him, as they had slain the prophets, but proclaimed his exaltation, declaring he saw him at the moment "standing on the right hand of God," for which blasphemy his audience stoned him (vii. 2-60). Those who were dispersed at the persecution that then ensued, showed themselves still an exclusive Jewish sect," preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only" (xi. 19). We next hear of the conversion of the eunuch by Philip, who testifies that Jesus was the lamb led to slaughter prophesied of by Isaiah, on which the eunuch accepts him as the Christ, the Son of God (viii. 27-38).

We have now the first address presented to Gentiles, not, it must be remembered, by the appointment of the master, but under the influence of the special vision vouchsafed to Peter. All that is here said of Jesus turns upon the circumstance of his headship. God had accepted him, endowed him with power, raised him from the dead, appointed him the judge of mankind, and tendered the remission of sins to all who put their trust in him (x. 34-43).

The remaining discourses are by Paul. Though an opening by this time had been made for the Gentiles, still prominence was given to the Judaic section. "Men of Israel," says the preacher," and ye that fear God, give audience." Then God is introduced to them as "the God of this people Israel." He thereupon recounts the Jewish history from the exodus to David, and proclaims Jesus as "of this man's seed," so maintaining his human origin. He describes his resurrection as introducing him to his sonship, in fulfilment of the saying in the Psalm, "Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee." He concludes by still adverting to him as one of the human family, saying "through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins" (xiii. 16-41). Paul is afterwards found in Athens, where he preaches Jesus, again introducing him in human aspect merely, speaking of him as that "man" whom God had ordained to judge the world (xvii. 31). His theme, "both to the Jews and also to the Greeks," was "repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." This he described as comprehending "all the counsel of God" (xx. 21, 27).

After this Paul undergoes constant persecution from the Jews, as guilty of subverting their economy. He ever defends

himself as one of themselves, and a respecter of the laws of Moses. He says, "I am verily a Jew, born in Tarsus" (xxii. 3); "I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question" (xxiii. 6), sheltering himself thus under the acknowledged creed of the Pharisees, who believed in a resurrection. When he falls into the hands of Lysias the chief captain, this officer perceives that the whole question between him and his accusers was one of their law (xxiii. 29). When brought before Felix he described himself as a worshiper in the temple at Jerusalem, conforming to all that had been laid down in the law and the prophets. He took up thus a purely Judaic standing, and he explained that the sum of the doctrine he had been announcing was a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust” (xxiv. 10-15). When taken before Festus, after his accusers had "laid many and grievous complaints" against him, he avowed that "neither against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple," had he "offended anything at all" (xxv. 7, 8). Finally, he had to defend himself before Agrippa. He appears before him as a Jew, accused of heresy by his brother Jews, and takes comfort that he has been brought before one who was "expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews," and so claims a patient hearing. The gist of his doctrine, he explains, is the hope of a resurrection, in view of which he called upon all men to "repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance," preaching Christ as the centre and support of this movement. He bore witness, he declared, to "none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come," thus keeping strictly within the pale of the Judaic dispensation (xxvi. 2-23). It was, he declared, "for the hope of Israel" that he had been bound in chains, and his ministry consisted in "persuading" his hearers "concerning Jesus," "both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening" (xxviii. 20, 23).

The disciples, at the opening of the book, are found addressing the risen Jesus with their expectation that he was to "restore again the kingdom to Israel" (i. 6), and throughout, the ministrations described are held in Jewish connection. Peter and John are found "in the temple at the hour of prayer" (iii. 1); all the apostles were "daily in the temple"

teaching and preaching (v. 42); when the door is opened to the Gentiles the discussion respecting what should be required of them is maintained in view of Jewish standards (xv. 1-29); Paul has Timothy circumcised because of the Jewish believers (xvi. 3); he himself performs a vow in the temple, in the course of which he has to "purify" himself judaically, because of the "many thousands of Jews" "which believe," who were, nevertheless, "all zealous of the law" (xxi. 20-26); and when accused of having "gone about to profane the temple," he declares that he worshiped "the God of his fathers," that he had "disputed" with no man in the temple, that he had come "to bring alms. to his nation, and offerings," and was "found" "purified in the temple" (xxiv. 5-18) as a Jewish worshiper should be.

་

There can be no more decisive proof of what the nature of the mission of the alleged founder of Christianity may have been, than the representations made of the practice and preaching of his first followers. They are before us to promulgate He himself had entered life as a Jew through the portal of circumcision. He upheld

all that they can trace from him.

the law, frequented the temple at its appointed festivals, occupied himself with Jewish interests, restricted his disciples in their ministrations to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, warred with Scribes and Pharisees, but never had a word of testimony to offer against the Pagan idolatries surrounding him. His sympathies were called out for his native land and her beloved capital alone: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not." Finally, at death, his body was embalmed by his followers and disposed of "as the manner of the Jews is to bury." When we find his disciples maintaining themselves as Jews, avowing their conformity to the Jewish laws, practising the temple ordinances, declaring that they held to nothing but what constituted the hopes of their fathers, and feeling no liberty, at the outset, even to address the Gentiles, it becomes quite apparent that in the first form of Christianity, as ostensibly traceable to the founder, we have nothing more than a Jewish sect. Eusebius here helps us to understand that such was the case, saying of fifteen bishops of whom he professes to know as successors of the apostles, "these are

H

all the bishops of Jerusalem that filled up the time from the apostles until the above-mentioned time, all of the circumcision" (Ec. Hist. iv. 5). His acceptance of the Therapeuts as Christians is also in keeping with the circumstance of the Judaic character of primitive Christianity. When, then, we meet with elements incorporated in the Christian scheme such as no Jew could accept and remain a Jew, we may assure ourselves that these have been later introductions gathered out of non-Jewish circles.

"If a man

The divine nativity of Jesus is such a feature. be found lying with a woman married to an husband, then they shall both of them die, both the man that lay with the woman, and the woman: so shalt thou put away evil from Israel. If a damsel that is a virgin be betrothed unto an husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her; then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of that city, and ye shall stone them with stones that they die; the damsel, because she cried not, being in the city; and the man, because he hath humbled his neighbour's wife: so thou shalt put away evil from among you" (Deut. xxii. 22-24). The circumstances of Mary and her child fit exactly into the conditions of this edict. She was a damsel betrothed to a husband, another "overshadowed" her, and had a child by her. a birth, under the exigence of Jewish law, could not have been suffered. The immaterial being on whom the paternity was founded would of course not be forthcoming, but the woman would be put to death. No Jew could possibly bring himself to believe that the deity would thus grossly violate his own law.

Such

The consequent walk on earth of an incarnate god is another feature that would be repelled by the Jewish mind. If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul" (Deut. xiii. 1-3). "The prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name,

which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die (Deut. xviii. 20). The test is neither the sign, nor the doctrine, but the object presented. Is any other deity, in addition to the one known God then held to be speaking, introduced to notice? That is the sole consideration by which the worshipers of Jehovah (Jahveh) were to govern themselves. A divinity in the flesh, encompassed with all the infirmities to which flesh is heir (Heb. iv. 15), would be, assuredly, some "other god" than the one believed to be ruling invisibly in the heavens; and no amount of testimony from miracles or doctrine could commend such a one for acceptance by a Jew as associable with the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob he was accustomed to adore.

A third stumbling-block for the Jew in matured Christianity is the representation that the death of Christ was accomplished sacrificially, in atonement for. the sins of the world. The Jew had been taught to look upon human sacrifice as an abomination such as characterized the followers of the execrable Moloch. When a prophet of his people could ask, with holy indignation, 'Shall I give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?" it would be inconceivable that the Almighty should take the step denounced and promote the immolation of his "only-begotten son" as a means of removing sin. If, when Abraham contemplated such an act, it was thought expedient to substitute a ram for his son for the sacrifice, it would be utter confusion to revert again to the human victim in substitution for the ram.

Of these three elements the early disseminators of the creed put forward in the name of Christ are shown, in the book of Acts, to have been absolutely free. Christ with them was a mere man, lineally descended from David, and receiving his honours and power, and his exalted position as the arbiter of the destinies of the human race, from God, after death, at his resurrection. The passport for mankind to the favour of God was personal repentance, and belief in Christ in his appointed headship; and the death of Christ, as the death of any other who had suffered for conscience sake, involved no more than martyrdom. There is just one passage in the Acts which may be held to attach a higher signification to the