A very pretty storm has been raised (and settled) by the _Independent
and Nonconformist_. It raged around the Apostle Paul and Mr. Herbert
Spencer, who both come out of it apparently not a penny the worse. Mr.
Spencer has a chapter on Veracity in his recently published _Principles
of Ethics_, wherein he cites Paul as a violator of this virtue, and
remarks that "apparently piquing himself on his craft and guile," he
"elsewhere defends his acts by contending that 'the truth of God hath
more abounded through my lie unto his glory.'" This roused the ire of
the _Independent_, and Mr. Spencer was informed that his extraordinary
aspersion on the Apostle's character was wholly without justification.
Whereupon the great Evolutionist replied that two days before receiving
the _Independent_ he had "sent to the printer the copy of a cancel to be
substituted for the page in which there occurs the error you point out."
Mr. Spencer goes on to say that he had trusted to assistants, and been
misled on this particular point as on a few others.
"The inductions contained in the _Principles of Sociology_ and in Part
II. of the _Principles of Ethics_ are based mainly, though not wholly,
upon the classified materials contained in _The Descriptive Sociology_,
compiled between 1867 and 1881 by three University men I engaged for
the purpose. When using this compilation of facts concerning sixty-eight
different societies I have habitually trusted to the compilers. For
even had I been in good health, it would have been impossible for me to
verify all their extracts from multitudinous books. In some cases, where
the work was at hand, I have referred for verification; and have usually
done so in the case of extracts from the Bible; now and then, as I
remember, rejecting the extracts given to me as being not justified
by the context. But in the case in point it seems that I had not been
sufficiently careful. It is only after reading the preceding chapter
that it becomes clear that the passage I quoted must be taken as part of
an argument with an imaginary interlocutor, rather than as expressive
of St. Paul's own sentiment. It must, I think, be admitted that the
presentation of the thought is a good deal complicated, and, in the
absence of the light thrown upon it by the preceding chapter, is liable
to be misunderstood. I regret that I misunderstood it."
This explanation and apology are, of course, most satisfactory. Saint
Paul is cleared by Mr. Spencer's certificate, and the _Independent_
remarks that this is "a noble codicil to Mr. Spencer's chapter on
Veracity." Nay, it professes high "admiration" for him as the "greatest
living philosopher of the English-speaking race." Thus the "Comedy of
Errors" is followed by "All's Well that Ends Well," and the curtain
falls on compliments and embraces.
It really seems a shame to disturb this pleasant harmony, but we feel
compelled to say something to the _Independent_ and to Mr. Herbert
Spencer about the Apostle Paul.
In the first place we must observe that Mr. Spencer's "erroneous"
statement about the great apostle, while it may be an _aspersion_,
is certainly not _extraordinary_. It has repeatedly been made by the
apostle's adverse critics, and even by some of his admirers. Without
citing a long list of them, we will give two--both English, and both
judicial. Jeremy Bentham, the great reformer of our jurisprudence, wrote
a work entitled _Not Paul, but Jesus_, in which he contends through four
hundred pages that Paul was mercenary, ambitious, and an unscrupulous
liar. To cull a single passage from Bentham's book is like picking one
raisin from a rich plum-pudding. Every sentence is an indictment. And
surely after Bentham's trenchant performance it is idle for an English
journal to pretend that there is anything "extraordinary" in Mr.
Spencer's "erroneous" accusation. The other judicial writer, also
belonging to the English race, is Sir Richard David Hanson, who was for
some time Chief Justice of South Australia. In his able work on _The
Apostle Paul_ there is an admirable summing-up of the hero's character.
After admitting Paul's ability, persistence, courage, and other virtues,
he remarks--"But these are accompanied by what in an uninspired
man would be called pride, jealousy, disdain, invective, sophistry,
time-serving and intolerance." This is pretty strong; and "sophistry"
and "time-serving" are only euphemisms for lying in preaching and
practice.
So much for the Independent, and now for Mr. Spencer. It must be
observed that one part of his "erroneous" statement _cannot_ be
repudiated. The apostle distinctly says, "being crafty, I caught you
with guile" (2 Uor. xii. 16), so that "piquing himself on his craft and
guile" must stand while this text remains in the Epistle. Mr. Spencer
allows that, in the third of Romans, the "presentation of the thought is
a good deal complicated," and "liable to be misunderstood"; but, if read
in the light of the preceding chapter, the passage about lying to the
glory of God "must be taken as part of an argument with an imaginary
interlocutor." Perhaps so; but _which_ is speaking in the seventh verse?
Paul or his opponent? Mr. Spencer does not say. Yet this is the real
point. To us it seems that _Paul_ is speaking. Of course it may be
urged that he is speaking ironically. But this is not Mr. Spencer's
contention. It is not clear what he _does_ mean; in fact, he seems to
have caught a little of Paul's confusion.
We have no objection to reading the seventh verse of the third of Romans
in the light of the preceding chapter. But should it not also be read in
the light of Christian history? Have honest openness and strict veracity
been _ever_ regarded as essential virtues in the propagation of
the gospel? And why is it likely that Paul, of all men, escaped the
contagion of fraud, which has always disgraced the Christian Church? The
ordinary Protestant imagines, or pretends, that the Catholic Church has
been the great impostor; but this is nonsense to the student of early
Christianity. Mosheim remarks that the "pernicious maxim" that "those
who make it their business to deceive with a view of promoting the cause
of truth were deserving rather of commendation than of censure," was
"_very early_ recognised by the Christians." Bishop Ellicott similarly
observes that "history forces upon us the recognition of pious fraud as
a principle which was by no means inoperative in the _earliest ages_
of Christianity." Middleton likewise reflects that the bold defiance of
honesty and truth displayed by the Fathers of the fourth century "could
not have been acquired, or become general at once, but must have been
carried gradually to that height, by custom and the example of former
times, and a long experience of what the credulity and superstition or
the multitude would bear." So far, indeed, were the "earlier ages" from
being remarkable for integrity, that Middleton says there never was "any
period of time" in which fraud and forgery more abounded. The learned
Casaubon also complains that it was in "the _earliest times_ of the
Church" that it was "considered a capital exploit to lend to heavenly
truth the help of invention, in order that the new doctrine might be
more readily allowed by the wise among the Gentiles." Mosheim even finds
that the period of fraud began "not long after Christ's ascension." And
it continued, without a blush of shame on Christian cheeks; not growing
worse, for that was impossible; until Eusebius, in the fourth century,
remarked as a matter of course that he had written what redounded to the
glory, and suppressed whatever tended to the disgrace of religion.
Now if fraud was practised as a pious principle in the very earliest
ages of Christianity; if it continued for as many centuries as it could
pass with impunity; if it was so systematic and prolonged, and carried
to such a height, that Herder declared "Christian veracity" fit to rank
with "Punic Faith"; what right has anyone--even a Christian editor--to
place Paul above suspicion, or to find a "monstrous" blunder in his
being accused of lying, especially when the historic practice of his
co-religionists seems to many persons to be more than half countenanced
by his own language?
We are not concerned to _press_ the charge of lying against St. Paul.
There have been so many liars in the Christian Church that one more or
less makes very little difference. On the other hand, we cannot accept
Mr. Spencer's certificate without reservation. He admits that Paul's
language is obscure; and perhaps a little obscurity is to be expected
when a man is replying to an accusation which he is not wholly able to
rebut.