This is what Tolstoy means. This is the key to understanding how his book, the kingdom of God is within you, a new philosophy, a new theory of life is just that. This must be understood to understand the rest of the book and his obscuring terms like Doctrine, Christianity, teaching of Christ.
The following paragraphs are lifted directly from chapter 3 where they are buried ignominiously. Damn you Leo! LOL.
Iw ill speak first of the former. Eighteen hundred years ago
there appeared in the midst of the heathen Roman world a strange
new doctrine, unlike any of the old religions, and attributed to a
man, Christ. This new doctrine was in both form and content absolutely new to
the Jewish world in which it originated, and still more to the
Roman world in which it was preached and diffused. In the midst of the elaborate religious observances of Judaism, in
which, in the words of Isaiah, law was laid upon law, and in the
midst of the Roman legal system worked out to the highest point of
perfection, a new doctrine appeared, which denied not only every
deity, and all fear and worship of them, but even all human
institutions and all necessity for them. In place of all the
rules of the old religions, this doctrine sets up only a type of
inward perfection, truth, and love in the person of Christ, and--
as a result of this inward perfection being attained by men--also
the outward perfection foretold by the Prophets--the kingdom of
God, when all men will cease to learn to make war, when all shall
be taught of God and united in love, and the lion will lie down
with the lamb. Instead of the threats of punishment which all the
old laws of religions and governments alike laid down for non-
fulfillment of their rules, instead of promises of rewards for
fulfillment of them, this doctrine called men to it only because
it was the truth. John vii. 17: "If any man will do His will, he
shad know of the doctrine whether it be of God." John viii. 46:
"If I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? But ye seek to
kill me, a man that hath told you the truth. Ye shall know the
truth, and the truth shall make you free. God is a spirit, and
they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. Keep my sayings, and ye shall know of my sayings whether they be
true." No proofs of this doctrine were offered except its truth,
the correspondence of the doctrine with the truth. The whole
teaching consisted in the recognition of truth and following it,
in a greater and greater attainment of truth, and a closer and
closer following of it in the acts of life. There are no acts in
this doctrine which could justify a man and make him saved. There
is only the image of truth to guide-him, for inward perfection in
the person of Christ, and for outward perfection in the
establishment of the kingdom of God. The fulfillment of this
teaching consists only in walking in the chosen way, in getting
nearer to inward perfection in the imitation of Christ, and
outward perfection in the establishment of the kingdom of God. The greater or less blessedness of a man depends, according to
this doctrine, not on the degree of perfection to which he has
attained, but on the greater or less swiftness with which he
is pursuing it. The progress toward perfection of the publican of the publican
Zaccheus, of the woman that was a sinner, of the robber on the
cross, is a greater state of blessedness, according to this
doctrine, than the stationary righteousness of the Pharisee. The
lost sheep is dearer than ninety-nine that were not lost. The
prodigal son, the piece of money that was lost and found again,
are dearer, more precious to God than those which have not been
lost. Every condition, according to this doctrine, is only a particular
step in the attainment of inward and outward perfection, and
therefore has no significance of itself. Blessedness consists in
progress toward perfection; to stand still in any condition
whatever means the cessation of this blessedness. "Let not thy left hand know what they right hand doeth." "No man
having put his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the
Kingdom of God." "Rejoice not that the spirits are subject to
you, but seek rather that your names be written in heaven." "Be
ye perfect even as your Father in heaven is perfect." "Seek ye
first the kingdom of heaven and its righteousness." The fulfillment of this precept is only to be found in
uninterrupted progress toward the attainment of ever higher truth,
toward establishing more and more firmly an ever greater love
within oneself, and establishing more and more widely the kingdom
of God outside oneself.
The following paragraphs are lifted directly from chapter 3 where they are buried ignominiously. Damn you Leo! LOL.
Iw ill speak first of the former. Eighteen hundred years ago
there appeared in the midst of the heathen Roman world a strange
new doctrine, unlike any of the old religions, and attributed to a
man, Christ. This new doctrine was in both form and content absolutely new to
the Jewish world in which it originated, and still more to the
Roman world in which it was preached and diffused. In the midst of the elaborate religious observances of Judaism, in
which, in the words of Isaiah, law was laid upon law, and in the
midst of the Roman legal system worked out to the highest point of
perfection, a new doctrine appeared, which denied not only every
deity, and all fear and worship of them, but even all human
institutions and all necessity for them. In place of all the
rules of the old religions, this doctrine sets up only a type of
inward perfection, truth, and love in the person of Christ, and--
as a result of this inward perfection being attained by men--also
the outward perfection foretold by the Prophets--the kingdom of
God, when all men will cease to learn to make war, when all shall
be taught of God and united in love, and the lion will lie down
with the lamb. Instead of the threats of punishment which all the
old laws of religions and governments alike laid down for non-
fulfillment of their rules, instead of promises of rewards for
fulfillment of them, this doctrine called men to it only because
it was the truth. John vii. 17: "If any man will do His will, he
shad know of the doctrine whether it be of God." John viii. 46:
"If I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? But ye seek to
kill me, a man that hath told you the truth. Ye shall know the
truth, and the truth shall make you free. God is a spirit, and
they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. Keep my sayings, and ye shall know of my sayings whether they be
true." No proofs of this doctrine were offered except its truth,
the correspondence of the doctrine with the truth. The whole
teaching consisted in the recognition of truth and following it,
in a greater and greater attainment of truth, and a closer and
closer following of it in the acts of life. There are no acts in
this doctrine which could justify a man and make him saved. There
is only the image of truth to guide-him, for inward perfection in
the person of Christ, and for outward perfection in the
establishment of the kingdom of God. The fulfillment of this
teaching consists only in walking in the chosen way, in getting
nearer to inward perfection in the imitation of Christ, and
outward perfection in the establishment of the kingdom of God. The greater or less blessedness of a man depends, according to
this doctrine, not on the degree of perfection to which he has
attained, but on the greater or less swiftness with which he
is pursuing it. The progress toward perfection of the publican of the publican
Zaccheus, of the woman that was a sinner, of the robber on the
cross, is a greater state of blessedness, according to this
doctrine, than the stationary righteousness of the Pharisee. The
lost sheep is dearer than ninety-nine that were not lost. The
prodigal son, the piece of money that was lost and found again,
are dearer, more precious to God than those which have not been
lost. Every condition, according to this doctrine, is only a particular
step in the attainment of inward and outward perfection, and
therefore has no significance of itself. Blessedness consists in
progress toward perfection; to stand still in any condition
whatever means the cessation of this blessedness. "Let not thy left hand know what they right hand doeth." "No man
having put his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the
Kingdom of God." "Rejoice not that the spirits are subject to
you, but seek rather that your names be written in heaven." "Be
ye perfect even as your Father in heaven is perfect." "Seek ye
first the kingdom of heaven and its righteousness." The fulfillment of this precept is only to be found in
uninterrupted progress toward the attainment of ever higher truth,
toward establishing more and more firmly an ever greater love
within oneself, and establishing more and more widely the kingdom
of God outside oneself.
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