hem, and they
dared not speak against him.[5] It was a victory which the ideas of
the multitude gained over the priestly aristocracy. When the chief
priests were compelled to declare themselves explicitly on this point,
they were considerably embarrassed.[6]

[Footnote 1: Matt. xiv. 5, xxi. 26.]

[Footnote 2: Matt. vi. 14; Mark vi. 15; John i. 21.]

[Footnote 3: Matt. xiv. 2; Luke ix. 8.]

[Footnote 4: Luke iii. 15, and following; John i. 20.]

[Footnote 5: Matt. xxi. 25, and following; Luke vii. 30.]

[Footnote 6: Matt., _loc. cit._]

Baptism with John was only a sign destined to make an impression, and
to prepare the minds of the people for some great movement. No doubt
he was possessed in the highest degree with the Messianic hope, and
that his principal action was in accordance with it. "Repent," said
he, "for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."[1] He announced a "great
wrath," that is to say, terrible calamities which should come to
pass,[2] and declared that the axe was already laid at the root of the
tree, and that the tree would soon be cast into the fire. He
represented the Messiah with a fan in his hand, collecting the good
wheat and burning the chaff. Repentance, of which baptism was the
type, the giving of alms, the reformation of habits,[3] were in John's
view the great means of preparation for the coming events, though we
do not know exactly in what light he conceived them. It is, however,
certain that he preached with much power against the same adversaries
as Jesus, against rich priests, the Pharisees, the doctors, in one
word, against official Judaism; and that, like Jesus, he was specially
welcomed by the despised classes.[4] He made no account of the title
"son of Abraham," and said that God could raise up sons unto Abraham
from the stones of the road.[5] It does not seem that he possessed
even the germ of the great idea which led to the triumph of Jesus, the
idea of a pure religion; but he powerfully served this idea in
substituting a private rite for the legal ceremonies which required
priests, as the Flagellants of the Middle Ages were the precursors of
the Reformation, by depriving the official clergy of the monopoly of
the sacraments and of absolution. The general tone of his sermons was
stern and severe. The expressions which he used against his
adversaries appear to have been most violent.[6] It was a harsh and
continuous invective. It is probable that he did not remain quite a
stranger