intellect of
the scholar. What is uncertain is whether this achievement will be
made by any form of organised Christianity or is reserved for some
movement which cannot at present be recognised.[4]

To trace the whole of these syntheses would be a reasonable programme
for many volumes. These lectures are limited to the discussion of the
evolution of the first and the beginning of the second--that is to say,
the change of Christianity from a Jewish sect to a sacramental cult and
the beginning of the movement which introduced Greek metaphysics into
its theology.

At the beginning of the first century the control of the Jewish nation
was in the hands partly of Rome, partly of the high-priests and their
families. The latter, as was natural, held in the main a conservative
attitude towards the laws and customs of their people. They were rich
men--some of them probably could appreciate the culture if not the
thought of Rome--and the class in modern Europe which most closely {13}
resembles them is that of the aristocratic Turks of
Constantinople--orthodox but not enthusiastic adherents of the religion
of their fathers. They doubtless regarded themselves as the leaders of
the people: it was with them, naturally enough, that the Roman world
had to deal, and the price of their failure to keep the peace between
the populace and Rome was their political extinction and their personal
ruin. The populace demanded that the leaders should secure national
independence; Rome required that they should induce the people to cease
from asking it. The task was an impossible one, but history does not
accept impossibility as an excuse for failure.

Closely connected with them were the Herods, who at intervals assumed a
more or less dominating influence in Jewish affairs. At the time of
Christ one of the family was ruling over Galilee, and another was
destined in a short time to inherit not only this dominion but also
that of Judaea. But though for political purposes the Herods were
capable of playing Jewish cards, they had become completely absorbed
into the cosmopolitan society of the Empire. They were as little
typical of anything really Jewish as an educated Indian prince
frequenting London society is typical of Hinduism.

Ultimately more important than the high-priests or the Herods were two
other classes which were destined respectively to ruin their nation and
to save their church. The one was the party of the patriots, th