LETTER TO MR. ROBERT TAYLOR 



243 



contrast between the subsequent history of the two ; I asked 

 myself how, given the points of similarity, to account for the 

 contrast; is it due to the Divine within the one, or the human 

 surroundings ? This question I put to Professor Huxley, with 

 many apologies for intruding on his leisure, and a special re- 

 quest that he would not suffer himself to be further troubled 

 by any reply. 



To Mr. Robert Taylor 



4 Marlborough Place, N.W.,June 3, 1889. 



Sir — In looking through a mass of papers, before I leave 

 England for some months among the mountains in search of 

 health, I have come upon your letter of 7th March. As a rule I 

 find that out of the innumerable letters addressed to me, the only 

 ones I wish to answer are those the writers of which are con- 

 siderate enough to ask that they may receive no reply, and yours 

 is no exception. 



The question you put is very much to the purpose: a proper 

 and full answer would take up many pages; but it will suffice 

 to furnish the heads to be filled up by your own knowledge. 



1. The Church founded by Jesus has not made its way; has 

 not permeated the world — but did become extinct in the country 

 of its birth — as Nazarenism and Ebionism. 



2. The Church that did make its way and coalesced with the 

 State in the 4th century had no more to do with the Church 

 founded by Jesus than Ultramontanism has with Quakerism. 

 It is Alexandrian Judaism and Neoplatonistic mystagogy, and 

 as much of the old idolatry and demonology as could be got in 

 under new or old names. 



3. Paul has said that the Law was schoolmaster to Christ 

 with more truth than he knew. Throughout the Empire the 

 synagogues had their cloud of Gentile hangers-on — those who 

 " feared God " — and who were fully prepared to accept a 

 Christianity, which was merely an expurgated Judaism and the 

 belief in Jesus as the Messiah. 



4. The Christian " Sodalitia " were not merely religious 

 bodies, but friendly societies, burial societies, and guilds. They 

 hung together for all purposes — the mob hated them as it now 

 hates the Jews in Eastern Europe, because they were more 

 frugal, more industrious, and lived better lives than their neigh- 

 bours, while they stuck together like Scotchmen. 



If these things are so — and I appeal to your knowledge of 



