按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
lf thenceforth The Bab； i。e。 the Gate （〃I am the Way〃）； and gradually there gathered round him disciples； drawn by the fascination of his personality and the devotion of his character。 But with the rapid increase of his following great jealousy and hatred were excited among the Mullahs； the upholders of a fanatical and narrow… minded Mahommedanism and quite corresponding to the Scribes and Pharisees of the New Testament。 By them he was denounced to the Turkish Government。 He was arrested on a charge of causing political disturbance； and was condemned to death。 Among his disciples was one favorite；＇1＇ who was absolutely devoted to his Master and refused to leave him at the last。 So together they were suspended over the city wall （at Tabriz） and simultaneously shot。 This was on the 8th July； 1850。
＇1＇ Mirza Muhammad Ali； and one should note the similarity of the two names。
In November 1850or between that date and October 1851； a book appeared； written by one of the Bb's earliest and most enthusiastic disciplesa merchant of Kashan and giving in quite simple and unpretending form a record of the above events。 There is in it no account of miracles or of great pretensions to godhood and the like。 It is just a plain history of the life and death of a beloved teacher。 It was cordially received and circulated far and wide； and we have no reason for doubting its essential veracity。 And even if proved now to be inaccurate in one or two details； this would not invalidate the moral of the rest of the storywhich is as follows：
After the death of the Bab a great persecution took place （in 1852）； there were many Babi martyrs； and for some years the general followers were scattered。 But in time they gathered themselves together again； successors to the original prophet were appointedthough not without dissensionsand a Babi church； chiefly at Acca or Acre in Syria； began to be formed。 It was during this period that a great number of legends grew uplegends of miraculous babyhood and boyhood； legends of miracles performed by the mature Bab； and so forth； and when the newly… forming Church came to look into the matter it concluded （quite naturally！） that such a simple history as I have outlined above would never do for the foundation of its plans； now grown somewhat ambitious。 So a new Gospel was framed； called the Tarikh…i…Jadid （〃The new History〃 or 〃The new Way〃）； embodying and including a lot of legendary matter； and issued with the authority of 〃the Church。〃 This was in 1881…2； and comparing this with the original record （called The point of Kaf） we get a luminous view of the growth of fable in those thirty brief years which had elapsed since the Bab's death。 Meanwhile it became very necessary of course to withdraw from circulation as far as possible all copies of the original record； lest they should give the lie to the later 'Gospel'； and this apparently was done very effectivelyso effectively indeed that Professor Edward Browne （to whom the world owes so much on account of his labors in connection with Babism）； after arduous search； came at one time to the conclusion that the original was no longer extant。 Most fortunately； however； the well…known Comte de Gobineau had in the course of his studies on Eastern Religions acquired a copy of The point of Kaf； and this； after his death； was found among his literary treasures and identified （as was most fitting） by Professor Browne himself。
Such in brief is the history of the early Babi Church＇1＇ a Church which has grown up and expanded greatly within the memory of many yet living。 Much might be written about it； but the chief point at present is for us to note the well…verified and interesting example it gives of the rapid growth in Syria of a religious legend and the reasons which contributed to this growthand to be warned how much more rapidly similar legends probably grew up in the same land in the middle of the First Century； A。D。 The story of the Bab is also interesting to us because； while this mass of legend was formed around it； there is no possible doubt about the actual existence of a historical nucleus in the person of Mirza Ali Muhammad。
＇1＇ For literature； see Edward G。 Browne's Traveller's Narrative on the Episode of the Bab （1891）； and his New History of the Bab translated from the Persian of the Tarikh…i…Jadid （Cambridge； 1893）。 Also Sermons and Essays by Herbert Rix （Williams and Norgate； 1907）； pp。 295…325； 〃The Persian Bab。〃
On the whole； one is sometimes inclined to doubt whether any great movement ever makes itself felt in the world； without dating first from some powerful personality or group of personalities； ROUND which the idealizing and myth… making genius of mankind tends to crystallize。 But one must not even here be too certain。 Something of the Apostle Paul we know； and something of 'John' the Evangelist and writer of the Epistle I John； and that the 'Christian' doctrines dated largely from the preaching and teaching of these two we cannot doubt； but Paul never saw Jesus （except 〃in the Spirit〃）； nor does he ever mention the man personally； or any incident of his actual life （the 〃crucified Christ〃 being always an ideal figure）； and 'John' who wrote the Gospel was certainly not the same as the disciple who 〃lay in Jesus' bosom〃though an intercalated verse； the last but one in the Gospel； asserts the identity。＇1＇
＇1＇ It is obvious； in fact； that the WHOLE of the last chapter of St。 John is a later insertion； and again that the two last verses of that chapter are later than the chapter itself！
There may have been a historic Jesusand if so； to get a reliable outline of his life would indeed be a treasure； but at present it would seem there is no sign of that。 If the historicity of Jesus； in any degree； could be proved； it would give us reason for supposingwhat I have personally always been inclined to believethat there was also a historical nucleus for such personages as Osiris； Mithra； Krishna； Hercules； Apollo and the rest。 The question； in fact； narrows itself down to this； Have there been in the course of human evolution certain； so to speak； NODAL points or periods at which the psychologic currents ran together and condensed themselves for a new start； and has each such node or point of condensation been marked by the appearance of an actual and heroic man （or woman） who supplied a necessary impetus for the new departure； and gave his name to the resulting movement？ OR is it sufficient to suppose the automatic formation of such nodes or starting…points without the intervention of any special hero or genius； and to imagine that in each case the myth… making tendency of mankind CREATED a legendary and inspiring figure and worshiped the same for a long period afterwards as a god？
As I have said before； this is a question which； interesting as it is； is not really very important。 The main thing being that the prophetic and creative spirit of mankind HAS from time to time evolved those figures as idealizations of its 〃heart's desire〃 and placed a halo round their heads。 The long procession of them becomes a REAL piece of History the history of the evolution of the human heart； and of human consciousness。 But with the psychology of the whole subject I shall deal in the next chapter。
I may here； however； dwell for a moment on two other points which belong properly to this chapter。 I have already mentioned the great reliance placed by the advocates of a unique 'revelation' on the high morality taught in the Gospels and the New Testament generally。 There is no need of course to challenge that morality or to depreciate it unduly； but the argument assumes that it is so greatly superior to anything of the kind that had been taught before that we are compelled to suppose something like a revelation to explain its appearancewhereas of course anyone familiar with the writings of antiquity； among the Greeks or Romans or Egyptians or Hindus or later Jews； knows perfectly well that the reported sayings of Jesus and the Apostles may be paralleled abundantly from these sources。 I have illustrated this already from the Sermon on the Mount。 If anyone will glance at the Testament of the Twelve Patriarchsa Jewish book composed about 120 B。 C。he will see that it is full of moral precepts； and especially precepts of love and forgiveness； so ardent and so noble that it hardly suffers in any way when compared with the New Testament teaching； and that consequently no special miracle is required to explain the appearance of the latter。
The twelve Patriarchs in question are the twelve sons of Jacob； and the book consists of their supposed deathbed scenes； in which each patriarch in turn recites his own （more or less imaginary） life and deeds and gives pious counsel to his children and successors。 It is composed in a fine and poetic style； and is full of lofty thought； remindful in scores of passages of the Gospelswords and all the coincidences being too striking to be accidental。 It evidently had a deep influence on the authors of the Gospels； as well as on St。 Paul。 It affirms a belief in the coming of a Messiah； and in salvation for the Gentiles。 The following are some quotations from it：＇1＇ Testament of Zebulun （p。 116）： 〃My children； I bid you keep the comman