Publisher's Synopsis
Excerpt from The Crucifixion Mystery: A Review of the Great Charge Against the Jews
What Rationalism says is this We should honour our progenitors; we are greatly indebted to those who preceded us they did much for improving the world before we had any existence. Great respect should be shown for the sages and prophets of Old who endeavoured to teach men their duty; some of their noble acts may be imitated now with advantage, and some of their wise sayings are good for all time but it is an entire mistake to regard them as the best exemplars of conduct on which we can frame our own lives. As they moved forward in their day and occupied fresh ground, we must advance in ours and take up another decidedly reformative position. If we are always looking backward and paying idola trous homage to those who lived long ago in circum stances very different from our own, as though virtue attained in them its highest perfection, it is a hindrance to human progress. Instead of gazing so long and intently on the commemorative statue, we must give more attention to the good man in the street. A higher general standard of morality would be much sooner reached, if people could only be per suaded to set before them living exemplars, and study in human conduct, as they study in everything else, the latest improvements.
Those who fail in the common duties and obliga tions of life should be reasoned with, and got into right ways if possible, but Rationalism does hot rely wholly on reasoning for the attainment of this object, it adopts any method of checking and cor reeting erratic tendencies that is found to be effec tive. The tamer of beasts does not reason with his animals at all, neither does the charmer of serpents it would be utterly useless to do so; he still treats them rationally, however, and contrives to exercise such a controlling in?uence as shall keep them from doing serious mischief. There are human beings with such strong animal passions and weak re?ective powers that no amount of good counsel will make any perceptible impression on them, or bring them to a sound, rational condition of mind. Music will often have a more salutary effect in soothing or mastering passionate and emotional characters than the most powerful appeals to the intelligence. Other incitements to a reformation of evil habits may be brought to bear on them with great advantage. Those who cannot be reasoned out of their illusions and induced to live wisely, may generally be re strained to some extent, and kept in a safe course, by good counter-illusions, such as have been fur hished by religion.
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