A challenge to modern skepticism

Front matter

THE

URES

ft Book J Ik

Preface

This book contains the lecture on “Ecce Homo! or, The Personality of Christ,” and correlated material taken from several other discussions of this series of lectures, which for many years has been given as a platform message, before the churches of this country.

Their publication redeems a promise, made to many business men, to put into print this address.

The subject matter is left precisely as it has been delivered, hundreds of times, therefore contains the weaknesses and limitations involved in the attempt to transmute speech into type.

At the time the series was prepared for the platform, there was no thought of putting any of the lectures into a book. Therefore no record was kept of the authorities consulted. But to name this list of books would be practically to name the works that belong to Christological literature. To those familiar with this realm of study, this is unnecessary. I wish, however, to make grateful acknowledgment to

Preface.

the officers of Mansfield College, Oxford, who so kindly gave me the freedom of the College libraries, when the series was revised there, in the summer of 1899.

It is needless to say that I am greatly indebted to the inspiration of Dr. Fairbairn’s works; also to that beautiful English book entitled, “ Leading Ideas of the Gospels.” To Victor Cousin, Hegel, Hugo, for suggestions regarding human greatness. Among Americans, to Bushnell, and to the Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church South, whose book on “ The Man of Galilee ” was invaluable.

This gives me opportunity also to express my appreciation of my friend, Mr. Fred Farwell, of New London, N. H. A nobler manhood I never knew. Without his counsel and his consummate genius in constructive criticism, my platform work would have suffered irreparably.

Contents

Preface 5

Prelude : An Indictment of Unitarianism 14

CHAPTER T.

Chapter II. The Preparation For Christ Through Judaism; The Prophets

Elijah 56

The Jewish Religion; Joel; Jonah 57, 58

Amos; Hosea 58

Isaiah 60

Nahum; Habakkuk 61, 62

Micah; Zephaniah; Jeremiah 62-64

Daniel 65

Ezekiel ; Obadiah 66

Contents.

Haggai; Zechariah 67, 68

Malachi; The Hebrew Prophet; His genius 69

The Jewish Race as a Prophecy 70

The Old Testament viewed from Matthew’s standpoint 72

The Supernatural qualities of the Prophet 73

The Prophets as Universal men 75

Prophecy and the Skeptic’s dilemma 76

The Messianic Vision 77

Chapter III. Christ Contrasted With The Schools

Socrates and Crito 80

Christ not educated by the Jewish Schools 82

Only educated men have ruled the world 84

Christ the exception to this rule 84

His many-sidedness as a Teacher 85

His Method 87

His Authority 89

The Skeptic’s theory of His education 91

The attack by the Pharisees , 93

Christ’s solutions unimpeached 93

Analysis of the Lord’s Prayer 94

The relation of that prayer to Civilization 95

The relation of that prayer to Art; “ The Angelus ” 97

Chapter IV. Christ Contrasted With The Scholars

Christ responsible for the logical sequences of His

Teachings 100

Christ solved problems the Wise Men stated 102

Skepticism like a mountain during the night 102

Christ wonderful in what he did not teach 103

The Sermon on the Mount 106

Christ compared with Wise Men 107

The difference between Christ and Wise Men 108

The mystery of death 110

Christ’s knowledge of Himself Ill

Contents.

Important things He did not do 112

Some results of His influence 113

His death solitary as His life 114

The effect upon the world if His disciples were blotted out 115

Chapter V. Christ Contrasted With Great Men

The Great Man; represents the spirit of the age; or,

He is the embodiment of one idea 118

The Reformer 119

The Poet 119

The genius of Poetry 120

Great men come in groups 122

Great man, the picture of the nation in action; often

the product of the age 123

The weaknesses of great men 125

The great man is unconscious of his greatness; no man great in the eyes of his intimate friends; Christ a miracle of multi -personality. The

great man labors for a race; great men, their temporary influence; men do not die for great

Great men are duplicated in each generation 128

Christ unlike the greatest men in the world 130

Was Christ a Prophet? 131

CHAPTER VI. Christ’s influence during the dark ages

The misunderstanding of Christ and the result.... 134 The difference between the Church and the State. . 135

The Dark Ages; the prophet Dante 136

The tragical night of a thousand years 138

The Reformation; the fall of Constantinople 139

Its effect upon civilization 140

The reaction within the Church 141

The advent of Savonarola in Florence 142

His death 145

Contents.

What the Reformation meant 140

Great Men of the hour . 147

The genius of Liberty 148

The Reformation; the men beyond Luther 149

The glories of the Seventeenth Century 151

The political effect of the Reformation upon Europe. 152

Was the Reformation an accident? 153

The New Testament ideals involved in the Reformation 154

The World’s Empires 155

America contrasted with these; the Ballot box. . . . 156

Chapter VII. The Skeptic’s Dilemma; Analysis Of The Four Gospels

The natural proofs required of a Divine Nature. . . . 158

The Christ as portrayed by Matthew 159

The meaning of the healing of the leper 160

Mark’s Gospel addressed to the Roman mind 161

Luke’s Gospel an appeal to the Greek genius 163

Christ’s attitude toward Woman 164

The Oriental attitude toward Woman 167

The Greek attitude; the rejected elements of society 168

Luke’s Gospel, its influence upon Art 169

John’s Gospel, its Spiritual significance 170

The Prologue of John’s Gospel 171

The Fourfold Christ 173

CHAPTER VIII. Part I. the skeptic’s dilemma; the mysterious

PERSONALITY OF CHRIST.

The difference between Christ and Men 175

The Virtues in His life 176

His Isolation 178

The fragmentary character of the records 179

Singular phases of His character 180

Contents.

Past II. the mysterious contradictions in his life.

Wherein He was unlike men and like Nature 181

His feminine attributes 183

Jesus, the “ Ideal ” for Man, Woman and Child. . . . 185

His consciousness of power 186

His attitude toward the social leper 187

The artistic conception of Christ is sexless 188

The blending of opposite traits of character 189

His earth life merged in the supernatural 190

Chapter IX. The Skeptic’s Dilemma; Rationalistic Theories Concerning Christ

Christ’s violation of the Law of Heredity 191

Christ measured against the genius of His Race. . . . 192

Christ’s influence upon Races 194

Christ the Sphinx of History 196

Christ contrasted with Napoleon 198

The sinlessness of Christ 199

His knowledge of Men 200

Christ’s Prophecies 201

His supernatural claims 202

The Skeptic’s theory concerning His goodness .... 204

The limitations of Shakespeare 205

The limitations of the Poets 206

Axioms regarding truth 206-215

The Unitarian’s limitations 216

Chapter X. The Skeptic’s Dilemma ; “ The Forgery Theory.”

Either Christ was historical or He was not 217

The intellectual difficulties of “ The Forgery

Theory ” 218

The Gentile Prophecies 219

The Jewish Prophecies 222

The Temptation scene, the alternative presented . . 223

The Speech of a Divine Man 224

The Works of a Divine Man 226

Contents.

Where “ The Forgery Theory ” breaks down 228

Did Civilization produce Him 229

Was He an accident? 230

The “Cloud of Witnesses” 231-234

Chapter XI. Christ’s Kingdom Contrasted With Plato’s Republic; The Theory

The moral supremacy of the Jewish genius over

the Greeks and Romans 235

Supernatural attributes of Judaism; Christ measured against the genius of His Race 237

The Age of Plato 239

The Age when Christ was born 240

Bethlehem! 241

Plato’s Republic and Christ’s Kingdom in contrast 242-246

Chapter XII. Christ’s Kingdom Contrasted With The Roman Empire; The Fact

The poet Virgil as a Prophet 247

“ The Golden Age ” 249

“ The Fullness of Time ” 249

Petronius as a witness 250

Roman morals 251

The Tragical condition of the times 252

Caesar! 254

The ruins of Imperialism 255

The dying hour of Rome compared with a Sunset. . 256

The Genius of the new Kingdom 258

Its supernatural claims 259

Its supernatural gifts 261

The attack by the Caesars 262

The triumphs of “The New Kingdom” 264

“Les Miserables! ” 265

Christ weeping over Jerusalem 266

Christ compared with the world’s statesmen 267

“ The New Kingdom,” unlike anything in history . . 269

Contents.

Chapter XIII. Christian And Pagan Morals

Christ the Test and Ideal of Morality 271

Christian Morals 272

The failure of Pagan Moralists 275

What the Pagan Moralist overlooked 276

The Pagan theory of “ Duty ” 278

The Christian theory of “ A Golden Age ” 279

The Stoical School 282

The Stoic, his degeneracy 283

“ God’s Grace,” the supernatural element in Christianity 284

Chapter XIV. Christianity And Pagan Religions

Historical Axioms regarding religion 286

Unique features of Christianity 288

“The Gospel” 289

Christianity Inclusive and Exclusive 291

Christianity the Ultimate Religion 292

The difference between Christianity and the World’s

Religions 293-296

The Orient compared with Niagara 297

The Old Religions and Civilizations; they were

“ School Masters ” 299

The Vision of the Empires 300-306

Christ’s great challenge to the Skeptic 307-

PRELUDE.

AN INDICTMENT OF UNITARIANISM.

At the Diet of Worms, Rome affirmed and tried to vindicate the supreme authority of the Church. Upon that ancient principle Rome rests to-day. When Martin Luther left the Council, a new principle was introduced into the history of religion, “ The Right of Private Judgment.”

While this principle is one of the intellectual glories of the human mind and of Christianity, one logical and injurious result was, Protestant Christianity subdivided itself into denominations. To-day, Protestantism presents the paradox of flying upon the same mast the Banner of the Cross and the flags representing human thinking. Luther, Calvin, Knox, Wesley, Zwingli — these were men ; but time has changed them into creedal names but little less in glory, in the interpretation of Christianity, than that of Jesus Christ himself.

At heart, however, among the denominations, there is unswerving loyalty to One Master.

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But the menace to Protestanism is the principle, “ The Right of Private Judgment.”

For example: to-day, in New England Congregationalism, we see the miracles of Christ being attacked by The Congregation - a list and some of the most distinguished t heologians. This involves the denial of the authenticity of the New Testament, the denial of Christ's incarnation, and of His resurrection, and must culminate in absolute surrender to Unitarianism.

In the Middle West, the warfare is going on in the various denominations upon the plea for “ Liberalism ” and “ Broad-Mindedness,” expressed in the concrete term, “ New Theology,” which is Unitarianism under a new name.

Any theology that steps outside of the personality of Christ, His words and works, as interpreted through the Cross, is false. Christianity involves the idea of “ Redemption ; ” and for man to introduce his own thinking into the plans of God, is to impeach the mind of God.

Unitarianism has for its major premise, u The Right of Private Judgment.” Its minor premise, is the popular affirmation of

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Agnosticism, “ That which cannot be demonstrated within the terms of human reason cannot be true.” The conclusion is inevitable. Unitarianism is to-day the “ Iconoclast ” among the schools of Christian theology.

But Unitarianism refuses to be a school; it calls itself a Christian denomination, and looks with relentless contempt upon all the Evangelical denominations as “ narrow,” “ bigoted,” “ clinging to old theologies that were long ago outgrown.”

It is the most insolent paradox perpetrated in the annals of the world’s religions. It calls itself “ Christian,” and denies the supreme affirmation of Christianity, “ The Deity of Christ.”

It poses as “ broad.” No Jew, no Mohammedan, no Catholic Jesuit, was ever more intolerant, narrow, bigoted and uncompromising. Any Evangelical theologian can assent to all that the Unitarian may affirm concerning the humanity of Christ. He can see that, and more. The Unitarian seesnothing in Christ, save“ The Son of Man,” and he froths with anger if you enlarge the word “ divinity ” beyond the limits of his puny personality.

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“ Broad !” Does the Unitarian yield anything in any conference with Evangelical Churchmen looking toward a compromise? Not one inch. Every concession must be made by the Evangelicals. When the Congregationalists and the Unitarians in New England met in ecclesiastical conference, or even in a fellowship meeting, what did the Unitarian yield? Nothing!

It is a school built on negations, therefore it can affirm nothing. It attacks Genesis, impeaches the historical data of the Pentateuch, makes the Psalms the music of earth, and the visions of the prophets meaningless dreams. Pausing at the New Testament with the denial of our Lord’s deity, the word “ Jesus ” is substituted for the word “ Christ;” the Miracles are explained according to the laws of psychic phenomena; the Resurrection of Christ is accounted for, either by open denial, or as an optical illusion, or as having simply a spiritual meaning. This makes room for an impeachment of the Bible, a denial of the authenticity of the New Testament, a denial of a revelation from God ; in short, involves chaos.

If Jesus of Nazareth was “ The Son of Man,” as Unitarianism defines that term, if

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in Him did not dwell “ The fullness of the Godhead bodily,” Christianity becomes a man-made religion, having no higher authority than that of Mohammed, or Confucius, or Zoroaster.

Nay more! These claim nothing supernatural. Christianity does. If Jesus Christ be not God incarnate, Christianity is built upon a lie.

What is the great issue before the church to-day?

It is not the problems, suggested by the scientist, that lie in the book of Genesis. It is not the historical data of the Pentateuch. It is not the place of the prophets in the Old Testament, whether or not what they said was inspired, nor whether what they said related to Jesus of Nazareth. The modern discussion regarding John’s gospel is not the great problem. Dr. Gordon, of Boston, has raised the question, "Is Christianity dependent upon the Miracle?” He names this as the theological issue of the hour.

There can be only one issue; either Jesus of Nazareth was the Eternal Father veiled in mortal flesh, or He was simply an intellectual prodigy, self-deluded and deceiving

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others. There is no middle ground. All other problems must yield supremacy to this, — that either Jesus of Nazareth was God Incarnate, or, He was not.

When we accept the deity of Christ, the Old Testament becomes a manuscript luminous as the sky. The Book of Genesis ceases to be a scientific statement regarding how things were done. It states the moral relationships between God and man, and man and man. It does not answer the question, “ How?” but “ Why ” things are as they are. It reveals not causes, but final causes. Conceding the deity of Christ, the Pentateuch describes the development of the spiritual consciousness of a Race. The Prophets cease to belong to a race, they become world men. Their speech contains the echoes of God’s thinking. They are the forerunners of Christ. Conceding the deity of Christ, John’s gospel ceases to be a battle-ground ; the prologue in that gospel contains the philosophy of the skies. Conceding the deity of Christ, there is no miracle problem. Christ’s works are then the works of God, which are beyond human comprehension. When Dr. Lyman Abbott and Dr.

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Gordon outline a definition of a miracle, then there is a miracle problem. But if Christ did the works accredited Him, they were as God’s works, impossible of analysis. It would be as easy for Dr. Abbott to perform a miracle, as to define it. Because, to give a definition of a miracle, one must have knowledge of the forces employed, and the laws through which these forces operated. Since we do not know what force is, nor God’s method in creative processes, we must affirm that either Christ’s works were the works of God, therefore as mysterious as creation itself, or His works were those of a juggler, and He was an impostor.

Therefore, all the problems involved in the Old and New Testaments are resolved into one question : “ Who was Jesus of Nazareth?”

Unitarianism affirms that Jesus of Nazareth was divine as all men are divine, greater only in degree. This is an unequivocal denial of the deity of Christ.

The purpose of this book is, to prove that the Unitarian affirmation is absolutely false.

The seriousness of the issue involved, like

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warfare, makes lawful every weapon of attack, or of defence. Unitarianism gives no quarter and asks none.

“ Unitarianism/’ in this Prelude, does not mean a term used as a reproach to certain individuals. This is not a war between men, but between schools of thought. Its first battle was fought when, far back in the centuries, Arius stood as the champion of Christ's humanity, excluding the idea of His deity.

Two facts have always been flaunted in the face of Evangelical Christianity. First, the boast of the lovely character of men and women who are Unitarians. That is granted, but it proves nothing. There are also amiable savages in Africa. There are gentle natures in Asia. There are beautiful lives among the Mohammedans. Among Skeptics, Agnostics and Atheists are characters of extraordinary moral graces. No one would question Mr. Robert G. Ingersoll’s beautiful home life, and that his moral character was as far beyond reproach as that of Edward Everett Hale. The most zealous Prohibitionist would not deny that behind the garish window of the saloon are generous natures, while ofttimes we read of

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deeds of nobility and heroism large as the words themselves, wrought by inmates of the brothel.

Second, we are asked to explain the fact that such a school can boast a splendid array of intellectual men and women; nay, a roll-call of essayists, novelists, scientists, historians, poets, scholars, orators, more famous in literature than can be claimed by any evangelical denomination in this country.

That, too, is granted without debate.

But that constitutes its condemnation. It poses as a religious organization, and gives birth only to men of literary distinction.

So did Stoicism in Athens and in the Roman Empire. That school created types of human greatness like these mentioned. Also, Stoicism, like Unitarianism, was as bitter and as relentless in its attack upon the supernatural in Christianity, and never surrendered until the school itself had perished.

Strictly speaking, for the sake of intellectual decency, Unitarianism should not claim to be a religious denomination, but a school of ethics, Stoicism under a new name.

Prelude.

The proof that it is not religious, and certainly not a Christian denomination, is the fact that it does not give birth to reformers, saints, and angel-souled men and women ; — that is, human natures transfigured with the ideal of the Cross.

Analyze any Unitarian priest, and you analyze the Unitarian mind. He claims to be salt, to preserve the good of all religions. This moulds him into the most negative personality among the sons of men. The present hour — its high privileges; the future — its stern demands ; the past — its wrongs to be righted; — these stir not his blood one pulse beat. No Christian Marseillaise ever uses his lips a*s organ pipes. Prophecy never scorches his heart with thunder. His words are never horsed to chariots of war. He is calm, passionless as the Sphinx, with a civilization dying in its shadow. Dante knocked at the gates of the under world, but the Unitarian cares nothing for the future. He denies there is a future of possible suffering. The Jewish prophet feathered his wings with lightnings, and listened with his ear against the sky, but the Unitarian, — calm, gentle, unemotional, almost impersonal, — keeps his eye

Prelude.

upon the earth. Here is a man uninfluenced by the sovereign witchcraft of heroism. A man unwhipped by the sneers of skepticism. A man unstirred by the indignities heaped upon his times. Disinherited by orthodoxy, possessing neither the Mohammedan ambition to destroy, nor the reformer’s instinct to upbuild, this man wanders through his fatherland, playing upon his ethical lute, “ All is well.” How is Humanity to know “ All is well ”? He says so !

Challenge him to describe his mission. There is nothing of the supernatural in it. You will be amazed at its earthy character.

Earthy? It seems like plucking moss from graves to analyze it. Here it is in a sentence : To make the imperialism of Evangelical Christianity to cease, to mould future ages in the sepulchre of the past, to give America a religious golden age, emotionless as the repose of the desert. This is the teaching which, unfading as marble, has dictated the policy of Unitarianism for generations.

What is the effect of this creed upon the Unitarian sect? It is a world with the shadow of things, but not their substance.

It has church buildings, but not church-

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men. It has scholars, but not theologians. It has poets, but no reformers. Unitarian - ism accepts Confucius of China as a moral teacher with the rank of an Hebrew prophet It welcomes Buddhism from India and gives Buddha mastership equal with Christ. Its theological wall shuts out the supernatural in religion, and shuts human reason in. The result is paralysis. Unitarianism is like the rocking of a cradle, — there is movement, but no progress.

Shall we judge the system by its fruits? What surer way than to measure the Unitarian priest himself? Concede all he can ask. What are the counter facts? The damnation of intellectual pride builds a flaming wall between himself and humanity. Through prolonged self-discipline he is able like the Phoenix to unfurl new wings out of the fiery ashes of misfortune, but the drunkards, the harlots, the criminals, the self-abandoned can not. Do you point to his vows? They do not mean worship. Do you speak of his ethical theory of self-sacrifice? As well try to coin the gold of a butterfly’s wing as to reduce that theory to active benevolence. What ! measure an Unitarian with a modern Cranmer, or Gari-

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baldi? When did he ever kindle the skies with the prophetic arch of a great reformation? We have poets that inspire to godliness. What hymn of theirs deserves that eulogy? Their speculations concerning God quicken thought, but do they inspire reverence? Does not their literature co-rival the noblest of our times? True, and to them it is more sacred than the Bible. But has one page ever affected the destinies of other denominations than their own? Reduced to its simplest form, what is their gospel? That sin is ignorance; that meditation will quell the riot of the passions; that rulership, reform, are seated in the will, the reason ; that peace cannot reign until the senses are yoked through self-discipline; that a serene mind here and now outranks the problems of the future.

To the Unitarian, Christianity is a philosophy and not a religion; therefore, Unitarianism is a moral theory. It offers self-discipline independent of the help of God? It does not make man kinsman to the skies, because it destroys man’s worshipping instincts. It makes men Unitarians, but not sons of God. But that is not all. Never did a heathen people under its spell achieve con-

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federate rights among the nations of the world, as Japan has done under the ministry of Evangelical Christianity. Great wrongs, like fire, warp the iron and marble columns of our political institutions, but not from them do we hear the voice of protest, rebuke or warning. The most ordinary life is carved more wondrously than Achilles’ shield, but when did a Unitarian ever plead the cause of the sweat-shop workers? No; his highest ambition is to pause in life, his hands folded in resignation; through culturing processes he conquers the senses and attains “ Nirvana,” — perfect repose. But beyond him, is a shadow. In that shadow are the millions. That shadow is sin. Penitence avails nothing. Though a man swathe his arm with fire, make his dwelling-place amid thorns and scorpions, roll his garments in blood, and die self-strangled with curses of despair, there is no hope in Unitarianism. Even for angels charged with folly, sin hath no remedy in their philosophy. Repentance, Regeneration, Atonement are not graven in their scriptures. And this, because Unitarianism is like Buddhism, essentially Pantheistic. That is the fatal flaw of that system.

Prelude.

That is why, though still wearing the borrowed plumage of Christianity, it kneels in Boston now, as powerless to quell the vices of that city, as thistledown to unhorse the evil forces of a storm.

Where are its Evangelists? When did it ever duplicate the day of Pentecost? Where in the ranks of the Salvation Army do you find Unitarians? What Unitarian is secretary of a Young Men’s Christian Association? How much is contributed by them for the support of Crittenden Homes for the redemption of fallen women? Where is the location of its Bible Society? Has it ever nurtured a Fulton Street prayer-meeting? Does it minister to those in prison? Do Unitarian ministers preach in almshouses? Has Unitarian money ever furnished places where beggars can get food and drink and shelter in winter? How many newsboys’ homes has it erected? What reform has it ever inaugurated that lifted its sword against vice, crime, drink or any wickedness of the great cities? Where are its missionaries among the Indians? What is it doing to-day as a denomination to solve the problems of the negro race by schools or churches? When did it tender a college

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gift to the mountain whites of the Southland? Where are its societies of women who devote themselves to the protection of girls landing upon American soil from European steamships? What is the name of its society whose agents find homes for orphan babes and children? Where are its temples in the slum district of any great metropolis?

There is a story that during the Dark Ages, when the Crusaders were about to sweep across the Alps to rescue the Holy Sepulchre, a man was being consecrated for knighthood by a priest. It was midnight. The great cathedral was wrapped in unearthly gloom, broken only by the dim light of some candles. Within a few feet was an ancient tomb. Suddenly the priest and the kneeling novitiate were thrilled with terror by a sound within the stone vault. They listened. There was no mistake. A faint knocking was heard from within the vault, where a man had been buried centuries ago. The knight seemed powerless to move. The priest walked bravely to the tomb, and by almost supernatural strength lifted the lid, and flung the light of his candle into the black depths. A

Prelude.

human skull was rolling round as if alive. The heroic priest reached in his hand and picked up the hideous thing. To his horror there rolled from the skull a serpent. Hissing and writhing it fell to the floor.

Translate that story into the terms of this century-old controversy. That skull belonged to Arius; that serpent is Unitarianism!

In denying the deity of Christ, Unitarianism renders judgment that He was immortal and divine only as all men are immortal and divine. Push this proposition to its logical conclusion, and this judgment makes of “ Moses and the Prophets ” the ravings of delirium; it declares every Apostle either hoodwinked through ignorance, or self-deceived, and with lying lips deceiving others ; it makes Paul go in chains to Rome, self-damned with a delusion; it makes, of the martyrs of the centuries, each to die as the fool dieth. This judgment arraigns the scholarship of Christendom as the mouthing of an idiot dream, and brands the Christian piety of two hemispheres as blasphemous idolatry.

Unitarianism, with its heart cold as the ashes of Arius, its ancestor; with an intel-

Prelude.

lectual insolence and bravado worthy of Julian the Apostate, its elder brother; upon the Sabbath day, garbed in the stolen robes of Christian discipleship, utters the Judas cry, “ Hail, Master ! ” then, in every controversy with Evangelical Christianity, for a few pieces of silver, called “ Freedom of Thought,” it gives the Master the kiss of treason.

Unitarianism, with its granite-hewn imitations of churches, and these desolate as a cemetery, save at the funeral of one of its members ; in whose pulpits the Bible is read with the same reverence as is accorded the essays of Marcus Aurelius, that royal butcher, his hands wet with the blood of the Saints; Unitarianism, whose copper-fingered gifts to benevolences in this country constitute a scornful parody upon Christian philanthropy, and whose miserly contributions to missions are an insult to Asia ; — this sect, which boasts no university worthy a scholar’s cloak, save Harvard, the child of Congregationalism, pirated generations ago, during the delirium of its Mother ; — this mockery of Protestantism, whose selfproclaimed priests bend their knees to nothing, save to a god mirrored each in his own

Prelude .

intellectual image; whose most intense and aggressive zeal is shown in sending giftbooks to poison the minds of the youthful prophets in our Christian seminaries; — this denomination, calling itself “ Christian,” which turns its mask-like face upon the sinful multitudes, bloodless and void of sympathy as the heart of Homan Stoicism; which makes the Evangelist the object of its derision, and a Revival the subject of its mirth; which affirms that a creedless platform is the only foundation for a creed; which offers the world negations for theology, and wormeaten platitudes as texts for sermons ; — this intellectual monstrosity, still-born when the night of the Dark Ages had flung its first shadows upon Europe, but which has the actions of a human being only because of the galvanizing influence of Christianity ; — Unitarianism, standing here, and now, in the Twentieth Century, its hand clasping the leprous hand of Skepticism, turns to Christendom, prostrate in worship before the Triune God, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and says, as Festus, drunken with impudence, said to Paul, “ Thou art mad! ”