nasian Creed, and hears the ring of its determination to exact
assent. It had long since been clear to these Catholics and churchmen
that, with the mere authority of Scripture, it was not possible to
defend Christianity against the heretics. The heresies read their
heresies out of the Bible. The orthodox read orthodoxy from the same
page. Marcion had proved that, in the very days when the canon took its
shape. There must be an authority to define the interpretation of the
Scripture. Those who would share the benefits which the Church dispensed
must assent unconditionally to the terms of membership.

All these questions were veiled for the early Christians behind the
question of the kind of Christ in whom their hearts believed. With all
that we have said about the reprehensible admixture of the metaphysical
element in the dogma, with all the accusation which we bring concerning
acute or gradual Hellenisation, secularisation and defection from the
Christ, we ought not to hide from ourselves that in this gigantic
struggle there were real religious interests at stake, and that for the
men of both parties. Dimly, or perhaps vividly, the man of either party
felt that the conception of the Christ which he was fighting for was
congruous with the conception of religion which he had, or felt that he
must have. It is this religious issue, everywhere present, which gives
dignity to a struggle which otherwise does often sadly lack it. There
are two religious views of the person of Christ which have stood, from
the beginning, the one over against the other.[5] The one saw in Jesus
of Nazareth a man, distinguished by his special calling as the Messianic
King, endued with special powers, lifted above all men ever known, yet a
man, completely subject to God in faith, obedience and prayer. This view
is surely sustained by many of Jesus' own words and deeds. It shines
through the testimony of the men who followed him. Even the belief in
his resurrection and his second coming did not altogether do away with
it. The other view saw in him a new God who, descending from God,
brought mysterious powers for the redemption of mankind into the world,
and after short obscuring of his glory, returned to the abode of God,
where he had been before. From this belief come all the hymns and
prayers to Jesus as to God, all miracles and exorcisms in his name.

[Footnote 5: Wernle, _Einfzhrung in das Theologische Studium_, 1908, v.
204.]

In the long run,