NAPOLEON I. ON THE PERSON OF CHRIST.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 2502, 6 September 1890, Page 6

NAPOLEON I. ON THE PERSON OF CHRIST.

A CRITICAL EXAMINATION; OF HIS ALLEGED UrrEUANCES. Dr. Alexander Mair publishes, in the Expositor, a critical study of the authenticity of the declarations imputed to Napoleon when at St. Helena on the subject of the Christian religiou. Dr. Mair thinks they are genuine, and believes that ho has cleaved up the difficulty about the differences between the French and English versions of the conversation. Ho publishes a new translation, from which, as it will be new to most of my readers, I make the following extracts: “One evening at St. Helena,” says M. Beauterno, “ the conversation was animatedThe subject treated of was an exalted one. It was the .divinity of Jesus Christ. Napoleon defended the truth of this doctrine with the arguments aud eloquence of a man of genius, with something also of tho native faith of the Corsican and the Italian. To tho objections of one of tire interlocutors, who seemed to seo in the Saviour but a sage, an illustrious philosopher, a great man, the Emperor replied: “ 4 I know men, and I tell you that Jesus Christ is not a man.

4 4 4 Superficial minds may see some resemblance between Christ and the founder of empires, the conquerors, and the gods of other religions. That resemblance does not exist

“T see in Lyenrgus, Xuma, Confucius, and Mahomet merely legislators : but nothing which reveals tho Deity. On the contrary, I see numerous relations between them and myself. I make out resemblances, weal-messes, and common errors which assimilate them to myself and humanity. Their faculties are those which I possess. But it Ls different with Christ. Everything about Him astonishes me; His spirit surprises me, and His will confounds me. Between Him and anything of this world there is no possible term of comparison. Ho is really a being apart. 44 4 The nearer I approach Him and the more closely I examine Him, the more everything seems above me ; everything continues great with a greatness that crushes me. “ 4 His religion is a secret belonging to Himself alone, and proceeds from an intelligence which assuredly is not the intelligence of man. There is in Him a profound originality which creates a series of sayings and maxims hitherto unknown.

“‘Christ expects everything from His death. Is that the invention of a man ? On the contrary, it is a strange coarse »t l>recedure, a superhuman confidence, an inexplicable reality. In every other existence than that of Christ, what imperfections, what changes! I defy you to eite any existence, other than that of Christ, exempt from the least vacillation, free from all such blemishes and changes. From the first day to the last Ho is the same, always the same, majestic and simple, infinitely severe, and infinitely gentle. “ 4 How the horizon of Ilis empire extends, and prolongs itself into infinitude ! Christ reigns beyond life and beyond death. The pa*t and tho future are iilike to Him : the kingdom of tho truth has, ond in effect can have, no other limit than tho false. Jesus has taken possession of the human race ; He has made of it a single nationality, the nationality of upright men, whom He calls to a perfect life.

“ 4 Tho existence of Christ from beginning to end is a tissue entirely mysterious, I admit; but that mystery meets difficulties which are in all existences. Reject it, the world is an enigma; accept it, and we have au admirable solution of the history of man

444 Christ speaks, and henceforth generations belong to Him by bonds more close more intimate than those of blood, by a union more sacred, more imperious than any other union beside. Ho kindles the flame of love which kills out the love of self, and prevails over every other love. Without contradiction the greatest miracle of Christ is tho reign of love. All who believe sincerely in Him feel this love, wonderful, supernatural, supreme It is a phenomenon inexplicable, impossible to reason and the power of man; a sacred fire given to the earth by this new Prometheus, of which time, the great destroyer, can neither exhaust tho force nor terminate the duration. This is what I wonder at moat of all, for I often think about it ; and it is that which absolutely proves to mo the divinity of Christ.’ /

lt Here tho voice of the Emperor assumed a peculiar accont of ironical melancholy and of profound sadness. 4 Yes, our existence has shone with all the splendour of the crown and sovereignty; and yours, Monthlon, Bertrand, reflected that splendour, as tho dome of the Tnvalides, gilded by us, reflects the rays of the sun. But reverses have come, the gold is effaced little by little. The rain of misfortunes and outrages with which we are deluged everyday carriesaway the last particles. We are only lead, gentlemen, and soon we shall be but dust. Such is the destiny of great men ; such is tho near destiny of the great Napoleon. 44 4 What au abyss between my profound misery and the eternal reign of Christ, proclaimed, worshipped, beloved, adored, living throughout the whole universe ! Ls that to die ? Is it not rather to live ?’ *’