2023-04-20

Ninth Section — Preamble on Apologists

Critique of the Gospel History of the Synoptics
by Bruno Bauer

Volume 2

—o0o—

304

Ninth Section.

The parable lecture.

Matth. 13, 1-52.

If two opposing parties have reached the point where they both appear equally ridiculous, limited, and their disputes seem meaningless, and if taking a higher standpoint would make one appear ridiculous if they were to fight against both, and specifically against both as they oppose each other, then one can be certain that their hour has come. They can still turn their particular determinations of their narrow-mindedness against each other and fight, they can direct the general determination of their narrow-mindedness against the higher standpoint, and even prove their essential and heartfelt agreement through their actions. However, their cause is finished, and it remains that whoever seriously wanted to fight them as opposing parties would make themselves ridiculous.

Reason! Neither of them knew you, neither of them found you! Both were servants, both exercised the servant’s baseness against the master whom they had to serve, and like servants they fought against each other again. The supranaturalist martyred the Scripture by wanting to impose upon it the generally human and rationalistic reflections which time had thrown into his head; the rationalist betrayed reason, which, however, was to him at bottom.

305

In this section, we will again have the opportunity to notice how the servile attitude of both parties also betrays itself in the area where the form of the letter is concerned. They are both apologetic: they want to see reason – connection, mediation – signs of reason, where it cannot be discovered at all.

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