infirmity but the power of
God makes every man a high priest, who offers up himself to live and
work for the salvation of all. "Whosoever believeth in Him should not
perish, but have everlasting life." God's promises are true and the
reader has only to study the Epistle of Paul to the Hebrews, to be
convinced that the sacerdotal office of the priest sooner or later has
to go out of existence as the spirit of Christ spreads upon the hearts
of men and women and the knowledge of His salvation makes them "Priests
unto God and His Father" and thus establish God's kingdom upon the solid
foundations of love. Then shall they all be made unto kings and priests,
and they shall reign upon the earth. (Rev. 1-6, etc.)
CHAPTER V
_Philosophy vs. Christianity_
In Plato's dialogue upon the duties of religious worship, a passage
occurs the design of which appears to be to show that man could not, of
himself, learn either the nature of the Gods, or the proper manner of
worshiping them, unless an instructor should come from Heaven. The
following remarkable passage occurs between Socrates and Alcibiades:
Socrates--"To me it appears best to be patient. It is necessary to wait
till you learn how you ought to act towards the Gods, and towards men."
Alcibiades--"When, O Socrates, shall that time be? And who shall
instruct me? For most willingly would I see this person, who he is."
Socrates--"He is one who cares for you; but, as Homer represents Minerva
as taking away darkness from the eyes of Diomedes; that he might
distinguish a God from a man, so it is necessary that he should first
take away the darkness from your mind, and then bring near those things
by which you shall know good and evil."
Alcibiades--"Let him take away the darkness, or any other thing, if he
will; for whoever this man is, I am prepared to refuse none of the
things which he commands, if I shall be made better."
Philosophy, led the Greeks to Christ, as the Law did the Jewish. The
wisdom of the world in their efforts to give truth and happiness to the
human soul, was foolishness with God, and the wisdom of God--Christ
crucified--was foolishness with the philosophers, in relation to the
same subject; yet it was divine Philosophy. An adopted means, and the
only adequate means, to accomplish the necessary end. Said an apostle in
speaking upon this subject, the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek
after wisdom; but we preach Christ Crucified, unto the
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