Introduction to Robert Browning [147]
God? Well, was truth safe forever, then? Not so. Already had begun the silent work Whereby truth, deadened of its absolute blaze, [320] Might need love's eye to pierce the o'erstretched doubt. Teachers were busy, whispering `All is true As the aged ones report; but youth can reach Where age gropes dimly, weak with stir and strain, And the full doctrine slumbers till to-day.' [325] Thus, what the Roman's lowered spear was found, A bar to me who touched and handled truth, Now proved the glozing of some new shrewd tongue, This Ebion, this Cerinthus or their mates, Till imminent was the outcry `Save our Christ!' [330] Whereon I stated much of the Lord's life Forgotten or misdelivered, and let it work. Such work done, as it will be, what comes next? What do I hear say, or conceive men say, `Was John at all, and did he say he saw? [335] Assure us, ere we ask what he might see!'
-- 284. the myth of Aeschylus: embodied in his `Prometheus Bound'.
295. the proofs shift: see pp. 37 and 38. {In etext, shortly before two excerpts from `A Death in the Desert', Chapter II, Section 1 of Introduction.} Objective proofs, in spiritual matters, need reconstruction, again and again; and whatever may be their character, they are inadequate, and must finally, in the Christian life, be superseded by subjective proofs -- by man's winning his way to the kingdom of eternal truth within himself -- the kingdom of the "what Is".
307-310. See Matt. 26:56; Mark 14:50; John 18:3.
326-328. what the Roman's lowered spear was found [to be, namely], a bar, [etc.,] now proved [to be, etc.].
329. This Ebion, this Cerinthus: see `Gibbon's History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire', Chaps. 15, 21, 47. And see, especially, the able articles, "Cerinthus" and "Ebionism and Ebionites", in the `Dictionary of Christian Biography', etc., edited by Dr. William Smith and Professor Wace. "`Ebion' as a name first personified by Tertullian, was said to have been a pupil of Cerinthus, and the Gospel of St. John to have been as much directed against the former as the latter. St. Paul and St. Luke were asserted to have spoken and written against Ebionites. The `Apostolical Constitutions' (vi. c. 6) traced them back to Apostolic times; Theodoret (Haer. fab. II. c. 2) assigned them to the reign of Domitian (A.D. 81-96). The existence of an `Ebion' is, however, now surrendered." From Art. Ebionism in `Dict. of Christian Biography'.
And see Prof. George P. Fisher's `Beginnings of Christianity', 1877.
"Cerinthus, a man who was educated in the wisdom of the Egyptians, taught that the world was not made by the primary God, but by a certain power far separated from him, and at a distance from that Principality who is supreme over the universe, and ignorant of him who is above all. He represented Jesus as having not been born of a virgin, but as being the son of Joseph and Mary according to the ordinary course of human generation, while he nevertheless was more righteous, prudent, and wise than other men. Moreover, after his baptism, Christ descended upon him in the form of a dove from the Supreme Ruler, and that then he proclaimed the unknown Father, and performed miracles. But at last Christ departed from Jesus, and that then Jesus suffered and rose again, while Christ remained impassible, inasmuch as he was a spiritual being." `The Writings of Irenaeus, transl. by Rev. Alexander Roberts, D.D., and Rev. W. H. Rambaut, A.B.', Edinburgh, 1868. Vol. I., Book I., Chap xxvi. --
"Is this indeed a burthen for late days, And may I help to bear it with you all, Using my weakness which becomes your strength? For if a babe were born inside this grot, [340] Grew to a boy here, heard us praise the sun, Yet had but yon sole glimmer in light's place, -- One loving him and wishful he should learn, Would much rejoice himself was blinded first Month by month here, so made to understand [345] How eyes, born darkling, apprehend amiss: I think I could explain to such a child There was more glow outside
-- 284. the myth of Aeschylus: embodied in his `Prometheus Bound'.
295. the proofs shift: see pp. 37 and 38. {In etext, shortly before two excerpts from `A Death in the Desert', Chapter II, Section 1 of Introduction.} Objective proofs, in spiritual matters, need reconstruction, again and again; and whatever may be their character, they are inadequate, and must finally, in the Christian life, be superseded by subjective proofs -- by man's winning his way to the kingdom of eternal truth within himself -- the kingdom of the "what Is".
307-310. See Matt. 26:56; Mark 14:50; John 18:3.
326-328. what the Roman's lowered spear was found [to be, namely], a bar, [etc.,] now proved [to be, etc.].
329. This Ebion, this Cerinthus: see `Gibbon's History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire', Chaps. 15, 21, 47. And see, especially, the able articles, "Cerinthus" and "Ebionism and Ebionites", in the `Dictionary of Christian Biography', etc., edited by Dr. William Smith and Professor Wace. "`Ebion' as a name first personified by Tertullian, was said to have been a pupil of Cerinthus, and the Gospel of St. John to have been as much directed against the former as the latter. St. Paul and St. Luke were asserted to have spoken and written against Ebionites. The `Apostolical Constitutions' (vi. c. 6) traced them back to Apostolic times; Theodoret (Haer. fab. II. c. 2) assigned them to the reign of Domitian (A.D. 81-96). The existence of an `Ebion' is, however, now surrendered." From Art. Ebionism in `Dict. of Christian Biography'.
And see Prof. George P. Fisher's `Beginnings of Christianity', 1877.
"Cerinthus, a man who was educated in the wisdom of the Egyptians, taught that the world was not made by the primary God, but by a certain power far separated from him, and at a distance from that Principality who is supreme over the universe, and ignorant of him who is above all. He represented Jesus as having not been born of a virgin, but as being the son of Joseph and Mary according to the ordinary course of human generation, while he nevertheless was more righteous, prudent, and wise than other men. Moreover, after his baptism, Christ descended upon him in the form of a dove from the Supreme Ruler, and that then he proclaimed the unknown Father, and performed miracles. But at last Christ departed from Jesus, and that then Jesus suffered and rose again, while Christ remained impassible, inasmuch as he was a spiritual being." `The Writings of Irenaeus, transl. by Rev. Alexander Roberts, D.D., and Rev. W. H. Rambaut, A.B.', Edinburgh, 1868. Vol. I., Book I., Chap xxvi. --
"Is this indeed a burthen for late days, And may I help to bear it with you all, Using my weakness which becomes your strength? For if a babe were born inside this grot, [340] Grew to a boy here, heard us praise the sun, Yet had but yon sole glimmer in light's place, -- One loving him and wishful he should learn, Would much rejoice himself was blinded first Month by month here, so made to understand [345] How eyes, born darkling, apprehend amiss: I think I could explain to such a child There was more glow outside