New Christianity/Translator's Preface
Translator's Preface.
The object of the following treatise is to show that Christianity is progressive; not fully developed at first, but brought to maturity by the action of the human mind, like the seed of the plant by the productive power of the earth. Christ says, "the kingdom of God is as if a man should cast seed into the ground, and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up he knoweth not how; for the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear."
The seed of Christianity is the doctrine of "Social Love:" the fruit is the establishment of the "Social System."
The original and unique principle, "Love thy neighbour as thyself," was divulged personally by Christ, but could not be reduced to practice till men had elaborated the arts and sciences, and so systematized them all that they could act conjointly, instead of individually; for men can never love one another till their interests are all one, and individual competition has ceased. Hence an anti-Christian, or anti-Social, reign must come before the true reign of the Social System, which is "the Christ." In the first stage of Christianity, we only teach love; in the second, we practise it. These two are one—the seed and the fruit; for the one cannot be developed without the other.
In this anti-Christian, or anti-Social reign, the physical or brute power rules over the moral; for men are rivals in trade, rivals in interest, rivals in affection, and nothing but brute power can subdue them. In the Christian or Social System, the moral power gains the ascendancy; for men, being no longer rivals in trade, rivals in interest, rivals in affection, require no longer the military power to rule them. It is in this second stage that the fruit of Christianity is revealed, and men "love one another."
This doctrine of the double system of society is beautifully taught in the history, or allegory, (it matters not which) of "the fall of man." The tree of knowledge, of good and evil, was placed in the midst of the garden. The serpent, the emblem of wisdom, said, "If ye eat thereof, ye shall become as gods." They did eat: the evil came first—for this is the order of progressive nature—and good is in reserve. The lawgiver himself confirmed the truth of the serpent's words.
The doctrine of "the Fall," is a doctrine of natural philosophy. Common sense will teach every man that, in order to obtain a knowledge of nature, and thus to perfect the education of mankind, man must go through the furnace of evil; physical, intellectual, and moral evil. Physical evil is pain, sickness, deformity, &c. Intellectual evil is ignorance and its consequences; and moral evil is the union of both, the unsocial system of individualism and competition.
The two great stages of progress naturally subdivide themselves into two great divisions of nature—the physical and the intellectual, the material and the spiritual. These two departments correspond to the law and the gospel. The law had a material object, with a purely spiritual Deity. The first Christianity has a spiritual object, with a material Deity. These two churches are the two extremes of nature, set in direct opposition to each other. The Social System is the union of these two in one, and is the third stage of revelation, but the second stage of Christianity, and also the second stage of the law, which it embraces. Hence Jesus Christ says, "The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of wheat until the whole was leavened." This is the trinity revealed in the progress of the church.
These three are one, the physical, intellectual, and moral departments of nature, which are inseparable, and yet distinct in their character. Under the law, all was pomp, outward symbols, promises, of long life and prosperity, to obedience; and glory consisted in enslaving other nations and aggrandizing themselves. There was no scientific development of mind in this first stage. In the gospel, or second stage of the triad, the intellect comes into operation; but as the moral department is not yet revealed the labours of intellect are the fruitful source of spiritual division; and these, reacting upon the physical, create political strife and dreadful confusion. In the third stage morality appears, and finishes the threefold progress by a social union of the properties of nature; and the consequence is harmony and fraternal love: men unite their interests together, and national and individual competition is at an end.
The first, or physical, is brute force, a male department, as it corresponds to the character of the male. The second, or intellectual, is also male, as it is active, laborious, and contentious. The third, or moral, is female, inasmuch as refinement or polish is the distinguishing character of woman. Hence the doctrine of the "free woman," to introduce the third dispensation. As, however, her office is not either physical or intellectual warfare, but merely moral discipline, she can only act under the protection of the male, whose office it is to break down both the old physical and the old spiritual dynasty. Woman alone can establish the new. Man is her pioneer. Thus the Scriptures speak of the appearance of the bride in the last days. The woman is last formed, for she is man refined and moralized.
These are only a few general outlines of the science of "Progress." As a whole, the science is sublime and thoroughly demonstrative; but, as it is new, I must be very sparing in the distribution of this spiritual and intellectual food.
In respect to the Translation, I shall only say, that I undertook it because I could find no one else to perform the task. I have given the Author's meaning, which is the principal thing; although simplicity and ease of diction are also essential, and these belong in an especial manner to St. Simon's style.
I put the manuscript into the hands of Dr. Prati, the St. Simonian missionary, before I sent it to the press; and publish the following letter, which I received in return. But neither the Preface nor Notes were submitted to Dr. Prati, nor to any one else. Although I admire much of the St. Simonian doctrine, I certainly would not condescend to call myself by any individual name. No single individual can enlighten the world, or regenerate society; for an individual has only an individual's experience; but for the world we want the experience of a world, and the experience of ages. We must suck honey from every flower, and collect the scattered fragments of truth together. We could all teach each other, if we could merely be reconciled to the idea of "being taught."
J. E. S.
London, Feb. 8, 1834.