of much
that is most dear to Christianity, if it is made plain that even where
there is strong denial there is also much reference to Christ, it may
have more weight than the most cogent arguments or the most glowing
appeals of orthodox divines or devout believers. The Evangelists
delight to record instances of unexpected, unfriendly, unimpeachable
testimony to the power of Christ. It is not only that the
simple-minded people were astonished at His doctrine, but that the
soldiers who were sent to silence Him {181} returned, smitten with
amazement, saying, 'Never man spake like this Man.' It is not only
that a grateful penitent washed His Feet with tears, but that the
unprincipled governor who sentenced Him to death declared 'I find in
Him no fault at all.' It is not only that an Apostle confesses, 'Thou
art the Christ the Son of the Living God,' but that the centurion who
watched over His Crucifixion exclaimed, 'Certainly this was a Righteous
Man: this was a Son of God.' It is similar unprejudiced witness that
we may hear around us still, the witness of those who profess to have
another rule of life than ours, and to be in no degree influenced by
our traditions. We must not expect too much from this kind of
evidence: we must not expect clear logical proof of every article
rightly or wrongly identified with the popularly termed 'orthodox'
Creed. It would destroy the value of the evidence {182} simply to
quote orthodox doctrines in orthodox language. What we rather offer is
the testimony of those who have resigned their grasp on much that we
may deem essential. It is because in a sense we may call them
'enemies' that we ask them to be 'judges' in the great controversy. It
is exactly because they are incredulous, or sceptical, or irreligious
that we cite them at all. We confine ourselves to the utterances of
men who are commonly cited as hostile to the commonly accepted Faith of
Christ, or who do not rank among the number of His nominal disciples,
or who at least have discussed His claims by critical and historical
methods, endeavouring fairly to take into account all the facts which
the circumstances warrant. We say to those who disown the authority of
Christ: It is not to the words of Evangelists or preachers that your
attention is sought: it is to the words of those whom you {183} profess
to respect, of those because of whose supposed antagonism to
Christianity you are rejecting Him. We ask you to listen to