character. These different views do not exclude each other, and so of course have been more or less blended together. But still with each side, one view has been predominant, and the other subordinate. Whatever other difference relative to Christ may have existed on the surface, this has been the one at the foundation; and as men have embraced one side or the other, a different direction or different color has been given to all their other views of Christianity. Therefore, and justly, we repeat, at all times Christians have held correct views of Christ to be of primary importance.

Ever since the Apostolic days, the tendency has been to make the metaphysical view of Christ the essential and only important one. However a few may have felt, the mass of Christians have held the moral view of Christ, wholly subordinate. Men have never been martyred because they held too low notions of the Savior's character. His character has formed no subject for creeds. But creeds have almost always been filled with speculations as to his nature. To sustain particular views on this point, no efforts, no penalties have been thought too great. For this churches have hurled denunciations against heretics; for this the Inquisition has dug dungeons; and armies have been arrayed with hostile banners; and the sky of Christendom been made red with the flames of martyrdom. Christians often have not merely ceased to imitate, but have ceased to think of, the character of Christ, in contentions about his

nature.

Now we do not doubt, we believe, that errors may arise as to Christ's nature, fruitful in evil results. But still we hold all speculations and all beliefs as to his nature

to be of very small consequence in comparison with just conceptions of his character. Many reasons might be given for this; but it will be sufficient for our present purpose to refer to two or three of them.

Had a definite and accurate faith in Christ's nature been necessary, we cannot doubt that it would have been revealed distinctly, as the doctrine of a Future Life is revealed. That it has not been so revealed is evident from the fact, that, for nearly seventeen hundred years, the question, as to what his nature is, has been agitated, and as yet does not approach to a settlement. And the fact that it is not referred to in the New Testament except incidentally, if at all, shows, that neither our Savior, nor his Apostles, regarded it an important subject for us to dwell upon.

Again, speculations as to Christ's nature must be of subordinate interest, because it is one of those cases in which, (though positive errors on the subject, when made prominent as articles of faith and incorporated with creeds, might lead to much evil,) a knowledge of the truth could do little good. What has belief in Christ's nature, whether it be understood to be divine, or super-angelic, or angelic, or human, to do with a virtuous and holy life? He, who believes that Christ was subordinate to the Father, believes that the Father spake through him, and therefore that the commands of Christ are divine, and that all the truths and laws and motives he has given are divine, resting on a divine authority. To the Trinitarian and to the Unitarian the Bible is the same and its authority the Though the Unitarian believe that the truths of the

same.

Gospel came through an

appointed Mediator, he believes no less than that they

came from God as their source; and the Trinitarian can believe no more. Whichever way one may believe, every law of God for the moral and religious life on earth, and every hope of heaven are left untouched.

There is a still more important consideration. The making of a correct faith in Christ's nature the prominent thing disconnects our faith in him from the heart and conscience and life, and makes it a mere matter for the intellect. If we look at Christ's nature alone, we have in him neither standard of duty, nor object of imitation. The view is purely intellectual. Hence, as the intellect has to do with opinions alone, a correct belief came to be considered the all-important thing. And this mode of viewing Christ has fostered that monstrous error which has thrown a baneful shade over Christendom; namely, that intellectual opinions, of and for themselves, are of primary importance in religion. Hence creeds have been filled with nice distinctions as to Christ's nature, and assent to them made a test of fitness for salvation. Religion has sometimes been made a matter for the intellect so far, that while an Alexander VI. might be at the head of the Romish Church, and a Henry VIII. at the head of the English, he, whose intellectual opinions varied from theirs, though endowed with all the virtues, might be deemed, by the general sentiment of the age, worthy of martyrdom. This making of the metaphysical view of Christ the important one has done more than any other single thing, to confirm that enormous evil of making opinion the standard of Christian attainment, an evil which, like the folds of the serpent, envelops our religion and presses out its life.

But, instead of dwelling on the reasons that cause us

to dissent from those who make the nature of Christ the important thing in a faith in him, we prefer to consider some of the reasons that induce us to attach a far higher importance to just notions of his character.

As on one side men have looked almost solely at the nature of Christ, and have elevated that to the rank of Deity, so others have vibrated to the opposite side, and thought that Christ, as a person, was of little importance in his religion. To us it seems that in his religion, Christ, ― because of his character, not nature, - is as the sun, the illuminator and interpreter of all that is dark. He is the living manifestation of all that it is most important for us to know in the spiritual world. In his character we see those things, which of all others, as Christians and accountable beings, it most concerns us to have knowledge of; the character of God; an interpretation of the moral laws of God; and a perfect standard of moral excellence. We shall make some remarks on each of these points, in order to show how essential in Christianity is the character of Christ, how important the moral view of him.

1. In the character of Christ, the character of God is revealed. In the words of the Savior; He that hath seen me, hath seen the Father.

Correct notions of the character of God lie at the foundation of all true religion and of nearly all true morality and moral happiness. It is so because the character of God determines all his laws, and consequently all religious duty and hope. Hence a correct knowledge of the Divine Being is the most important knowledge that a human being can have. As far as our conceptions of his character

are erroneous, duty loses its true guide and hope is built on the sand.

But how are we to arrive at just conceptions of the Divine character? Nature has not at any time disclosed it to men. Where shall we go for light? To the Scrip

and good.

But

turés, it is said, and truly said. There we are taught in the plainest words that God is just even here we meet with a difficulty. What is justice, what is beneficence? We must go to our own hearts for an answer. In them we find certain sentiments, to which we give the names justice and beneficence, and by these we interpret the words when made use of to describe the character of God. But how liable we are here to error. We see the Deity through ourselves; and just as far as our characters are corrupted and perverted, we shall mis. take the character of God. We look at him through a distorted medium, and his character appears distorted. Each man, it has been said, makes his own Deity. To the hard and austere, he appears as an inexorable judge. To the vindictive, his prominent characteristic will appear to be a readiness to avenge himself on his enemies. The tender and forgiving will see in him a God of mercy only. Thus every man's notions of Deity will be nar rowed or perverted by his own peculiarities of character. We need something, when we endeavor to form just ideas of God, which shall aid us to correct those aberrations of our minds, occasioned by the unseen under-currents of our passions or defective moral feelings.

This aid we find in the character of Christ. The Divine Being seems afar from us. He is clothed in clouds and darkness. And mere abstract descriptions of him in words, often but the vague and indefinite symbols of