n,,.! (Mt 7''): with
,ts(Mk :.'• II--"-'"'); - and .■iir.vlK.n (Mt i and inipnictitable vealth, almsgiving, non-resistance, etc. (For these and others cf. such writers as Voysey, Dole, I'hilip Sidney, Goldwin Smith; an<l tliu tL-ndciny nf younger Unitarians). Charges on |i:iri ii ul.n - <.iiiiiot be met except in the light ol I hai.u in. lUr aljove are all defen- sible consistent ly \\itli tlic iliaracter of Jesus as that character appears in the record. Nor need we resort to the jdea (Martineau) that the blemishes are due to the fault of the delineators. Christ's moral nature is a unity. It is a unity in virtue of that principle by which He knew Himself to Iw always doing the will of God. lie kinw llim-.lt to be in the activity of .spirit and will nU-.a (hhI in nature t;avp Him to liccomi'. In llii- roiint He felt linns,. If .olii;,iv .-niK.nv ii,.-ii, .-md acted on the feeliiit;. Ili- |„ihMi i,,ii tliu> r,,iisi-ts, llrst, not in any <oiii|d.hiii-.^ of |.ii-(ipt.s -i\i-ii or icm- Crete relations sustained in conduct — these How from it ; but in the possession of that s])irit and of those principles wliich not only supply all due regulation as occasion lecjuires, but gi-\e unity, consistenev, .an.l puiilv to tin- moral life. In (he
light of tin,, eoll-idelaliull «e ;il.j,le lor His e,,ll-
stant maiiili'iiaiiee ..i moial ,-n]iieiMar\ ill |,,arli<ul.ar acts. His iiioi-al eoiiM-ioiiMi,..-. ]ii-nei)ated all His thought and feeling, and all c.\]>ressiuns of both. It was the secret, further, of His power over sin, both in the world (cosmic) and in man : His power * to overthrow sin ' and 'to forgive sins.' He did not disregard sin. He inherited the teathiiiL; of His race as to sin, a ti'aeliin;j . Iiar.iri, i i^tieally striking and comprelieiisi\c. lie apinoj.! ial.^s all its truth, and develops it in His own original spirit. He did this just because He was so pure. Sin was the liaunting dread of His days. In meeting its m.align force and subduing it. He broke His life. Against it He [rat forth allHis strength, and in so doing rose to the fulness of stature Me know, 'being raised up by God to his right hand.' More by what He did against sin than by what He declared of sin or of His own goodness did He prove His sinlcssiiiss. He diil what He was. His irresence raised the ili-iipl.',-, ,is His story raises us, to a level which, like Him, knows no sin (1 Jii 3r,.6.!),_
(5) His equalitij with God* connects itself chiefly (in the Synoptics) with the thought of His sinless- ness and His power to forgive sins (Mt 9'-", Mk 2'", Lk S-"- =». Less unquestioned is Mt 28", where He includes Himself in the unity of the Divine name). St. John's Gospel is full of the idea (5"'- &>^-'-<'^ 8-<2.M925f. 109 1P= 14'-«-» l.y--). ami to this point
attacks have in c oMse.|Ue)ice bren (lileeteil with
vigour (cf. in jiarticidai- Man m.-aus Si'n/ of
Authority, and for an enreli\e |r|oilldel-, l-'oirestV Christ of Jlht„n,.nrl /■;.,-""-, 'I, erl. |.).
(«) As ,en,a,:„:l.|. :, l..l - any i„ the spell
Christ lal'i ..■! I ■■ ,; . .1; I I, ■ 1 II Hi-, ,ll,l,l',ll lu
the df,,. ,, , , ,, „„,. TlieH. h.av,.
been tho . v\ ],i ■■ - t . na'd lo b.wer for the
time liein- Ihe \llaJil\' and inlelli'jelic-e of (lio-e
who came into conlael 'w |( li i Inaii, .and so ai-led a> to destroy tbeii- self-|io;,.es,-,i,,n. Some nnai o\-elaue and p:iralyze others who come within the held of their inlluence. The power of Christ acted con- trariwise. It empowered. He revealed men to themselves in revealing Himself to their inner sense. In receiving Him into their hearts new powers therein arose, reserv joiv,. -bowed them- selves; His influences. -IS iliai oi i.a.on begetting
* See below under 'Divine clLsi-inl ions,' • ,So„ „( Man: 'Sail 0/ God.'
reason, love begetting love. In fellowship with Him men came to higher ideals. From Him, in fact, mankind has learned to know itself as it ouglit to be, and to estimate its own best possi- liilities. He has lifted up human aspiration more than any other. The reason of this may be found in the fact that He appealed persuasively to human instinct. To appeal to such instinct is often to create it. When a child is told a story of heroism, when rough untaught natures are softened by the beauty of tenderness seen or pictured, there is a creation of courage or gentleness where it was not before. AVlien tin' instinct is <|uickeiied we know that if is n.ali\e. The moxcindit Christ initiated hasiir..\e.l.,f nnii\.illed c reatn eiie.ss in the history of bnniaii iii>f im I and in every direction of human acti\iiy. -'i'lie i.le;i of Jcsus is tlic illuminatlon
and ins].ir,iii if existence' (Phillips Brooks,
whose JJn/,/, ,1 l..<t,ircs, 1879, are an eloquent ex- position of Christ's creative influence, in moral, social, intellectual, emotional life). The first per- ception of this fact glows through the NT writings : not one of the writers fails to make us understand that the One he writes about is One who has opened new powers in, ami discbiseil new horizons to, his own soul. This is lb. ii « it ncss— a witness corroborated by ever\ snec . c,!!]!;; age — that He calledUiein, amlincomn.nni.a, uiib Him, He made them 'a new ereati-.n/ dis, i|,lnini^ and elex.ating cbaia.ter, c.alliimoni a lio.lier tailli. <a .-a I iny pro-