Contents. xiii CHAPTER VIII. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CHRISTIAN Christianity absolute and historical These characteristics complementary answering to infinite and finite Christianity absolute (a) For all men This universality recognised from the first PAGE 228 228 229 229 230 231 St Paul at Athens. Gal. iii. 26 ff., Col. iii. 10 f. 232 233 The Christian idea of human brotherhood con- (b) For the whole of man This the teaching of the Resurrection (c) For all finite being . The teaching of the Apocalypse 234 235 237 The claims of Christianity unique Partial views of Christianity The need of keeping in mind its largest scope All involved in the unique fact of the Incar In this our view of life becomes Theocentric 248 249 250 251 253 (i) Christianity historical in its antecedents The successive Covenants The office of Israel for the nations (ii) Christianity historical in essence PAGE 254 256 256 256 257 258 260 261 262 265 266 268 270 272 273 The Gospel lies in the Person of Christ Revelation through facts . Progressive apprehension of the message of the Past Christian history the record of the victor- Interpretation of facts contrasted with the logi- Present importance of the study of Church 282 CHAPTER X. THE VERIFICATION OF THE CHRISTIAN SOLUTION OF THE PROBLEMS OF LIFE. Contents. The need of a revelation from the condition of man. Faith uses the new materials and interprets their larger XV PAGE 288 290 292 294 In Him the human and super-human are harmoniously and through His perfections a new revelation of 298 It lies in its fitness to fulfil the destiny of man 304 306 THE PREFACE. HE following Chapters give the substance of Lectures which I gave from time to time (to small classes of students) during the twenty years of my work at Cambridge. The thoughts which they contain have been constantly tested in private discussion, and I have found in them guidance and support in looking at the spectacle of the world-of man and of nature-full as it is of sufferings and sorrows and failures. No one can feel more keenly than I do how fragmentary and imperfect is the expression of facts and truths which I have pondered long1. At least I have 1 It was my intention to have added notes on the Modes and Epochs of Revelation, on the characteristics of Judaism, on the sacred Books of præ-Christian religions and on the Historical Development of Christian Doctrine, for which I have collected materials; but it is now hardly likely that I shall be able to bring the materials into a proper shape, and those who are interested in the lines of study which I have indicated will naturally seek to supply what is wanting in this respect from other sources. |