litical character of his Messianic doctrines. Nevertheless, we
are told that, failing in this attempt, the chief priests suborned false
witnesses to testify against him: this Sabbath-breaker, this derider of
Mosaic formalism, who with his Messianic pretensions excited the people
against their hereditary teachers, must at all events be put out of the
way. Jesus must suffer the fate which society has too often had in store
for the reformer; the fate which Sokrates and Savonarola, Vanini
and Bruno, have suffered for being wiser than their own generation.
Messianic adventurers had already given much trouble to the Roman
authorities, who were not likely to scrutinize critically the peculiar
claims of Jesus. And when the chief priests accused him before Pilate
of professing to be "King of the Jews," this claim could in Roman
apprehension bear but one interpretation. The offence was treason,
punishable, save in the case of Roman citizens, by crucifixion.

[21] Phases of Faith, pp. 158-164.

Such in its main outlines is the historic career of Jesus, as
constructed by our author from data furnished chiefly by the first
gospel. Connected with the narrative there are many interesting topics
of discussion, of which our rapidly diminishing space will allow us to
select only one for comment. That one is perhaps the most important of
all, namely, the question as to how far Jesus anticipated the views of
Paul in admitting Gentiles to share in the privileges of the Messianic
kingdom. Our author argues, with much force, that the designs of Jesus
were entirely confined to the Jewish people, and that it was Paul who
first, by admitting Gentiles to the Christian fold without requiring
them to live like Jews, gave to Christianity the character of a
universal religion. Our author reminds us that the third gospel is not
to be depended upon in determining this point, since it manifestly puts
Pauline sentiments into the mouth of Jesus, and in particular attributes
to Jesus an acquaintance with heretical Samaria which the first gospel
disclaims. He argues that the apostles were in every respect Jews, save
in their belief that Jesus was the Messiah; and he pertinently asks, if
James, who was the brother of Jesus, and Peter and John, who were his
nearest friends, unanimously opposed Paul and stigmatized him as a
liar and heretic, is it at all likely that Jesus had ever distinctly
sanctioned such views as Paul maintained?

In the course of many