sayings shocking to the moral sense. Yet this is confessedly the highest
level of human reason on the lines of spirituality, when unaided by
alleged revelation.

Two things may be said in reply. First, that the Jews (Rabbis) of
Christ's period had enunciated most of Christ's ethical sayings. But,
even so far as this is true, the sayings were confessedly extracted or
deduced from the Old Testament, and so _ex hypothesi_ due to original
inspiration. Again, it is not very far true, because, as _Ecce Homo_
says, the ethical sayings of Christ, even when anticipated by Rabbis and
the Old Testament, were _selected_ by Him.


It is a general, if not a universal, rule that those who reject
Christianity with contempt are those who care not for religion of any
kind. 'Depart from us' has always been the sentiment of such. On the
other hand, those in whom the religious sentiment is intact, but who
have rejected Christianity on intellectual grounds, still almost deify
Christ. These facts are remarkable.

If we estimate the greatness of a man by the influence which he has
exerted on mankind, there can be no question, even from the secular
point of view, that Christ is much the greatest man who has ever lived.

It is on all sides worth considering (blatant ignorance or base
vulgarity alone excepted) that the revolution effected by Christianity
in human life is immeasurable and unparalleled by any other movement in
history; though most nearly approached by that of the Jewish religion,
of which, however, it is a development, so that it may be regarded as of
a piece with it. If thus regarded, this whole system of religion is so