This translation is one of a series from Count Tolstoy's religious and philosophic writings, undertaken with his consent and approval.
Made and revised directly from the Russian manuscript containing the' Author's latest revisions and alterations, it somewhat differs in form, not only from the German and French translations, but from the Russian edition. Great care has been taken, by several persons whose labors are here gratefully acknowledged, to ensure the correspondence of the translation with the Author's meaning and purpose.
That work consists of four parts, namely :-
1. An account of that course of my personal life, and of my thoughts, which led me to the conviction that in the Christian teaching lays the truth. 2. An investigation of the Christian teaching-s- first, according to the interpretation of the Greek Church solely; then, according to the interpretation of the Churches generally, and the interpretation of the apostles, councils, and so-called fathers." Also, an exposition of the falsity in these interpretations, An investigation of the Christian teaching, based, not upon the above interpretations, but solely upon the words and deeds ascribed to Christ by the four Gospels.
An exposition of the real meaning of the Christian teaching, of the motives for it’s per- versions, and of the consequences to which it should lead.
From the third of these parts this present volume is condensed. I have there effected the fusion of the four Gospels into one, according to the real sense of the teaching. I had no need to digress from the order in which each Gospel is written, so that in my harmonization the transposition of verses, rather than being more. is less numerous than in the greater part of those known to mean din our Grechoulevitch's version of the :four Gospels. In my treatment of the Gospel of John there is no transposition, but all stands in the same order as in the original.
My division of the Gospel into twelve chapters (or six, since each pair of the twelve may be taken as one) came about spontaneously from the nature of the teaching. The following is the purport of the chapters:-
1. Man is the son of the Infinite Source of Being; he is the son of this Father, not by the flesh but by the spirit.
2. And therefore, man must serve the Source of his being, in the spirit.
3. The life of all men has a divine Origin. This Origin only is sacred.
4. And therefore, man must serve this Source of all human life. This is the will of the Father.
5. Service of the Will of the Father of Life is life- giving.
6. And therefore, it is not necessary to life that each man should satisfy his own will.
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