purify thyself with
them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads; and
all may know that those things whereof they were informed concerning
thee are nothing, but thou thyself also walkest orderly and keepest the
law."

Paul complied with this appeal and went through the rite which James
recommended. This clearly proves that he never regarded it as part of
his work to dissuade born Jews from living as Jews. It may be thought
that he ought to have done so--that his principles required a stern
opposition to everything associated with the dispensation which had
passed away. He understood them differently, however, and had a good
reason to render for the line he pursued.

We find him advising those who were called into the kingdom of Christ
being circumcised not to become uncircumcised, and those called in
uncircumcision not to submit to circumcision; and the reason he gives
is that circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. The
distinction was nothing more to him, in a religious point of view, than
the distinction of sex or the distinction of slave and master. In
short, it had no religious significance at all. If, however, a man
professed Jewish modes of life as a mark of his nationality, Paul had
no quarrel with him; indeed, in some degree he preferred them himself.
He stickled as little against mere forms as for them; only, if they
stood between the soul and Christ or between a Christian and his
brethren, then he was their uncompromising opponent. But he knew that
liberty may be made an instrument of oppression as well as bondage,
and, therefore, in regard to meats, for instance, he penned those noble
recommendations of self-denial for the sake of weak and scrupulous
consciences which are among the most touching testimonies to his utter
unselfishness.

162. Indeed, we have here a man of such heroic size that it is no easy
matter to define him. Along with the clearest vision of the lines of
demarcation between the old and the new in the greatest crisis of human
history and an unfaltering championship of principle when real issues
were involved, we see in him the most genial superiority to mere formal
rules and the utmost consideration for the feelings of those who did
not see as he saw. By one huge blow he had cut himself free from the
bigotry of bondage; but he never fell into the bigotry of liberty, and
had always far loftier aims in view than the mere logic of his own
pos