7. Political parties (see the various articles under separate titles). — The Samaritans, though kindred in race with the Jews, were regarded by them as sectaries, and the bitterness on both sides was fatal to joint political action of any permanent kind. The Sadducees were a priestly nobility, tenacious of the prestige of their own order, but tolerant of any system of government that did not threaten their prosperity. Opposed to them Avere the Pharisees, whose national ideal was that of a theocracy, and whose endurance of an alien rule was reluctant or sullen. They were supported sometimes by the Herodians, who favoured the dynasty of Herod, but were not disposed to quarrel seriously with any established institution. An ex- treme party was gradually formed of irreconcilables, under the name of Zealots or Cananceaiis (Mt 10^ Mk 3'^, Lk 6'^), who were prepared to use the sword without delay for the restoration of a theocracy. In political theory the Essenes exaggerated the views of the Pharisees ; but their comparatively small number in the early part of the 1st cent, and their segregation from ordinary life made them
a force of little consequence except in times of excitement.
LiTERATiRE. — Joscphus ; references to other sources in Schurer, GJ I'S (or HJP), which is indispensable ; Hausrath, Hint, of MT Times; Derenbourg, Hist, de la Pal.; Monimsen, Hoin. Provinces; Madden, Coins of Jeics ; the Archaol. of Keil, Riehni, Benzinger, Xowack ; Hastings' DB, the EBi, PRE, and the JE ; u. Holtzniann, J\ T Zeitgeschichte ; Moss, Scene of our Lord's Life [a useful elementary handbook].
R. \V. MO.S.S. POOR.— See Poverty and Poverty of Spirit.
POPULARITY.— The word does not occur in the NT, but the thing itself is not infrequentlj- treated of. There is a true and there is a false popularity. The latter belongs to him who makes the praise of men his object, and seeks it Vjy ostentatious piety and hypocritical charity (Mt 6-- *• '•*) ; the former is the accompaniment of that behaviour whose rul- ing aim is to do the will of God regardless of all worldly ends (Mt 6^- ^- '• «• i'- 1*- 20. 21 1 T^ug ^^^^_ larity is that love and admiration which unselfish devotion to the welfare of others, springing from the whole-hearted love of God, cannot fail to arouse in tlie breasts of all who have eA'es to see and hearts to understand the good and pure. ' They shall see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven' (Mt S"" ; cf. Jn 15^). The hypocrites who sound a trumpet before tliem Avhen they do their alms, who pray at the corners of the streets for all to see, who distigure their faces that they maj^ appear to men to fast, are examples of those who seek and obtain the reward of false popularity. Fasting and prayer that flow from a desire to hold communion with God, charity that is the outcome of gratitude to the Heavenly Father for His wondrous mercy, are ever done in secret, .so that there can be no suspicion of any unworthy motive ; but the ettect of these things is revealed in the man's whole life and character ; it must win for him tiie praise and love of all good men, and for God the glorj'.
All this is in perfect harmonj' with the inward- ness of Christ's life and teaching. His aim was to change the world from within outward — not to attach good fruit to a worthless tree, but to make the tree good, and to await the fruit which in due time it was bound to bear. In the same .sense true popularity is inward ; false, outward. The latter .springs immediately from outside acts Mhich maj' not be — probably are not — the revelation of the true man : the former is the ettect produced upon the world by the outspeaking of the whole man as he is in himself in his relation to God. At the very opening of His career Jesus rejected the outward, the false, popularity as a means of propagating the truth He came to teach. He perceived it to be the suggestion of the Evil One that He should obtain tlie dominion of the kingdoms of the world by the external method, by the force of His authority, by the admiration which He could so easily have produced. Even to employ His mirac- ulous power to gain the ear of His own country- men He put from Him as a temptation (jNIt 4'"'" Lk 4''^^) ; and wjien, aroused to enthusiasm by their miraculous feeding, the multitude would fain have taken Him bj' force to make Him their king. He fled from them ( Jn 6^^). He would have nought to do with any enthusiasm, however sincere, that was based upon a false conception of the nature of His Messiahship, that sprang from admiration of His power and the hope of sharing its blessings, and not from the clear perception of His holiness and the longing to share it ( Jn 2^'^). The kind of imjjression which He wished to make was that which expressed itself in such phrases as — ' Never man so spake ' ( Jn 7*) ; ' He taught them as one hav- ing authority, and not as the scribes ' (Mt 7^) ; ' The common people heard him gladly ' (Mk 12^^). It