 
,church in spite of all his crimes  and 
vices admits to the category of the     
saints1 after ,constantine began  the   
domination of the councils1 and the     
centre of gravity of  ,christianity was 
permanently displaced till only the     
metaphysical  portion was left in view4 
,and this metaphysical theory with its  
accompanying ceremonial deviated more   
and more from its true and  primitive   
meaning1 until it has reached its       
present stage of  development1 as a     

doctrine which explains the mysteries of
 a celestial  life beyond the           
comprehension of human reason1 and1 with
 all its  complicated formulas1 gives no
 religious guidance whatever with regard
  to the regulation of this earthly     
life4    ,all religions1 with the       
exception of the religion of the        
,christian  ,church1 demand from their  
adherents aside from forms and          
ceremonies1 the  practice of certain    
actions called good1 and abstinence from
 certain  actions that are called bad4  
,the ,jewish religion prescribed        
circumcision1 the observance of the     
,sabbath1 the giving of alms1 the  feast
 of the ,passover4 ,mohammedanism       
prescribes circumcision1 prayer  five   
times a day1 the giving of tithes to the
 poor1 pilgrimage to the  tomb of the   
,prophet1 and many other things4 ,it is 
the same with all  other religions4     
,whether these prescriptions are good or
 bad1 they are  prescriptions which     
exact the performance of certain        

actions4  ,pseudo-,christianity alone   
prescribes nothing4 ,there is nothing   
that a  ,christian is obliged to observe
 except fasts and prayers1 which the    
,church itself does not recognize as    
obligatory4 ,all that is necessary to   
the pseudo-,christian is the sacrament4 
,but the sacrament is not  fulfilled by 
the believer2 it is administered to him 
by others4 ,the  pseudo-,christian is   
obliged to do nothing or to abstain from
 nothing for  his own salvation1 since  
the ,church administers to him          
everything of  which he has need4 ,the  
,church baptizes him1 anoints him1 gives
 him the  eucharist1 confesses him1 even
 after he has lost consciousness1       
administers extreme unction to him1 and 
prays for him1--and he is saved4  ,from 
the time of ,constantine the ,christian 
,church has prescribed no  religious    
duties to its adherents4 ,it has never  
required that they  should abstain from 
anything4 ,the ,christian ,church has   
recognized and  sanctioned divorce1     

slavery1 tribunals1 all earthly powers1 
the death  penalty1 and war2 it has     
exacted nothing except a renunciation of
 a  purpose to do evil on the occasion  
of baptism1 and this only in its  early 
days3 later on1 when infant baptism was 
introduced1 even this  requirement was  
no longer observed4    ,the ,church     
confesses the doctrine of ,jesus in     
theory1 but denies it in  practice4     
,instead of guiding the life of the     
world1 the ,church1 through  affection  
for the world1 expounds the metaphysical
 doctrine of ,jesus in  such a way as   
not to derive from it any obligation as 
to the conduct of  life1 any necessity  
for men to live differently from the way
 in which  they have been living4 ,the  
,church has surrendered to the world1   
and  simply follows in the train of its 
victor4 ,the world does as it pleases1  
and leaves to the ,church the task of   
justifying its actions with             
explanations as to the meaning of life4 
,the world organizes an existence  in   

absolute opposition to the doctrine of  
,jesus1 and the ,church  endeavors to   
demonstrate that men who live contrary  
to the doctrine of  ,jesus really live  
in accordance with that doctrine4 ,the  
final result is  that the world lives a 
worse than pagan existence1 and the     
,church not  only approves1 but         
maintains that this existence is in     
exact conformity  to the doctrine of    
,jesus4    ,but a time comes when the   
light of the true doctrine of ,jesus    
shines  forth from the ,gospels1        
notwithstanding the guilty efforts of   
the ,church  to conceal it from men's   
eyes1 as1 for instance1 in prohibiting  
the  translation of the ,bible2 there   
comes a time when the light reaches the 
people1 even through the medium of      
sectarians and free-thinkers1 and the   
falsity of the doctrine of the ,church  
is shown so clearly that men begin  to  
transform the method of living that the 
,church has justified4    ,thus men of  
their own accord1 and in opposition to  

the sanction of the  ,church1 have      
abolished slavery1 abolished the divine 
right of emperors  and popes1 and are   
now proceeding to abolish property and  
the ,state4 ,and  the ,church cannot    
forbid such action because the abolition
 of these  iniquities is in conformity  
to the ,christian doctrine1 that the    
,church  preaches after having          
falsified4    ,and in this way the      
conduct of human life is freed from the 
control of  the ,church1 and subjected  
to an entirely different authority4 ,the
 ,church  retains its dogmas1 but what  
are its dogmas worth8 ,a metaphysical   
explanation can be of use only when     
there is a doctrine of life which it    
serves to make manifest4 ,but the       
,church possesses only the explanation  
of an organization which it once        
sanctioned1 and which no longer exists4 
,the ,church has nothing left but       
temples and shrines and canonicals and  
vestments and words4    ,for eighteen   
centuries the ,church has hidden the    

light of ,christianity  behind its forms
 and ceremonials1 and by this same light
 it is put to  shame4 ,the world1 with  
an organization sanctioned by the       
,church1 has  rejected the ,church in   
the name of the very principles of      
,christianity  that the ,church has     
professed4 ,the separation between the  
two is  complete and cannot be          
concealed4 ,everything that truly lives 
in the  world of ,europe to-day         
7everything not cold and dumb in hateful
  isolation71--everything that is       
living1 is detached from the ,church1   
from all churches1 and has an existence 
independent of the ,church4 ,let  it not
 be said that this is true only of the  
decayed civilizations of  ,western      
,europe4 ,russia1 with its millions of  
civilized and uncivilized  ,christian   
rationalists1 who have rejected the     
doctrine of the ,church1  proves        
incontestably that as regards           
emancipation from the yoke of the       
,church1 she is1 thanks be to ,god1 in a

 worse condition of decay than the  rest
 of ,europe4    ,all that lives is      
independent of the ,church4 ,the power  
of the ,state is  based upon tradition1 
upon science1 upon popular suffrage1    
upon brute  force1 upon everything      
except upon the ,church4 ,wars1 the     
relation of  ,state with ,state1 are    
governed by principles of nationality1  
of the  balance of power1 but not by the
 ,church4 ,the institutions established 
by  the ,state frankly ignore the       
,church4 ,the idea that the ,church can1
 in  these times1 serve as a basis for  
justice or the conservation of          
property1 is simply absurd4 ,science not
 only does not sustain the  doctrine of 
the ,church1 but is1 in its development1
 entirely hostile to  the ,church4 ,art1
 formerly entirely devoted to the       
service of the  ,church1 has wholly     
forsaken the ,church4 ,it is little to  
say that human  life is now entirely    
emancipated from the ,church2 it has    
now1 with  regard to the ,church1 only  

contempt when the ,church does not      
interfere  with human affairs1 and      
hatred when the ,church seeks to        
re-assert its  ancient privileges4 ,the 
,church is still permitted a formal     
existence  simply because men dread to  
shatter the chalice that once contained 
the  water of life4 ,in this way only   
can we account1 in our age1 for the     
existence of ,catholicism1 of           
,orthodoxy1 and of the different        
,protestant  churches4    ,all these    
churches--,catholic1 ,orthodox1         
,protestant--are like so many  sentinels
 still keeping careful watch before the 
prison doors1 although  the prisoners   
have long been at liberty before their  
eyes1 and even  threaten their          
existence4 ,all that actually           
constitutes life1 that is1  the activity
 of humanity towards progress and its   
own welfare1  socialism1 communism1 the 
new politico-economical theories1       
utilitarianism1 the liberty and equality
 of all social classes1 and of  men and 

women1 all the moral principles of      
humanity1 the sanctity of  work1 reason1
 science1 art1--all these that lend an  
impulse to the  world's progress in     
hostility to the ,church are only       
fragments of the  doctrine which the    
,church has professed1 and so carefully 
endeavored to  conceal4 ,in these times1
 the life of the world is entirely      
independent  of the doctrine of the     
,church4 ,the ,church is left so far    
behind1 that  men no longer hear the    
voices of those who preach its          
doctrines4 ,this  is easily to be       
understood because the ,church still    
clings to an  organization of the       
world's life1 which has been forsaken1  
and is  rapidly falling to destruction4 
,imagine a number of men rowing a boat1 
a pilot steering4 ,the men rely  upon   
the pilot1 and the pilot steers well2   
but after a time the good  pilot is     
replaced by another1 who does not steer 
at all4 ,the boat moves  along rapidly  
and easily4 ,at first the men do not    

notice the negligence  of the new pilot2
 they are only pleased to find that the 
boat goes along  so easily4 ,then they  
discover that the new pilot is utterly  
useless1 and  they mock at him1 and     
drive him from his place4    ,the matter
 would not be so serious if the men1 in 
thrusting aside the  unskilful pilot1   
did not forget that without a pilot they
 are likely to  take a wrong course4    
,but so it is with our ,christian       
society4 ,the ,church  has lost its     
control2 we move smoothly onward1 and we
 are a long way  from our point of      
departure4 ,science1 that especial pride
 of this  nineteenth century1 is        
sometimes alarmed2 but that is because  
of the  absence of a pilot4 ,we are     
moving onward1 but to what goal8 ,we    
organize  our life without in the least 
knowing why1 or to what end4 ,but we can
 no  longer be contented to live without
 knowing why1 any more than we can      
navigate a boat without knowing the     
course that we are following4    ,if men

 could do nothing of themselves1 if they
 were not responsible for  their        
condition1 they might very reasonably   
reply to the question1 ,why  are you in 
this situation8--,we do not know2 but   
here we are1 and  submit4 ,but men are  
the builders of their own destiny1 and  
more  especially of the destiny of their
 children2 and so when we ask1 ,why do  
you bring together millions of troops1  
and why do you make soldiers of         
yourselves1 and mangle and murder one   
another8 ,why have you expended1  and   
why do you still expend1 an enormous sum
 of human energy in the  construction of
 useless and unhealthful cities8 ,why do
 you organize  ridiculous tribunals1 and
 send people whom you consider as       
criminals  from ,france to ,cayenne1    
from ,russia to ,siberia1 from ,england 
to  ,australia1 when you know the       
hopeless folly of it8 ,why do you       
abandon  agriculture1 which you love1   
for work in factories and mills1 which  
you  despise8 ,why do you bring up your 

children in a way that will force them  
to lead an existence which you find     
worthless8 ,why do you do this8 ,to  all
 these questions men feel obliged to    
make some reply4    ,if this existence  
were an agreeable one1 and men took     
pleasure in it1  even then men would try
 to explain why they continued to live  
under such  conditions4 ,but all these  
things are terribly difficult2 they are 
endured with murmuring and painful      
struggles1 and men cannot refrain  from 
reflecting upon the motive which impels 
them to such a course4 ,they  must cease
 to maintain the accepted organization  
of existence1 or they  must explain why 
they give it their support4 ,and so men 
never have  allowed this question to    
pass unanswered4 ,we find in all ages   
some  attempt at a response4 ,the ,jew  
lived as he lived1 that is1 made war1   
put criminals to death1 built the       
,temple1 organized his entire existence 
in one way and not another1 because1 as 
he was convinced1 he thereby  followed  

the laws which ,god himself had         
promulgated4 ,we may say the same  of   
the ,hindu1 the ,chinaman1 the ,roman1  
and the ,mohammedan4 ,a similar         
response was given by the ,christian a  
century ago1 and is given by the  great 
mass of ,christians now4    ,a century  
ago1 and among the ignorant now1 the    
nominal ,christian makes  this reply3   
,compulsory military service1 wars1     
tribunals1 and the death  penalty1 all  
exist in obedience to the law of ,god   
transmitted to us by  the ,church4 ,this
 is a fallen world4 ,all the evil that  
exists1 exists by  ,god's will1 as a    
punishment for the sins of men4 ,for    
this reason we can  do nothing to       
palliate evil4 ,we can only save our own
 souls by faith1 by  the sacraments1 by 
prayers1 and by submission to the will  
of ,god as  transmitted by the ,church4 
,the ,church teaches us that all        
,christians  should unhesitatingly obey 
their rulers1 who are the ,lord's       
anointed1  and obey also persons placed 

in authority by rulers2 that they ought 
to  defend their property and that of   
others by force1 wage war1 inflict the  
death penalty1 and in all things submit 
to the authorities1 who command  by the 
will of ,god4    ,whatever we may think 
of the reasonableness of these          
explanations1 they  once sufficed for a 
believing ,christian1 as similar        
explanations  satisfied a ,jew or a     
,mohammedan1 and men were not obliged to
 renounce  all reason for living        
according to a law which they recognized
 as  divine4 ,but in this time only the 
most ignorant people have faith in any  
such explanations1 and the number of    
these diminishes every day and  every   
hour4 ,it is impossible to check this   
tendency4 ,men irresistibly  follow     
those who lead the way1 and sooner or   
later must pass over the  same ground as
 the advance guard4 ,the advance guard  
is now in a critical  position2 those   
who compose it organize life to suit    
themselves1 prepare  the same conditions

 for those who are to follow1 and       
absolutely have not  the slightest idea 
of why they do so4 ,no civilized man in 
the vanguard  of progress is able to    
give any reply now to the direct        
questions1 ,why  do you lead the life   
that you do lead8 ,why do you establish 
the  conditions that you do establish8  
,i have propounded these questions to   
hundreds of people1 and never have got  
from them a direct reply4 ,instead  of a
 direct reply to the direct question1 ,i
 have received in return a  response to 
a question that ,i had not asked4       
,when we ask a ,catholic1 or            
,protestant1 or ,orthodox believer why  
he leads  an existence contrary to the  
doctrine of ,jesus1 instead of making a 
direct response he begins to speak of   
the melancholy state of scepticism      
characteristic of this generation1 of   
evil-minded persons who spread  doubt   
broadcast among the masses1 of the      
importance of the future of the         
existing ,church4 ,but he will not tell 

you why he does not act in  conformity  
to the commands of the religion that he 
professes4 ,instead of  speaking of his 
own condition1 he will talk to you about
 the condition  of humanity in general1 
and of that of the ,church1 as if his   
own life  were not of the slightest     
significance1 and his sole              
preoccupations were  the salvation of   
humanity1 and of what he calls the      
,church4    ,a philosopher of whatever  
school he may be1 whether an idealist or
 a  spiritualist1 a pessimist or a      
positivist1 if we ask of him why he     
lives  as he lives1 that is to say1 in  
disaccord with his philosophical        
doctrine1 will begin at once to talk    
about the progress of humanity and      
about the historical law of this        
progress which he has discovered1 and   
in virtue of which humanity gravitates  
toward righteousness4 ,but he  never    
will make any direct reply to the       
question why he himself1 on his  own    
account1 does not live in harmony with  

what he recognizes as the  dictates of  
reason4 ,it would seem as if the        
philosopher were as  preoccupied as the 
believer1 not with his personal life1   
but with  observing the effect of       
general laws upon the development of    
humanity4    ,the average man 7that is1 
one of the immense majority of civilized
  people who are half sceptics and half 
believers1 and who all1 without         
exception1 deplore existence1 condemn   
its organization1 and predict  universal
 destruction71--the average man1 when we
 ask him why he  continues to lead a    
life that he condemns1 without making   
any effort  towards its amelioration1   
makes no direct reply1 but begins at    
once to  talk about things in general1  
about justice1 about the ,state1 about  
commerce1 about civilization4 ,if he be 
a member of the police or a  prosecuting
 attorney1 he asks1 ,and what would     
become of the ,state1 if  ,i1 to        
ameliorate my existence1 were to cease  
to serve it8 ,what would  become of     

commerce8 is his demand if he be a      
merchant2 ,what of  civilization1 if ,i 
cease to work for it1 and seek only to  
better my own  condition8 will be the   
objection of another4 ,his response     
always will  be in this form1 as if the 
duty of his life were not to seek the   
good  conformable to his nature1 but to 
serve the ,state1 or commerce1 or       
civilization4    ,the average man       
replies in just the same manner as does 
the believer or  the philosopher4       
,instead of making the question a       
personal one1 he  glides at once to     
generalities4 ,this subterfuge is       
employed simply  because the believer   
and the philosopher1 and the average man
 have no  positive doctrine concerning  
existence1 and cannot1 therefore1 reply 
to  the personal question1 ,what of your
 own life8 ,they are disgusted and      
humiliated at not possessing the        
slightest trace of a doctrine with      
regard to life1 for no one can live in  
peace without some understanding  of    

what life really means4 ,but nowadays   
only ,christians cling to a  fantastic  
and worn-out creed as an explanation of 
why life is as it is1  and is not       
otherwise4 ,only ,christians give the   
name of religion to a  system which is  
not of the least use to any one4 ,only  
among ,christians  is life separated    
from any or all doctrine1 and left      
without any  definition whatever4       
,moreover1 science1 like tradition1 has 
formulated  from the fortuitous and     
abnormal condition of humanity a general
 law4  ,learned men1 such as ,tiele and 
,spencer1 treat religion as a serious   
matter1 understanding by religion the   
metaphysical doctrine of the  universal 
principle1 without suspecting that they 
have lost sight of  religion as a whole 
by confining their attention entirely to
 one of its  phases4    ,from all this  
we get very extraordinary results4 ,we  
see learned and  intelligent men        
artlessly believing that they are       
emancipated from all  religion simply   

because they reject the metaphysical    
explanation of the  universal principle 
which satisfied a former generation4 ,it
 does not  occur to them that men cannot
 live without some theory of existence2 
that every human being lives according  
to some principle1 and that this        
principle by which he governs his life  
is his religion4 ,the people of  whom we
 have been speaking are persuaded that  
they have reasonable  convictions1 but  
that they have no religion4             
,nevertheless1 however  serious their   
asseverations1 they have a religion from
 the moment that  they undertake to     
govern their actions by reason1 for a   
reasonable act  is determined by some   
sort of faith4 ,now their faith is in   
what they are  told to do4 ,the faith of
 those who deny religion is in a        
religion of  obedience to the will of   
the ruling majority2 in a word1         
submission to  established authority4   
,we may live a purely animal life       
according to the doctrine of the world1 

without recognizing any controlling     
motive more binding than the rules  of  
established authority4 ,but he who lives
 this way cannot affirm that  he lives a
 reasonable life4 ,before affirming that
 we live a reasonable  life1 we must    
determine what is the doctrine of the   
life which we regard  as reasonable4    
,alas6 wretched men that we are1 we     
possess not the  semblance of any such  
doctrine1 and more than that1 we have   
lost all  perception of the necessity   
for a reasonable doctrine of life4      
,ask the believers or sceptics of this  
age1 what doctrine of life they  follow4
 ,they will be obliged to confess that  
they follow but one  doctrine1 the      
doctrine based upon laws formulated by  
the judiciary or by  legislative        
assemblies1 and enforced by the         
police--the favorite  doctrine of most  
,europeans4 ,they know that this        
doctrine does not come  from on high1 or
 from prophets1 or from sages2 they are 
continually  finding fault with the laws

 drawn up by the judiciary or formulated
 by  legislative assemblies1 but        
nevertheless they submit to the police  
charged with their enforcement4 ,they   
submit without murmuring to the  most   
terrible exactions4 ,the clerks employed
 by the judiciary or the  legislative   
assemblies decree by statute that every 
young man must be  ready to take up     
arms1 to kill others1 and to die        
himself1 and that all  parents who have 
adult sons must favor obedience to this 
law which was  drawn up yesterday by a  
mercenary official1 and may be revoked  
to-morrow4    ,we have lost sight of the
 idea that a law may be in itself       
reasonable1  and binding upon every one 
in spirit as well as in letter4 ,the    
,hebrews  possessed a law which         
regulated life1 not by forced obedience 
to its  requirements1 but by appealing  
to the conscience of each individual2   
and  the existence of this law is       
considered as an exceptional attribute  
of  the ,hebrew people4 ,that the       

,hebrews should have been willing to    
obey  only what they recognized by      
spiritual perception as the             
incontestable  truth direct from ,god is
 considered a remarkable national trait4
 ,but it  appears that the natural and  
normal state of civilized men is to obey
  what to their own knowledge is decreed
 by despicable officials and  enforced  
by the co-operation of armed police4    
,the distinctive trait of civilized man 
is to obey what the majority of  men    
regard as iniquitous1 contrary to       
conscience4 ,i seek in vain in          
civilized society as it exists to-day   
for any clearly formulated moral  bases 
of life4 ,there are none4 ,no perception
 of their necessity exists4  ,on the    
contrary1 we find the extraordinary     
conviction that they are  superfluous2  
that religion is nothing more than a few
 words about ,god  and a future life1   
and a few ceremonies very useful for the
 salvation of  the soul according to    
some1 and good for nothing according to 

others2  but that life happens of itself
 and has no need of any fundamental     
rule1  and that we have only to do what 
we are told to do4    ,the two          
substantial sources of faith1 the       
doctrine that governs life1  and the    
explanation of the meaning of life1 are 
regarded as of very  unequal value4 ,the
 first is considered as of very little  
importance1 and  as having no relation  
to faith whatever2 the second1 as the   
explanation  of a bygone state of       
existence1 or as made up of speculations
  concerning the historical development 
of life1 is considered as of great      
significance4 ,as to all that           
constitutes the life of man expressed in
  action1 the members of our modern     
society depend willingly for guidance   
upon people who1 like themselves1 know  
not why they direct their fellows  to   
live in one way and not in another4     
,this disposition holds good  whether   
the question at issue is to decide      
whether to kill or not to  kill1 to     

judge or not to judge1 to bring up      
children in this way or in  that4 ,and  
men look upon an existence like this as 
reasonable1 and have  no feeling of     
shame6    ,the explanations of the      
,church which pass for faith1 and the   
true faith  of our generation1 which is 
in obedience to social laws and the laws
 of  the ,state1 have reached a stage of
 sharp antagonism4 ,the majority of     
civilized people have nothing to        
regulate life but faith in the police4  
,this condition would be unbearable if  
it were universal4 ,fortunately  there  
is a remnant1 made up of the noblest    
minds of the age1 who are not  contented
 with this religion1 but have an        
entirely different faith with  regard to
 what the life of man ought to be4      
,these men are looked upon as  the most 
malevolent1 the most dangerous1 and     
generally as the most  unbelieving of   
all human beings1 and yet they are the  
only men of our  time believing in the  
,gospel doctrine1 if not as a whole1 at 

least in  part4 ,these people1 as a     
general thing1 know little of the       
doctrine of  ,jesus2 they do not        
understand it1 and1 like their          
adversaries1 they  refuse to accept the 
leading principle of the religion of    
,jesus1 which  is to resist not evil2   
often they have nothing but a hatred for
 the name  of ,jesus2 but their whole   
faith with regard to what life ought to 
be is  unconsciously based upon the     
humane and eternal truths comprised in  
the  ,christian doctrine4 ,this remnant1
 in spite of calumny and persecution1   
are the only ones who do not tamely     
submit to the orders of the first       
comer4 ,consequently they are the only  
ones in these days who live a           
reasonable and not an animal life1 the  
only ones who have faith4    ,the       
connecting link between the world and   
the ,church1 although carefully         
cherished by the ,church1 becomes more  
and more attenuated4 ,to-day it is      
little more than a hindrance4 ,the union

 between the ,church and the world  has 
no longer any justification4 ,the       
mysterious process of maturation is     
going on before our eyes4 ,the          
connecting bond will soon be severed1   
and  the vital social organism will     
begin to exercise its functions as a    
wholly independent existence4 ,the      
doctrine of the ,church1 with its       
dogmas1 its councils1 and its hierarchy1
 is manifestly united to the  doctrine  
of ,jesus4 ,the connecting link is as   
perceptible as the cord  which binds the
 newly-born child to its mother2 but as 
the umbilical  cord and the placenta    
become after parturition useless pieces 
of flesh1  which are carefully buried   
out of regard for what they once        
nourished1  so the ,church has become a 
useless organism1 to be preserved1 if at
 all1  in some museum of curiosities out
 of regard for what it has once been4   
,as soon as respiration and circulation 
are established1 the former  source of  
nutrition becomes a hindrance to life4  

,vain and foolish would  it be to       
attempt to retain the bond1 and to force
 the child that has  come into the light
 of day to receive its nourishment by a 
pre-natal  process4 ,but the deliverance
 of the child from the maternal tie does
 not  ensure life4 ,the life of the     
newly born depends upon another bond of 
union which is established between it   
and its mother that its  nourishment may
 be maintained4    ,and so it must be   
with our ,christian world of to-day4    
,the doctrine of  ,jesus has brought the
 world into the light4 ,the ,church1 one
 of the  organs of the doctrine of      
,jesus1 has fulfilled its mission and is
 now  useless4 ,the world cannot be     
bound to the ,church2 but the           
deliverance of  the world from the      
,church will not ensure life4 ,life will
 begin when the  world perceives its own
 weakness and the necessity for a       
different  source of strength4 ,the     
,christian world feels this necessity3  
it  proclaims its helplessness1 it feels

 the impossibility of depending upon    
its former means of nourishment1 the    
inadequacy of any other form of         
nourishment except that of the doctrine 
by which it was brought forth4  ,this   
modern ,european world of ours1         
apparently so sure of itself1 so  bold1 
so decided1 and within so preyed upon by
 terror and despair1 is  exactly in the 
situation of a newly born animal3 it    
writhes1 it cries  aloud1 it is         
perplexed1 it knows not what to do2 it  
feels that its  former source of        
nourishment is withdrawn1 but it knows  
not where to  seek for another4 ,a newly
 born lamb shakes its head1 opens its   
eyes and  looks about1 and leaps1 and   
bounds1 and would make us think by its  
apparently intelligent movements that it
 already has mastered the secret  of    
living2 but of this the poor little     
creature knows nothing4 ,the            
impetuosity and energy it displays were 
drawn from its mother through a  medium 
of transmission that has just been      

broken1 nevermore to be  renewed4 ,the  
situation of the new comer is one of    
delight1 and at the  same time is full  
of peril4 ,it is animated by youth and  
strength1 but it  is lost if it cannot  
avail itself of the nourishment only to 
be had from  its mother4    ,and so it  
is with our ,european world4 ,what      
complex activities1 what  energy1 what  
intelligence1 does it apparently        
possess6 ,it would seem as  if all its  
deeds were governed by reason4 ,with    
what enthusiasm1 what  vigor1 what      
youthfulness do the denizens of this    
modern world manifest  their abounding  
vitality6 ,the arts and sciences1 the   
various industries1  political and      
administrative details1 all are full of 
life4 ,but this  life is due to         
inspiration received through the        
connecting link that  binds it to its   
source4 ,the ,church1 by transmitting   
the truth of the  doctrine of ,jesus1   
has communicated life to the world4     
,upon this  nourishment the world has   

grown and developed4 ,but the ,church   
has had  its day and is now superfluous4
    ,the world is possessed of a living 
organism2 the means by which it         
formerly received its nourishment has   
withered away1 and it has not yet  found
 another2 and it seeks everywhere1      
everywhere but at the true  source of   
life4 ,it still possesses the animation 
derived from  nourishment already       
received1 and it does not yet understand
 that its  future nourishment is only to
 be had from one source1 and by its own 
efforts4 ,the world must now understand 
that the period of gestation is  ended1 
and that a new process of conscious     
nutrition must henceforth  maintain its 
life4 ,the truth of the doctrine of     
,jesus1 once  unconsciously absorbed by 
humanity through the organism of the    
,church1  must now be consciously       
recognized2 for in the truth of this    
doctrine  humanity has always obtained  
its vital force4 ,men must lift up the  
torch  of truth1 which has so long      

remained concealed1 and carry it before 
them1 guiding their actions by its      
light4    ,the doctrine of ,jesus1 as a 
religion that governs the actions of men
 and  explains to them the meaning of   
life1 is now before the world just as it
  was eighteen hundred years ago4       
,formerly the world had the explanations
  of the ,church which1 in concealing   
the doctrine1 seemed in itself to  offer
 a satisfactory interpretation of life2 
but now the time is come  when the      
,church has lost its usefulness1 and the
 world1 having no other  means for      
sustaining its true existence1 can only 
feel its helplessness  and go for aid   
directly to the doctrine of ,jesus4     
,now1 ,jesus first taught men to believe
 in the light1 and that the light  is   
within themselves4 ,jesus taught men to 
lift on high the light of  reason4 ,he  
taught them to live1 guiding their      
actions by this light1 and  to do       
nothing contrary to reason4 ,it is      
unreasonable1 it is foolish1 to  go out 

to kill ,turks or ,germans2 it is       
unreasonable to make use of the  labor  
of others that you and yours may be     
clothed in the height of  fashion and   
maintain that mortal source of ennui1 a 
salon2 it is  unreasonable to take      
people already corrupted by idleness and
 depravity  and shut them up within     
prison walls1 and thereby devote them to
 an  existence of absolute idleness and 
deprivation2 it is unreasonable to  live
 in the pestilential air of cities when 
a purer atmosphere is within  your      
reach2 it is unreasonable to base the   
education of your children on  the      
grammatical laws of dead languages2--all
 this is unreasonable1 and  yet it is   
to-day the life of the ,european world1 
which lives a life of  no meaning2 which
 acts1 but acts without a purpose1      
having no confidence  in reason1 and    
existing in opposition to its decrees4  
,the doctrine of ,jesus is the light4   
,the light shines forth1 and the        
darkness cannot conceal it4 ,men cannot 

deny it1 men cannot refuse to  accept   
its guidance4 ,they must depend on the  
doctrine of ,jesus1 which  penetrates   
among all the errors with which the life
 of men is  surrounded4 ,like the       
insensible ether filling universal      
space1  enveloping all created things1  
so the doctrine of ,jesus is inevitable 
for every man in whatever situation he  
may be found4 ,men cannot refuse  to    
recognize the doctrine of ,jesus2 they  
may deny the metaphysical  explanation  
of life which it gives 7we may deny     
everything71 but the  doctrine of ,jesus
 alone offers rules for the conduct of  
life without  which humanity has never  
lived1 and never will be able to live2  
without  which no human being has lived 
or can live1 if he would live as man    
should live1--a reasonable life4 ,the   
power of the doctrine of ,jesus is  not 
in its explanation of the meaning of    
life1 but in the rules that it  gives   
for the conduct of life4 ,the           
metaphysical doctrine of ,jesus is not  

new2 it is that eternal doctrine of     
humanity inscribed in all the hearts  of
 men1 and preached by all the prophets  
of all the ages4 ,the power of  the     
doctrine of ,jesus is in the application
 of this metaphysical  doctrine to life4
    ,the metaphysical basis of the      
ancient doctrine of the ,hebrews1 which 
enjoined love to ,god and men1 is       
identical with the metaphysical basis   
of the doctrine of ,jesus4 ,but the     
application of this doctrine to life1   
as expounded by ,moses1 was very        
different from the teachings of ,jesus4 
,the ,hebrews1 in applying the ,mosaic  
law to life1 were obliged to fulfil  six
 hundred and thirteen commandments1 many
 of which were absurd and  cruel1 and   
yet all were based upon the authority of
 the ,scriptures4 ,the  doctrine of     
life1 as given by ,jesus upon the same  
metaphysical basis1 is  expressed in    
five reasonable and beneficent          
commandments1 having an  obvious and    
justifiable meaning1 and embracing      

within their restrictions  the whole of 
human life4 ,a ,jew1 a disciple of      
,confucius1 a ,buddhist1 or  a          
,mohammedan1 who sincerely doubts the   
truth of his own religion1  cannot      
refuse to accept the doctrine of ,jesus2
 much less1 then1 can this  doctrine be 
rejected by the ,christian world of     
to-day1 which is now  living without any
 moral law4 ,the doctrine of ,jesus     
cannot interfere in  any way with the   
manner in which men of to-day regard the
 world2 it is1  to begin with1 in       
harmony with their metaphysics1 but it  
gives them what  they have not now1 what
 is indispensable to their existence1   
and what  they all seek1--it offers them
 a way of life2 not an unknown way1 but 
a  way already explored and familiar to 
all4    ,let us suppose that you are a  
sincere ,christian1 it matters not of   
what  confession4 ,you believe in the   
creation of the world1 in the ,trinity1 
in  the fall and redemption of man1 in  
the sacraments1 in prayer1 in the       

,church4 ,the doctrine of ,jesus is not 
opposed to your dogmatic belief1  and is
 absolutely in harmony with your theory 
of the origin of the  universe2 and it  
offers you something that you do not    
possess4 ,while you  retain your present
 religion you feel that your own life   
and the life of  the world is full of   
evil that you know not how to remedy4   
,the doctrine  of ,jesus 7which should  
be binding upon you since it is the     
doctrine of  your own ,god7 offers you  
simple and practical rules which will   
surely  deliver you1 you and your       
fellows1 from the evils with which you  
are  tormented4    ,believe1 if you     
will1 in paradise1 in hell1 in the pope1
 in the ,church1  in the sacraments1 in 
the redemption2 pray according to the   
dictates of  your faith1 attend upon    
your devotions1 sing your hymns1--but   
all this  will not prevent you from     
practising the five commandments given  
by  ,jesus for your welfare3 ,be not    
angry2 ,do not commit adultery2 ,take no

  oaths2 ,resist not evil2 ,do not make 
war4 ,it may happen that you will  break
 one of these rules2 you will perhaps   
yield to temptation1 and  violate one of
 them1 just as you violate the rules of 
your present  religion1 or the articles 
of the civil code1 or the laws of       
custom4 ,in  the same way you may1      
perhaps1 in moments of temptation1 fail 
of  observing all the commandments of   
,jesus4 ,but1 in that case1 do not      
calmly sit down as you do now1 and so   
organize your existence as to  render it
 a task of extreme difficulty not to be 
angry1 not to commit  adultery1 not to  
take oaths1 not to resist evil1 not to  
make war2  organize rather an existence 
which shall render the doing of all     
these  things as difficult as the       
non-performance of them is now          
laborious4 ,you  cannot refuse to       
recognize the validity of these rules1  
for they are the  commandments of the   
,god whom you pretend to worship4       
,let us suppose that you are an         

unbeliever1 a philosopher1 it matters   
not  of what special school4 ,you affirm
 that the progress of the world is in   
accordance with a law that you have     
discovered4 ,the doctrine of ,jesus     
does not oppose your views2 it is in    
harmony with the law that you have      
discovered4 ,but1 aside from this law1  
in pursuance of which the world  will in
 the course of a thousand years reach a 
state of felicity1 there  is still your 
own personal life to be considered4     
,this life you can use  by living in    
conformity to reason1 or you can waste  
it by living in  opposition to reason1  
and you have now for its guidance no    
rule  whatever1 except the decrees drawn
 up by men whom you do not esteem1 and  
enforced by the police4 ,the doctrine of
 ,jesus offers you rules which are      
assuredly in accord with your law of    
altruism1 which is nothing but a  feeble
 paraphrase of this same doctrine of    
,jesus4    ,let us suppose that you are 
an average man1 half sceptic1 half      

believer1  one who has no time to       
analyze the meaning of human life1 and  
one  therefore who has no determinate   
theory of existence4 ,you live as lives 
the rest of the world about you4 ,the   
doctrine of ,jesus is not at all        
contrary to your condition4 ,you are    
incapable of reason1 of verifying  the  
truths of the doctrines that are taught 
you2 it is easier for you to  do as     
others do4 ,but however modest may be   
your estimate of your powers  of reason1
 you know that you have within you a    
judge that sometimes  approves your acts
 and sometimes condemns them4 ,however  
modest your  social position1 there are 
occasions when you are bound to reflect 
and  ask yourself1 ,shall ,i follow the 
example of the rest of the world1 or    
shall ,i act in accordance with my own  
judgment8 ,it is precisely on  these    
occasions when you are called upon to   
solve some problem with  regard to the  
conduct of life1 that the commandments  
of ,jesus appeal to  you in all their   

efficiency4 ,the commandments of ,jesus 
will surely  respond to your inquiry1   
because they apply to your whole        
existence4  ,the response will be in    
accord with your reason and your        
conscience4 ,if  you are nearer to faith
 than to unbelief1 you will1 in         
following these  commandments1 act in   
harmony with the will of ,god4 ,if you  
are nearer to  scepticism than to       
belief1 you will1 in following the      
doctrine of ,jesus1  govern your actions
 by the laws of reason1 for the         
commandments of ,jesus  make manifest   
their own meaning1 and their own        
justification4    ,now is the judgment  
of this world3 now shall the prince of  
this world  be cast out4 7,john xii4    
#ca47    ,these things have ,i spoken   
unto you1 that in me ye may have peace4 
,in  the world ye have tribulation3 but 
be of good cheer2 ,i have overcome the  
world4 7,john xvi4 #cc47    ,the world1 
that is1 the evil in the world1 is      
overcome4 ,if evil still  exists in the 

world1 it exists only through the       
influence of inertia2 it  no longer     
contains the principle of vitality4 ,for
 those who have faith  in the           
commandments of ,jesus1 it does not     
exist at all4 ,it is vanquished  by an  
awakened conscience1 by the elevation of
 the son of man4 ,a train  that has been
 put in motion continues to move in the 
direction in which  it was started2 but 
the time comes when the intelligent     
effort of a  controlling hand is made   
manifest1 and the movement is reversed4 
,ye are of ,god1 and have overcome them 
because greater is he that is  within   
you than he that is in the world4 7#a   
,john v4 #d47    ,the faith that        
triumphs over the doctrines of the world
 is faith in the  doctrine of ,jesus4   
,,chapter ,,xii4      ,i ,,believe in   
the doctrine of ,jesus1 and this is my  
religion3--    ,i believe that nothing  
but the fulfilment of the doctrine of   
,jesus can  give true happiness to men4 
,i believe that the fulfilment of this  

doctrine is possible1 easy1 and         
pleasant4 ,i believe that although none 
other follows this doctrine1 and ,i     
alone am left to practise it1 ,i  cannot
 refuse to obey it1 if ,i would save my 
life from the certainty of  eternal     
loss2 just as a man in a burning house  
if he find a door of  safety1 must go   
out1 so ,i must avail myself of the way 
to salvation4 ,i  believe that my life  
according to the doctrine of the world  
has been a  torment1 and that a life    
according to the doctrine of ,jesus can 
alone  give me in this world the        
happiness for which ,i was destined by  
the  ,father of ,life4 ,i believe that  
this doctrine is essential to the       
welfare  of humanity1 will save me from 
the certainty of eternal loss1 and will 
give me in this world the greatest      
possible sum of happiness4 ,believing   
thus1 ,i am obliged to practise its     
commandments4    ,the law was given by  
,moses2 grace and truth came by ,jesus  
,christ4  7,john i4 #ag47    ,the       

doctrine of ,jesus is a doctrine of     
grace and truth4 ,once ,i knew not      
grace and knew not truth4 ,mistaking    
evil for good1 ,i fell into evil1 and   
,i doubted the righteousness of my      
tendency toward good4 ,i understand and 
believe now that the good toward which  
,i was attracted is the will of  the    
,father1 the essence of life4    ,jesus 
has told us to live in pursuit of the   
good1 and to beware of  snares and      
temptations 7,greek3 skandalon7 which1  
by enticing us with  the semblance of   
good1 draw us away from true goodness1  
and lead us into  evil4 ,he has taught  
us that our welfare is to be sought in  
fellowship  with all men2 that evil is a
 violation of fellowship with the son of
  man1 and that we must not deprive     
ourselves of the welfare to be had by   
obedience to his doctrine4    ,jesus has
 demonstrated that fellowship with the  
son of man1 the love of  men for one    
another1 is not merely an ideal after   
which men are to  strive2 he has shown  

us that this love and this fellowship   
are natural  attributes of men in their 
normal condition1 the condition into    
which  children are born1 the condition 
in which all men would live if they     
were not drawn aside by error1          
illusions1 and temptations4    ,in his  
commandments1 ,jesus has enumerated     
clearly and unmistakably the            
temptations that interfere with this    
natural condition of love and           
fellowship and render it a prey to evil4
 ,the commandments of ,jesus offer  the 
remedies by which ,i must save myself   
from the temptations that have  deprived
 me of happiness2 and so ,i am forced to
 believe that these  commandments are   
true4 ,happiness was within my grasp and
 ,i destroyed  it4 ,in his commandments 
,jesus has shown me the temptations that
 lead to  the destruction of happiness4 
,i can no longer work for the           
destruction  of my happiness1 and in    
this determination1 and in this alone1  
is the  substance of my religion4       

,jesus has shown me that the first      
temptation destructive of happiness is  
enmity toward men1 anger against them4  
,i cannot refuse to believe this1  and  
so ,i cannot willingly remain at enmity 
with others4 ,i cannot1 as ,i  could    
once1 foster anger1 be proud of it1 fan 
into a flame1 justify it1  regarding    
myself as an intelligent and superior   
man and others as  useless and foolish  
people4 ,now1 when ,i give up to anger1 
,i can only  realize that ,i alone am   
guilty1 and seek to make peace with     
those who  have aught against me4       
,but this is not all4 ,while ,i now see 
that anger is an abnormal1  pernicious1 
and morbid state1 ,i also perceive the  
temptation that led me  into it4 ,the   
temptation was in separating myself from
 my fellows1  recognizing only a few of 
them as my equals1 and regarding all the
  others as persons of no account       
7rekim7 or as uncultivated animals      
7fools74 ,i see now that this wilful    
separation from other men1 this         

judgment of raca or fool passed upon    
others1 was the principal  source of my 
disagreements4 ,in looking over my past 
life ,i saw that ,i  had rarely         
permitted my anger to rise against those
 whom ,i considered as  my equals1 whom 
,i seldom abused4 ,but the least        
disagreeable action on  the part of one 
whom ,i considered an inferior inflamed 
my anger and led  me to abusive words or
 actions1 and the more superior ,i felt 
myself to  be1 the less careful ,i was  
of my temper2 sometimes the mere        
supposition  that a man was of a lower  
social position than myself was enough  
to  provoke me to an outrageous manner4 
,i understand now that he alone is above
 others who is humble with others  and  
makes himself the servant of all4 ,i    
understand now why those that  are great
 in the sight of men are an abomination 
to ,god1 who has  declared woe upon the 
rich and mighty and invoked blessedness 
upon the  poor and humble4 ,now ,i      
understand this truth1 ,i have faith in 

it1 and  this faith has transformed my  
perception of what is right and         
important1  and what is wrong and       
despicable4 ,everything that once seemed
 to me  right and important1 such as    
honors1 glory1 civilization1 wealth1 the
  complications and refinements of      
existence1 luxury1 rich food1 fine      
clothing1 etiquette1 have become for me 
wrong and despicable4 ,everything  that 
formerly seemed to me wrong and         
despicable1 such as rusticity1          
obscurity1 poverty1 austerity1          
simplicity of surroundings1 of food1 of 
clothing1 of manners1 all have now      
become right and important to me4 ,and  
so although ,i may at times give myself 
up to anger and abuse another1 ,i       
cannot deliberately yield to wrath and  
so deprive myself of the true  source of
 happiness1--fellowship and love2 for it
 is possible that a man  should lay a   
snare for his own feet and so be lost4  
,now1 ,i can no  longer give my support 
to anything that lifts me above or      

separates me  from others4 ,i cannot1 as
 ,i once did1 recognize in myself or    
others  titles or ranks or qualities    
aside from the title and quality of     
manhood4 ,i can no longer seek for fame 
and glory2 ,i can no longer  cultivate a
 system of instruction which separates  
me from men4 ,i cannot  in my           
surroundings1 my food1 my clothing1 my  
manners1 strive for what  not only      
separates me from others but renders me 
a reproach to the  majority of mankind4 
,jesus showed me another temptation     
destructive of happiness1 that is1      
debauchery1 the desire to possess       
another woman than her to whom ,i am    
united4 ,i can no longer1 as ,i did     
once1 consider my sensuality as a       
sublime trait of human nature4 ,i can no
 longer justify it by my love for  the  
beautiful1 or my amorousness1 or the    
faults of my companion4 ,at the  first  
inclination toward debauchery ,i cannot 
fail to recognize that ,i am  in a      
morbid and abnormal state1 and to seek  

to rid myself of the  besetting sin4    
,knowing that debauchery is an evil1 ,i 
also know its cause1 and can thus  evade
 it4 ,i know now that the principal     
cause of this temptation is not  the    
necessity for the sexual relation1 but  
the abandonment of wives by  their      
husbands1 and of husbands by their      
wives4 ,i know now that a man  who      
forsakes a woman1 or a woman who        
forsakes a man1 when the two have  once 
been united1 is guilty of the divorce   
which ,jesus forbade1 because  men and  
women abandoned by their first          
companions are the original cause  of   
all the debauchery in the world4    ,in 
seeking to discover the influences that 
led to debauchery1 ,i found  one to be a
 barbarous physical and intellectual    
education that developed  the erotic    
passion which the world endeavors to    
justify by the most  subtile arguments4 
,but the principal influence ,i found to
 be the  abandonment of the woman to    
whom ,i had first been united1 and the  

situation of the abandoned women around 
me4 ,the principal source of  temptation
 was not in carnal desires1 but in the  
fact that those desires  were not       
satisfied in the men and women by whom  
,i was surrounded4 ,i now  understand   
the words of ,jesus when he says3--     
,he which made them from the beginning1 
made them male and female4444  ,so that 
they are no more twain1 but one flesh4  
,what1 therefore1 ,god hath  joined     
together1 let not man put asunder4      
7,matt4 xix4 #d-f47    ,i understand now
 that monogamy is the natural law of    
humanity1 which  cannot with impunity be
 violated4 ,i now understand perfectly  
the words  declaring that the man or    
woman who separates from a companion to 
seek  another1 forces the forsaken one  
to resort to debauchery1 and thus       
introduces into the world an evil that  
returns upon those who cause it4        
,this ,i believe2 and the faith ,i now  
have has transformed my opinions  with  
regard to the right and important1 and  

the wrong and despicable1  things of    
life4 ,what once seemed to me the most  
delightful existence in  the world1 an  
existence made up of dainty1 sthetic    
pleasures and  passions1 is now         
revolting to me4 ,and a life of         
simplicity and  indigence1 which        
moderates the sexual desires1 now seems 
to me good4 ,the  human institution of  
marriage1 which gives a nominal sanction
 to the  union of man and woman1 ,i     
regard as of less grave importance than 
that  the union1 when accomplished1     
should be regarded as the will of ,god1 
and  never be broken4    ,now1 when in  
moments of weakness ,i yield to the     
promptings of desire1 ,i  know the snare
 that would deliver me into evil1 and so
 ,i cannot  deliberately plan my method 
of existence as formerly ,i was         
accustomed to  do4 ,i no longer         
habitually cherish physical sloth and   
luxury1 which  excite to excessive      
sensuality4 ,i can no longer pursue     
amusements which  are oil to the fire of

 amorous sensuality1--the reading of    
romances and  the most of poetry1       
listening to music1 attendance at       
theatres and  balls1--amusements that   
once seemed to me elevated and refining1
 but  which ,i now see to be injurious4 
,i can no longer abandon the woman with 
whom ,i have been united1 for ,i know   
that by forsaking her1 ,i set a snare   
for myself1 for her1 and for others4 ,i 
can no longer encourage the gross  and  
idle existence of others4 ,i can no     
longer encourage or take part in        
licentious pastimes1 romantic           
literature1 plays1 operas1 balls1 which 
are so many snares for myself and for   
others4 ,i cannot favor the  celibacy of
 persons fitted for the marriage        
relation4 ,i cannot encourage  the      
separation of wives from their husbands4
 ,i cannot make any  distinction between
 unions that are called by the name of  
marriage1 and  those that are denied    
this name4 ,i am obliged to consider as 
sacred and  absolute the sole and unique

 union by which man is once for all     
indissolubly bound to the first woman   
with whom he has been united4    ,jesus 
has shown me that the third temptation  
destructive to true  happiness is the   
oath4 ,i am obliged to believe his      
words2 consequently1  ,i cannot1 as ,i  
once did1 bind myself by oath to serve  
any one for any  purpose1 and ,i can no 
longer1 as ,i did formerly1 justify     
myself for  having taken an oath because
 it would harm no one1 because everybody
  did the same1 because it is necessary 
for the ,state1 because the             
consequences might be bad for me or for 
some one else if ,i refuse to  submit to
 this exaction4 ,i know now that it is  
an evil for myself and  for others1 and 
,i cannot conform to it4    ,nor is this
 all4 ,i now know the snare that led me 
into evil1 and ,i can  no longer act as 
an accomplice4 ,i know that the snare is
 in the use of  ,god's name to sanction 
an imposture1 and that the imposture    
consists in  promising in advance to    

obey the commands of one man1 or of many
 men1  while ,i ought to obey the       
commands of ,god alone4 ,i know now that
 evils  the most terrible of all in     
their result--war1 imprisonments1       
capital  punishment--exist only because 
of the oath1 in virtue of which men make
  themselves instruments of evil1 and   
believe that they free themselves  from 
all responsibility4 ,as ,i think now of 
the many evils that have  impelled me to
 hostility and hatred1 ,i see that they 
all originated with  the the oath1 the  
engagement to submit to the will of     
others4 ,i  understand now the meaning  
of the words3--    ,but let your speech 
be1 ,yea1 yea2 nay1 nay2 and whatsoever 
is more  than these is of evil4 7,matt4 
v4 #cg47    ,understanding this1 ,i am  
convinced that the oath is destructive  
of my  true welfare and of that of      
others1 and this belief changes my      
estimate  of right and wrong1 of the    
important and despicable4 ,what once    
seemed to  me right and important1--the 

promise of fidelity to the government   
supported by the oath1 the exacting of  
oaths from others1 and all acts         
contrary to conscience1 done because of 
the oath1 now seem to me wrong  and     
despicable4 ,therefore ,i can no longer 
evade the commandment of ,jesus         
forbidding the oath1 ,i can no longer   
bind myself by oath to any one1 ,i      
cannot exact an oath from another1 ,i   
cannot encourage men to take an  oath1  
or to cause others to take an oath2 nor 
can ,i regard the oath as  necessary1   
important1 or even inoffensive4         
,jesus has shown me that the fourth     
temptation destructive to my  happiness 
is the resort to violence for the       
resistance of evil4 ,i am  obliged to   
believe that this is an evil for myself 
and for others2  consequently1 ,i       
cannot1 as ,i did once1 deliberately    
resort to violence1  and seek to justify
 my action with the pretext that it is  
indispensable  for the defence of my    
person and property1 or of the persons  

and  property of others4 ,i can no      
longer yield to the first impulse to    
resort  to violence2 ,i am obliged to   
renounce it1 and to abstain from it     
altogether4    ,but this is not all4 ,i 
understand now the snare that caused me 
to fall  into this evil4 ,i know now    
that the snare consisted in the         
erroneous  belief that my life could be 
made secure by violence1 by the defence 
of  my person and property against the  
encroachments of others4 ,i know now    
that a great portion of the evils that  
afflict mankind are due to  this1--that 
men1 instead of giving their work for   
others1 deprive  themselves completely  
of the privilege of work1 and forcibly  
appropriate  the labor of their fellows4
 ,every one regards a resort to violence
 as  the best possible security for life
 and for property1 and ,i now see that  
a great portion of the evil that ,i did 
myself1 and saw others do1  resulted    
from this practice4 ,i understood now   
the meaning of the  words3--    ,not to 

be ministered unto1 but to minister4    
,the laborer is worthy  of his food4    
,i believe now that my true welfare1 and
 that of others1 is possible only  when 
,i labor not for myself1 but for        
another1 and that ,i must not refuse  to
 labor for another1 but to give with joy
 that of which he has need4  ,this faith
 has changed my estimate of what is     
right and important1 and  wrong and     
despicable4 ,what once seemed to me     
right and important  --riches1          
proprietary rights1 the point of honor1 
the maintenance  of personal dignity and
 personal privileges--have now become to
 me wrong  and despicable4 ,labor for   
others1 poverty1 humility1 the          
renunciation of  property and of        
personal privileges1 have become in my  
eyes right and  important4    ,when1    
now1 in a moment of forgetfulness1 ,i   
yield to the impulse to  resort to      
violence1 for the defence of my person  
or property1 or of the  persons or      
property of others1 ,i can no longer    

deliberately make use of  this snare for
 my own destruction and the destruction 
of others4 ,i can  no longer acquire    
property4 ,i can no longer resort to    
force in any form  for my own defence or
 the defence of another4 ,i can no      
longer co-operate  with any power whose 
object is the defence of men and their  
property by  violence4 ,i can no longer 
act in a judicial capacity1 or clothe   
myself  with any authority1 or take part
 in the exercise of any jurisdiction    
whatever4 ,i can no longer encourage    
others in the support of tribunals1  or 
in the exercise of authoritative        
administration4    ,jesus has shown me  
that the fifth temptation that deprives 
me of  well-being1 is the distinction   
that we make between compatriots and    
foreigners4 ,i must believe this2       
consequently1 if1 in a moment of        
forgetfulness1 ,i have a feeling of     
hostility toward a man of another       
nationality1 ,i am obliged1 in moments  
of reflection1 to regard this  feeling  

as wrong4 ,i can no longer1 as ,i did   
formerly1 justify my  hostility by the  
superiority of my own people over       
others1 or by the  ignorance1 the       
cruelty1 or the barbarism of another    
race4 ,i can no  longer refrain from    
striving to be even more friendly with a
 foreigner  than with one of my own     
countrymen4    ,i know now that the     
distinction ,i once made between my own 
people and  those of other countries is 
destructive of my welfare2 but1 more    
than  this1 ,i now know the snare that  
led me into this evil1 and ,i can no    
longer1 as ,i did once1 walk            
deliberately and calmly into this snare4
 ,i  know now that this snare consists  
in the erroneous belief that my  welfare
 is dependent only upon the welfare of  
my countrymen1 and not  upon the welfare
 of all mankind4 ,i know now that my    
fellowship with  others cannot be shut  
off by a frontier1 or by a government   
decree which  decides that ,i belong to 
some particular political organization4 

,i know  now that all men are everywhere
 brothers and equals4 ,when ,i think now
 of  all the evil that ,i have done1    
that ,i have endured1 and that ,i have  
seen  about me1 arising from national   
enmities1 ,i see clearly that it is all 
due to that gross imposture called      
patriotism1--love for one's native      
land4 ,when ,i think now of my          
education1 ,i see how these hateful     
feelings  were grafted into my mind4 ,i 
understand now the meaning of the       
words3--    ,love your enemies1 and pray
 for them that persecute you2 that ye   
may  be sons of your ,father that is in 
heaven3 for he maketh his sun to rise   
on the evil and the good1 and sendeth   
rain on the just and the unjust4    ,i  
understand now that true welfare is     
possible for me only on condition  that 
,i recognize my fellowship with the     
whole world4 ,i believe this1 and  the  
belief has changed my estimate of what  
is right and wrong1 important  and      
despicable4 ,what once seemed to me     

right and important--love of  country1  
love for those of my own race1 for the  
organization called the  ,state1        
services rendered at the expense of the 
welfare of other men1  military         
exploits--now seem to me detestable and 
pitiable4 ,what once  seemed to me      
shameful and wrong--renunciation of     
nationality1 and the  cultivation of    
cosmopolitanism--now seem to me right   
and important4  ,when1 now1 in a moment 
of forgetfulness1 ,i sustain a ,russian 
in  preference to a foreigner1 and      
desire the success of ,russia or of the 
,russian people1 ,i can no longer in    
lucid moments allow myself to be        
controlled by illusions so destructive  
to my welfare and the welfare of        
others4 ,i can no longer recognize      
states or peoples2 ,i can no longer     
take part in any difference between     
peoples or states1 or any discussion    
between them either verbal or written1  
much less in any service in  behalf of  
any particular state4 ,i can no longer  

co-operate with measures  maintained by 
divisions between states1--the          
collection of custom  duties1 taxes1 the
 manufacture of arms and projectiles1 or
 any act  favoring armaments1 military  
service1 and1 for a stronger reason1    
wars1--neither can ,i encourage others  
to take any part in them4    ,i         
understand in what my true welfare      
consists1 ,i have faith in that1 and    
consequently ,i cannot do what would    
inevitably be destructive of that       
welfare4 ,i not only have faith that ,i 
ought to live thus1 but ,i have  faith  
that if ,i live thus1 and only thus1 my 
life will attain its only  possible     
meaning1 and be reasonable1 pleasant1   
and indestructible by  death4 ,i believe
 that my reasonable life1 the light ,i  
bear with me1 was  given to me only that
 it might shine before men1 not in words
 only1 but  in good deeds1 that men may 
thereby glorify the ,father4 ,i believe 
that  my life and my consciousness of   
truth is the talent confided to me for a

  good purpose1 and that this talent    
fulfils its mission only when it is  of 
use to others4 ,i believe that ,i am a  
,ninevite with regard to other  ,jonahs 
from whom ,i have learned and shall     
learn of the truth2 but that ,i  am a   
,jonah in regard to other ,ninevites to 
whom ,i am bound to transmit  the truth4
 ,i believe that the only meaning of my 
life is to be attained  by living in    
accordance with the light that is within
 me1 and that ,i  must allow this light 
to shine forth to be seen of all men4   
,this faith  gives me renewed strength  
to fulfil the doctrine of ,jesus1 and to
  overcome the obstacles which still    
arise in my pathway4 ,all that once     
caused me to doubt the possibility of   
practising the doctrine of ,jesus1      
everything that once turned me aside1   
the possibility of privations1 and  of  
suffering1 and death1 inflicted by those
 who know not the doctrine of  ,jesus1  
now confirm its truth and draw me into  
its service4 ,jesus said1  ,when you    

have lifted up the son of man1 then     
shall you know that ,i am  he1--then    
shall you be drawn into my service1--and
 ,i feel that ,i am  irresistibly drawn 
to him by the influence of his doctrine4
 ,the  truth1 he says again1 ,the truth 
shall make you free1 and ,i know  that  
,i am in perfect liberty4    ,i once    
thought that if a foreign invasion      
occurred1 or even if  evil-minded       
persons attacked me1 and ,i did not     
defend myself1 ,i should  be robbed and 
beaten and tortured and killed with     
those whom ,i felt  bound to protect1   
and this possibility troubled me4 ,but  
this that once  troubled me now seems   
desirable and in conformity with the    
truth4 ,i know  now that the foreign    
enemy and the malefactors or brigands   
are all men  like myself2 that1 like    
myself1 they love good and hate evil2   
that they  live as ,i live1 on the      
borders of death2 and that1 with me1    
they seek  for salvation1 and will find 
it in the doctrine of ,jesus4 ,the evil 

that  they do to me will be evil to     
them1 and so can be nothing but good for
  me4 ,but if truth is unknown to them1 
and they do evil thinking that they  do 
good1 ,i1 who know the truth1 am bound  
to reveal it to them1 and this  ,i can  
do only by refusing to participate in   
evil1 and thereby confessing  the truth 
by my example4    ,but hither come the  
enemy1--,germans1 ,turks1 savages2 if   
you do not make  war on them1 they will 
exterminate you6 ,they will do nothing  
of the  sort4 ,if there were a society  
of ,christian men that did evil to none 
and  gave of their labor for the good of
 others1 such a society would have no   
enemies to kill or to torture them4 ,the
 foreigners would take only what  the   
members of this society voluntarily     
gave1 making no distinction  between    
,russians1 or ,turks1 or ,germans4 ,but 
when ,christians live in the  midst of a
 non-,christian society which defends   
itself by force of arm1  and calls upon 
the ,christians to join in waging war1  

then the ,christians  have an           
opportunity for revealing the truth to  
them who know it not4 ,a  ,christian    
knowing the truth bears witness of the  
truth before others1  and this testimony
 can be made manifest only by example4  
,he must  renounce war and do good to   
all men1 whether they are foreigners or 
compatriots4    ,but there are wicked   
men among compatriots2 they will attack 
a  ,christian1 and if the latter do not 
defend himself1 will pillage and        
massacre him and his family4 ,no2 they  
will not do so4 ,if all the  members of 
this family are ,christians1 and        
consequently hold their lives  only for 
the service of others1 no man will be   
found insane enough to  deprive such    
people of the necessaries of life or to 
kill them4 ,the  famous ,maclay lived   
among the most bloodthirsty of savages2 
they did not  kill him1 they reverenced 
him and followed his teachings1 simply  
because  he did not fear them1 exacted  
nothing from them1 and treated them     

always  with kindness4    ,but what if a
 ,christian lives in a non-,christian   
family1 accustomed to  defend itself and
 its property by a resort to violence1  
and is called  upon to take part in     
measures of defence8 ,this solicitation 
is simply  an appeal to the ,christian  
to fulfil the decrees of truth4 ,a      
,christian  knows the truth only that he
 may show it to others1 more especially 
to  his neighbors and to those who are  
bound to him by ties of blood and       
friendship1 and a ,christian can show   
the truth only by refusing to join  in  
the errors of others1 by taking part    
neither with aggressors or  defenders1  
but by abandoning all that he has to    
those who will take it  from him1 thus  
showing by his acts that he has need of 
nothing save the  fulfilment of the will
 of ,god1 and that he fears nothing     
except  disobedience to that will4      
,but how1 if the government will not    
permit a member of the society over     
which it has sway1 to refuse to         

recognize the fundamental principles of 
governmental order or to decline to     
fulfil the duties of a citizen8 ,the    
government exacts from a ,christian the 
oath1 jury service1 military  service1  
and his refusal to conform to these     
demands may be punished by  exile1      
imprisonment1 and even by death4 ,then1 
once more1 the exactions  of those in   
authority are only an appeal to the     
,christian to manifest  the truth that  
is in him4 ,the exactions of those in   
authority are to a  ,christian the      
exactions of those who do not know the  
truth4  ,consequently1 a ,christian who 
knows the truth must bear witness of the
  truth to those who know it not4 ,exile
 and imprisonment and death afford  to  
the ,christian the possibility of       
bearing witness of the truth1 not in    
words1 but in acts4 ,violence1 war1     
brigandage1 executions1 are not         
accomplished through the forces of      
unconscious nature2 they are            
accomplished by men who are blinded1 and

 do not know the truth4  ,consequently1 
the more evil these men do to           
,christians1 the further they  are from 
the truth1 the more unhappy they are1   
and the more necessary it  is that they 
should have knowledge of the truth4 ,now
 a ,christian cannot  make known his    
knowledge of truth except by abstaining 
from the errors  that lead men into     
evil2 he must render good for evil4     
,this is the  life-work of a ,christian1
 and if it is accomplished1 death cannot
 harm  him1 for the meaning of his life 
can never be destroyed4    ,men are     
united by error into a compact mass4    
,the prevailing power of  evil is the   
cohesive force that binds them together4
 ,the reasonable  activity of humanity  
is to destroy the cohesive power of     
evil4  ,revolutions are attempts to     
shatter the power of evil by violence4  
,men  think that by hammering upon the  
mass they will be able to break it in   
fragments1 but they only make it more   
dense and impermeable than it was       

before4 ,external violence is of no     
avail4 ,the disruptive movement must    
come from within when molecule releases 
its hold upon molecule and the  whole   
mass falls into disintegration4 ,error  
is the force that binds men  together2  
truth alone can set them free4 ,now     
truth is truth only when it  is in      
action1 and then only can it be         
transmitted from man to man4 ,only      
truth in action1 by introducing light   
into the conscience of each  individual1
 can dissolve the homogeneity of error1 
and detach men one by  one from its     
bonds4    ,this work has been going on  
for eighteen hundred years4 ,it began   
when  the commandments of ,jesus were   
first given to humanity1 and it will not
  cease till1 as ,jesus said1 all things
 be accomplished 7,matt4 v4 #ah74  ,the 
,church that sought to detach men from  
error and to weld them  together again  
by the solemn affirmation that it alone 
was the truth1  has long since fallen to
 decay4 ,but the ,church composed of men

 united1  not by promises or sacraments1
 but by deeds of truth and love1 has    
always lived and will live forever4     
,now1 as eighteen hundred years ago1    
this ,church is made up not of those who
 say ,lord1 ,lord1 and bring  forth     
iniquity1 but of those who hear the     
words of truth and reveal them  in their
 lives4 ,the members of this ,church    
know that life is to them a  blessing as
 long as they maintain fraternity with  
others and dwell in  the fellowship of  
the son of man2 and that the blessing   
will be lost  only to those who do not  
obey the commandments of ,jesus4 ,and so
 the  members of this ,church practise  
the commandments of ,jesus and thereby  
teach them to others4 ,whether this     
,church be in numbers little or great1  
it is1 nevertheless1 the ,church that   
shall never perish1 the ,church that    
shall finally unite within its bonds the
 hearts of all mankind4    ,fear not1   
little flock2 for it is your ,father's  
good purpose to give  you the kingdom4  

,,appendix4      ,,when ,count ,tolstoi 
speaks of the ,church and its dogmas1 he
 refers  especially1 of course1 to the  
,orthodox ,greek ,church1 the national  
church  of ,russia4 ,the following      
summary of the teachings of the         
,orthodox ,greek  ,church is taken from 
,prof4 ,t4 ,m4 ,lindsay's article in the
 ,encyclopdia  ,brittanica1 ninth       
edition1 volume xi4 p4 #aeh4 ,variations
 from the ,roman  ,catholic doctrine are
 indicated by small capitals1 and       
variations from  ,protestant doctrine by
 italics4 ,tr4    ,christianity is a    
divine revelation1 communicated to      
mankind through  ,christ2 its saving    
truths are to be learned from the ,bible
 and  tradition1 the former having been 
written1 and the latter maintained      
uncorrupted through the influence of the
 ,holy ,spirit2 the  interpretation of  
the ,bible belongs to the ,church1 which
 is taught by  the ,holy ,spirit1 but   
every believer may read the ,scriptures4
    ,according to the ,christian        

revelation1 ,god is a trinity1 that is1 
the  divine essence exists in three     
persons1 perfectly equal in nature and  
dignity1 the ,father1 the ,son1 and the 
,holy ,ghost2 ,,the ,,holy ,,ghost      
,,proceeds ,,from ,,the ,,father ,,only4
 ,besides the triune ,god1 there is no  
other object of divine worship1 but     
homage 7,greek3 hyperdoulia7 may  be    
paid to the ,virgin ,mary1 and reverence
 7,greek3 doulia7 to the  saints and to 
their pictures and relics4    ,man is   
born with a corrupt bias1 which was not 
his at creation2 the  first man1 when   
created1 possessed ,,immortality1       
,,perfect ,,wisdom1 ,,and ,a  ,,will    
,,regulated ,,by ,,reason4 ,through the 
first sin1 ,adam and his posterity  lost
 ,,immortality1 ,,and ,,his ,,will      
,,received ,a ,,bias ,,towards ,,evil4  
,in this  natural state1 man1 who1 even 
before he actually sins1 is a sinner    
before ,god by original or inherited    
sin1 commits manifold actual            
transgressions2 but he is not absolutely

 without power of will towards  good1   
and is not always doing evil4           
,christ1 the ,son of ,god1 became man in
 two natures1 which internally and      
inseparably united make ,one ,person1   
and1 according to the eternal  purpose  
of ,god1 has obtained for man           
reconciliation with ,god and eternal    
life1 inasmuch as he1 by his vicarious  
death has made satisfaction to  ,god for
 the world's sins2 and this satisfaction
 was ,,perfectly  ,,commensurate ,,with 
,,the ,,sins ,,of ,,the ,,world4 ,man is
 made partaker of  reconciliation in    
spiritual regeneration1 which he attains
 to1 being led  and kept by the ,holy   
,ghost4 ,this divine help is offered to 
all men  without distinction1 and may be
 rejected4 ,in order to attain to       
salvation1 man is justified1 and1 when  
so justified1 ,,can ,,do ,,no ,,more    
,,than  ,,the ,,commands ,,of ,,god4 ,he
 may fall from this state of grace      
through mortal  sin4    ,regeneration is
 offered by the word of ,god and in the 

sacraments1  which1 under visible signs1
 communicate ,god's invisible grace to  
,christians when administered cum       
intentione4 ,there are seven  mysteries 
or sacraments4 ,baptism entirely        
destroys original sin4 ,in  the         
,eucharist1 the true body and blood of  
,christ are substantially  present1 and 
the elements are changed into the       
substance of ,christ1  whose body and   
blood are corporeally partaken of by    
communicants4 ,,all  ,christians should 
receive the bread and the ,,wine4 ,the  
,eucharist is also  an expiatory        
sacrifice4 ,the new birth when lost may 
be restored through  repentance1 which  
is not merely 7#a7 sincere sorrow1 but  
also 7#b7  confession of each individual
 sin to the priest1 and 7#c7 the        
discharge of penances imposed by the    
priest for the removal of the  temporal 
punishment1 which may have been imposed 
by ,god and the ,church4  ,penance1     
accompanied by the judicial absolution  
of the priest1 makes a  true sacrament4 

,the ,church of ,christ is the          
fellowship of ,,all ,,those ,,who       
,,accept ,,and  ,,profess ,,all ,,the   
,,articles ,,of ,,faith ,,transmitted   
,,by ,,the ,,apostles1 ,,and  ,,approved
 ,,by ,,general ,,synods4 ,without this 
visible ,church there is no  salvation4 
,it is under the abiding influence of   
the ,holy ,ghost1 and  therefore cannot 
err in matters of faith4 ,specially     
appointed persons  are necessary in the 
service of the ,church1 and they form a 
threefold  order1 distinct jure divino  
from other ,christians1 of ,bishops1    
,priests1  and ,deacons4 ,,the ,,four   
,,patriarchs ,,of ,,equal ,,dignity     
,,have ,,the ,,highest  ,,rank ,,among  
,,the ,,bishops1 ,,and ,,the ,,bishops  
united in a ,general ,council  represent
 the ,church and infallibly decide1     
under the guidance of the  ,holy ,ghost1
 all matters of faith and ecclesiastical
 life4 ,all ministers  of ,christ must  
be regularly called and appointed to    
their office1 and  are consecrated by   

the sacrament of orders4 ,bishops must  
be  unmarried1 and ,,priests ,,and      
,,deacons ,,must ,,not ,,contract ,a    
,,second ,,marriage4  ,to all priests in
 common belongs1 besides the preaching  
of the word1 the  administration of the 
,,six ,,sacraments1--,,baptism1         
,,confirmation1 ,,penance1  ,,eucharist1
 ,,matrimony1 ,,unction ,,of ,,the      
,,sick4 ,the bishops alone can          
administer the sacrament of orders4     
,ecclesiastical ceremonies are part of  
the divine service2 most of them  have  
apostolic origin2 and those connected   
with the sacrament must not  be omitted 
by priests under pain of mortal sin4    
,,index4        ,abraham1 #afe4         
,adam1 fall of1 #aah1 #abb4    ,age1    
consummation of1 #aci1 #aeb4            
,amusements1 harmful1 #aje2             
maintained by coercion1 #ajf4    ,anger1
 the commandment against1 #gj      et   
seq42 destructive of happiness1         
#bdg2 temptations to1 #bdg4    ,greek3  
anistmi1 meaning of1 #adf4    ,army1 the

 ,christophile1 #ae4    ,art has        
forsaken the ,church1 #bbd4             
auferstehn1 meaning of1 #adf4           
,aurelius1 ,marcus1 #abf4    ,average   
man1 the1 and the      problem of       
existence1 #bbi4    ,belief1 if true1   
always brings      forth works1 #afj et 
seq4    ,believers1 and the problem of  
existence1 #bbh4    ,berditchef1 circus 
at1 #ace1 #aeg4    ,bible1 #ag4         
,biblical references4--,o4 ,t43         
,gen4 7iii4 #bb7 #adi2      ,exod4 7iii4
 #f7 #add2      ,levit4 7xix4 #ab7 #hf1 
7xix4 #ag1 #ah7 #id2      ,deut4 7xiii4 
#ba1 #cd7 #hf1 7xxiv4 #a7 #gg1          
7xxx4 #ae-ai7 #aej1 7xxxii4 #ci1 #dj7   
#adi2      ,judges 7ix4 #d7 #gf2 ,sam4  
7,i4 viii4-xii47      #ah2 ,isaiah 7lxi4
 #a1 #b7 #aaj4 ,n4 ,t43      ,matt4 7iv4
 #a-aa7 #agh1 7iv4 #cg7 #bec1      7v47 
#ag1 7v41 vi41 vii47 #e1 7v4 #ag-bj7    
#ea1 #eb1 #ec1 7v4 #ah7 #bfb1 7v4 #ai7  
#gj1      7v4 #ba-bf7 #gj1 #gf1 7v4     
#ba-dh7 #fi1      7v4 #bb-dd7 #aji1 7v4 
#bg-cb7 #gg1      7v4 #bh-cb7 #aji1 7v4 

#cb7 #gi1 #ha1      7v4 #cc-cg7 #hf1    
#ia1 7v4 #cd-cg7 #aji1      7v4 #cf7    
#hi1 7v4 #ch1 #ci7 #g1 #h1 7v4 #ch-db7  
#ib1 #ic1 #aaj1 7v4 #dj7 #bf1 7v4       
#dc-dh7 #ie1      #aaj1 7v4 #dd7 #bef1  
7vii4 #a7 #bc1 7vii4 #ab7      #eg1 7x4 
#aj7 #bjj1 #bed1 7xi4 #cj7 #ad1         
7xii4 #af-ba7 #ach1 7xii4 #ca7 #bag1    
7xii4 #ce-dj7 #aci1 7xii4 #dj7 #ade1    
7xiii4 #eb7 #fb1 7xiv4 #b7 #adf1        
7xvi4 #ac-ba7 #ade1 7xvi4 #ba7 #ade1    
7xvii4 #bc7 #ade1 7xix47 #gi1 7xix4     
#d-f7      #bej1 7xix4 #d-i7 #hj1 7xix4 
#i7 #ha1 #hd1      7xix4 #ag7 #aea1 7xx4
 #a-af7 #afg1 #afh1      7xx4 #ai7 #ade1
 7xx4 #bj-bh7 #aff1      7xxi4 #cc-db7  
#aci1 7xxii4 #dd7 #ih1      7xxiii4     
#ac-ce7 #bag1 7xxv4 #ad-df7 #adb1       
7xxvi4 #cb7 #ade1 7xxvii4 #db7 #afc2    
,mark 7viii4 #ca7 #ade1 7ix4 #ca7 #ade1 
7x4 #e-ab7 #gi1 7x4 #bh-cj7 #ahj1       
7x4 #cd7 #ade1 7x4 #ce-dh7 #aff1 7x4    
#de7      #bjb1 #bed1 7xii4 #ba-bd7     
#add1      7xii4 #bf1 #bg7 #add1 7xii4  
#cf7 #ih1      7xiv4 #be7 #ade1 7xv4    

#cb7 #afc2 ,luke      7i4 #ga1 #gd7 #ih1
 7iv4 #a-ac7 #agh1      7iv4 #ah1 #ai1  
#ba7 #aaa1 7vi4 #cg7 #bc1      7vi4     
#cg-di7 #bd1 7ix4 #bb7 #ade1 7x4 #e1 #g7
      #bjj1 7x4 #bf7 #fa1 7x4 #bh7 #aea1
 7x4 #bi7      #ih1 7xi4 #cj7 #ade1 7xi4
 #ce7 #abe1 #baf1      7xii4 #bb-bg7    
#acg1 7xii4 #cb7 #bfc1      7xii4       
#ed-eg7 #acf1 7xiii4 #a-e7 #ace1        
7xiv4 #bh-ca7 #acf1 7xvi4 #ae-ah7 #ed1  
7xvi4 #af7 #eg1 7xvi4 #ah7 #gi1 7xvi4   
#ca7      #adg1 7xviii4 #cc7 #ade1 7xx4 
#dc7 #ih1      7xxii4 #fg7 #afc2 ,john  
7i4 #i-ab7 #aga1      7i4 #ag7 #bde1    
7iii4 #e1 #f1 #g7 #abe1      7iii4      
#ai-ba7 #aga1 7iii4 #ad-ag7 #abe1       
7v4 #ci7 #aej1 7v4 #dd7 #afd1 7vi4 #cj7 
#afc1      7vii4 #ah7 #afd1 7vii4 #ai7  
#eg1 7viii4 #ag7      #eg1 7viii4 #bh7  
#abe1 #beh1 7viii4 #cb7 #beh1           
7viii4 #ce7 #ada1 7viii4 #dj7 #aga1     
7viii4 #df7 #aga1 7x4 #be1 #bf7 #afc1   
7xi4 #ai-bb7 #ade1 7xii4 #ca7 #bdd1     
7xii4 #ce7 #abe1 7xiv4 #f7 #agb1        
7xiv4 #af1 #ag7 #agb1 7xiv4 #bg7 #aji1  

7xv4 #be7 #eg1 7xvi4 #cc7 #bdd1 7xviii4 
#cg7      #agb1 7xix4 #g7 #eg2 ,acts    
7vii4 #bg7 #ih1      7xxiii4 #h7 #adc2  
,rom4      7i4 #cb1 ii4 #a1 ii4 #d7 #ca2
 ,cor4      7,i4 vii4 #a-aa7 #hj1 7,i4  
xv4 #b7 #ge2 ,heb4      7ii4 #b7 #aae2  
,jas4 7ii4 #ab1 #ac7 #cj1      7ii4 #ac7
 #bi1 7ii4 #ad-bf7 #afc1      7iv4 #aa1 
#ab7 #bh1 7v4 #f7 #ce1 7v4 #ab7 #hi2    
,john 7,i4 v4 #c7 #ad1 7,i4 v4 #d7 #bdd4
    ,borovitzky ,gate1 #ai4             
,brahmins1 #agc1 #bah4    ,buddha1 #acd1
 #bah4    ,buddhism1 #abd4    ,catechism
 analyzed1 #bac4    ,children1 education
 of1 #aje4    ,christian rationalists in
 ,russia1 #bbc4    ,christianity1       
substance of1 #b1 #ac2      a spiritual 
tendency1 #d2      lack of ethical and  
moral instruction      in1 #abc4        
,christians may believe in ,jesus1 #bda2
      duties of1 #beh et seq4           
,chrysostom1 xi41 #cc1 #fc et seq42     
#gi1 #ib4    ,church1 the fathers of1   
#ca1 #ha1 #ic2      the ,orthodox1 #b2  
creed of1 #bfe2      inadequacy of #c1  

#d1 #age1 #bji-bdd2      teachings of1  
#d1 #dj1 #dg1 #eh1 #fb1 #ajg1      #aae1
 #abg1 #aed1 #agh1 #bac-bag1 #bbg2      
compulsory in ,russia1 #baf2 the true1  
#bfb4    ,churches1 as useless          
sentinels1 #bbd4    ,civilization1      
characteristics of1 #db1 #bcc4          
,clement1 x4    ,commandments1 abrogated
 by the ,church1      #bad4             
,commentators1 pseudo-,christian1 #ia2  
liberal1 #ic4    condemnare1 #cd4       
,confucius1 #abd1 #abf1 #abg1 #bah4     
,constantine1 #ca1 #bai4                
,cosmopolitanism1 importance of1 #beg4  
,daniel1 apocryphal book of1 #adi4      
,death1 inevitable1 #acg1 #ach1 #aci4   
,death penalty1 sanctioned by the       
,church1      #bba4    ,debauchery1 #gg 
et seq42 ,paul's idea      of1 #hj2     
destructive of happiness1 #bdi2         
temptations to1 #bea4    ,devotion1 a   
pagan book of1 #bab4    ,divorce1       
denounced by ,jesus1 #gh      et seq42  
sanctioned by the      ,church1 #bba4   
,greek3 doxa1 meaning of1 #afd4         

,greek3 egeir1 meaning of1 #adf4        
ehebruch1 meaning of1 #hd4    ,greek3   
eik1 meaning and textual                
authenticity of1 #ge4    ,elijah1 #dh1  
#ade4    ,greek3 hlikian1 meaning of1   
#acg4    ,enemy1 love for1 #ie et seq42 
meaning of1 #ih4    ,epictetus1 #hi1    
#abf1 #abg4    ,error1 temptation of    
,jesus by1 #agh2 the      cohesive power
 of1 #bfb4    ,esdras1 #ef4    ,evil1   
submission to1 #h et seq41 #ac1         
#ib-id2 resistance to1 #ae2 destructive 
of      happiness1 #bec2 to speak1 #bh1 
#cb4    ,existence1 its futilities1     
#bbf4    ,faith1 defined1 #aae1 #afb1   
#aff1 #bdd2 and      works1 #afj1 #afi2 
based on the dictates      of reason1   
#agj2 source of1 #aga2 the      false1  
#agc4    ,fall1 dogma of the1 #abj1     
#aec4    ,family1 the1 a condition of   
happiness1 #ahg4    ,foreigners1        
hostility toward1 #ajj2      destructive
 of happiness1 #bee4    ,formalism1     
evils of1 #fh4    fornicatio1 meaning   
of1 #hc4    ,free-will1 an illusion1    

#abd4    ,french war of #ahgj1 #aih4    
,galilee1 #da1 #dd1 #dh1 #di1 #agh4     
,galileans1 massacre of1 #ace4          
,germans1 #de1 #bei4    ,ghengis ,khan1 
#cf4    ,god1 service of1 #ba2 appears  
to ,elijah1      #dh2 commandments of1  
#ea2 kingdom of1      #ajh1 #aaa1 #afj2 
how brought1 #bji4    ,gospels1         
exegesis1 #a1 #ee1 #ge4    ,griesbach1  
#age4    ,happiness1 conditions of1     
#ahe-ahi4    hayai leolam1 meaning of1  
#adh4    ,health1 a condition of        
happiness1 #ahi4    ,hebrews1 #agf4     
,hegelianism1 #abb4    ,herod1 #be1     
#adf4    ,high ,priests1 #be1 #ei4      
,householder1 parable of1 #afh4         
hurerei1 meaning of1 #hc4               
,husbandmen1 parable of1 #aci4          
,immortality1 belief in1 #adg1 #aej1    
#aec1 #aee4    ,irenus1 #fb4    ,isaiah1
 #ef1 #fa4    ,james1 #afg4    ,jesus1  
as the charmant docteur1 #da2           
divinity of1 #ae2 the enemies of1 #fj2  
his      use of the ,mosaic law1 #fg2   
commandments      of1 #fi1 #gf1 #hf1    

#aid1 #bdb1 #bdf et seq42      mission  
of1 #ajh2 the ,messiah1 #aaa1 #ade1     
#aeh2 his revelation of the true life1  
#aci2 his doctrine of eternal life1     
#aec2      as a ,saviour1 #aeh2 his     
definition of      belief1 #afd2 of true
 life1 #afg2 his      temptation in the 
wilderness1 #agg2      offers the water 
of truth1 #aif4    ,jesus1 doctrine of1 
its simplicity1 vi41      #f1 #g1 #aa1  
#ab1 #fi1 #aid2 as a metaphysical       
theory and an ethical system1 #bah1     
#bca2      a doctrine of grace and      
truth1 #bdf2      practical results of1 
#ajg2 key to1 #b1      #af1 #ag2        
requirements of1 #bdh2 its      meaning1
 #g1 #dc1 #ej1 #eh1 #ajh1 #agb1 #aic1   
#aii1 #bdj2 its rewards1 #agi1 #bjb2 to 
bring the kingdom of ,god1 #bji2 its    
relation to the ,church1 #bji-bdd2 its  
adaptability to ,christians1 #bda2 to   
the      philosopher1 #bdb2 to the      
average man1      #bdc2 difficulty in   
obeying1 #ad1 #af1 #aab1      #acb1     
#afj1 #agc1 #aid1 #bei2 belief in1 #afj 

et seq42 requirements of1 #bde      et  
seq42 a protest against      ceremonial1
 #bai2 its concealment1 #di1      #fh1  
#ij1 #agc1 #agd2 and military           
regulations1 #ai1 #bb1 #ajd1 #bbc2 its  
universality1 #bda2 delusions with      
regard      to1 #bc1 #aja1 #aad1 #aia et
 seq41      #bjd2 will overcome the     
world1 #bdd2      substance of1 #abd2   
and social customs1      #eh1 #ij1 #ic1 
#acc1 #aid2 where are its      martyrs8 
#aie4    ,jews1 criminal law of1 #bg4   
,john1 #afg4    ,john the ,baptist1 #dc1
 #ed1 #ajh1 #ace1 #ade1      #adf4      
,jonah1 #adf2 story of1 #agf4           
,judaism1 #abd1 #bbj4    ,judgment1     
parable of the last1 #aci1 #aeb4        
,laborer1 worthy of his sustenance1     
#bjj1      #bje2 rewards of1 #bja1 #bjc4
    ,law1 the eternal1 #ec1 #ee4    ,law
 of struggle1 #dg1 #aha1 #aig4          
,lazarus1 #adg4    libertinage1 meaning 
of1 #hc4    ,libertinism1 #hc1 #he4     
,liberty1 law of1 #bi4    ,life1 essence
 of1 #aah1 #ach1 #afe2 the              

personal1 #acd1 #aci1 #agd2 salvation   
of1      #aeb1 #afe2 renunciation of1   
#ada1 #adb2      the eternal1 #adc2 how 
perpetuated1 #aej2      rewards of1     
#afg2 doctrine of1 enforced      by the 
police1 #bcb4    ,loaves and fishes1    
lesson of the1 #bjf4    ,luke1 #cd1 #ed1
 #ee1 #hj4    ,luther1 #cd1 #hd4        
,manu1 laws of1 #hi4    ,mark1 #hj4     
,martyrs1 ,christian1 number of1 #aib4  
,martyrs to the world1 #ahc1 #aic4      
,materialism1 #abb4    ,men1 brotherhood
 of1 #aaj1 #bdf1 #bef2      intercourse 
with1 essential to      happiness1 #ahh2
 nature of1 #aab2 debt to      the past1
 #ada2 mutual dependence1 #bjg2         
temptations against1 #bdf4    ,greek3   
metanoia1 meaning of1 #ace1 #ada4       
,michael1 ,archbishop1 #ic4    ,military
 regulations1 #ai4    ,greek3           
moichasthai1 meaning of1 #hc4           
,monasticism1 contrary to the doctrine  
of      ,jesus1 #agf4    ,monogamy the  
natural law of humanity1 #bej4          
,moscow1 #ahc4    ,mount1 the ,sermon on

 the1 #e1 #f1 #aj1 #aa1      #ag1 #bf1  
#gh1 #gi1 #ajh4    ,mller1 ,max1 #adh4  
,nationality1 renunciation of1 #beg4    
,nature1 the law of1 #df2 communion     
with1      essential to happiness1 #ahe4
    ,neighbor1 meaning of1 #ig et seq4  
,nicodemus1 #fj1 #ajh1 #abe4    ,greek3 
nomos1 meaning of1 #ef4    ,oaths1 the  
commandment against1 #hg      et seq42  
destruction of happiness1      #beb2    
evils of1 #beb4    ,origen1 #ajb4       
,pascal1 #acd4    ,paul1 x41 #cj1 #ef1  
#hj1 #hh1 #aae2 his                     
metaphysico-cabalistic doctrine1 #bai4  
,peace1 the reign of1 #ajh2 how         
violated1      #aji4    ,penalty1 the   
death1 #cf4    ,pentateuch1 #eg1 #adh4  
,persons1 respect of1 #bi4              
,pessimism1 #abb4    ,peter1 #aa1 #ade1 
#afg1 #afh1 #ahj4    ,pharisees1 #ed1   
#ei1 #fj1 #he1 #hh1 #adc1 #agh4         
,philosophers1 and the problem of       
existence1 #bbi4    ,pilate1 #ace1 #age4
    ,greek3 porneia1 meaning of1 #hc et 
seq4    ,poverty1 the blessings of1     

#aii2      indispensable to the follower
 of ,jesus1      #bjj4    prissaiaga1   
meaning of1 #he4    ,prophets1 the      
,hebrew1 #dc1 #eg1 #adc4    qum1 meaning
 of1 #adf4    raca1 meaning of1 #gc1    
#gf4    ,reason1 authority of1 #abd4    
,redemption1 dogma of1 #abj1 #abb1 #aec4
    ,religions1 requirements of1 #bbj4  
,renan1 #ca1 #ic4    ,repentance1 #fj2  
necessity of1 #ace4    ,resurrection1   
not taught by ,jesus1 #adc4             
resusciter1 meaning of1 #adf4    ,reuss1
 #gi4    ,revolution1 the ,french1 #cf4 
,revolutionists1 atheistic1 #ci2        
,christian1      #ci4    ,riches1 the   
struggle for1 #ahd4    ,righteousness1  
progress toward1 #dh4    ,sadducees1    
#fj1 #adc4    ,samaritan1 #ih4          
,sanhedrim1 #be4    ,schopenhauer1 #adh4
    ,science1 hostile to the ,church1   
#bbc4    ,security1 struggle for1 its   
futility1 #aih4    ,seneca1 #hi4        
,sisyphus1 labor of1 #ahd4    ,slave1   
#ci4    ,slavery1 sanctioned by the     
,church1 #bba4    ,slavophile1 #ci4     

,socrates1 #abd1 #abf4    ,soldier1 at  
,borovitzky ,gate1 #ai1 #hh2            
,russian nickname for1 #hh4    ,solomon1
 #acd4    ,son of man1 doctrine         
regarding1 #abe      et seq42 #adb1     
#aej1 #aeb1 #aef1 #bfc4    ,spirit1 the 
,holy1 #fh4    ,spiritism1 #abc4        
,state1 service of1 #ba1 #bb1 #beg2     
independent of the ,church1 #bbc4       
,states1 divisions into1 a barbarism1   
#ajg4    ,stoics1 #abd1 #agc4           
,strauss1 #da1 #ic4    ,suffering1      
useless1 #ahc4    ,sukhareff ,tower1    
#ahc4    ,talents1 parable of the1 #adb4
    ,talmud1 #ag1 #ef1 #adc1 #agc4      
,theologians1 declarations of1 #f4      
,theophylact1 #cc4    ,thief1 on the    
cross1 vii4    ,tiele1 #adh4            
,tischendorf1 #ee1 #ge4    ,tohu1 #ah1  
#ai1 #ba1 #bb1 #db1 #dc4    ,torah1 #ef1
 #fa1 #fh4    ,tribunals1 #bc1 #bd2     
contrary to law of      ,jesus1 #be et  
seq42 sanctioned by      the ,church1   
#bba4    ,trinity1 #ad1 #dj1 #eh1 #aaf1 
#aag1 #abg4    ,truth1 ,christian1 #d4  

,tbingen1 school of1 #cc4    ,turks1    
#bei4    verdammen1 meaning of1 #cd4    
,violence1 renunciation of1 #ch2        
organized1      #de1 #aif2 destructive  
to happiness1 #bec2      temptations to1
 #bed2 futility of1 #bei      et seq4   
,virgins1 parable of1 #aci4             
voskresnovit1 meaning of1 #adf4         
,vulgate1 #cd4    ,war1 organized       
murder1 #aja1 #aib2 justified      by   
the ,church1 #baa1 #bba4    ,wars of our
 century1 victims of1 #aic4    ,work1 an
 inevitable condition of      happiness1
 #ahf1 #bja1 #bje1 #bjg4    ,world1 the 
doctrine of1 illustrated1 #abi2         
sufferings for1 #aha1 #ahe-aib2 its     
commands1 #aia2 its necessities1 #ahd   
et seq42 justification of1 #ahh2        
its relation to the ,church1 #bba       
et seq4    ,worldly advantage1 #aa4     
zanah1 meaning of1 #hc4