The Jesus of the Evangelists: His Historical Character Vindicated; or, an Examination of the Internal Evidence for our Lord's Divine Mission, with reference to Modern Controversy. By the Rev. C. A. Row, M. A. [pp. 586-612]

6C)~ LLOW~8 J&s~~8 of l/~6 ~ca~~j~~1i~~. [OcTo~LR,
coiiception of tJ~e CI~i'ist ii~ust have originated, the inilneiiee
of tlie sn1~~posed pnrely 1ii~i~iaii ~`I~'~r~~'ter of tlie historie'{1 Jesus
s1i~~n1d be investigat~4. Tlie author, t}ieretbi'e, iii tlte tiiirteeiitl~ c'iia}~tei' of tiis b()Ol ii~~ui: es ii~to this iiiilnei~~e. ioi'
t}ie iiiercly 1init~an J~sus ~~t' I~ist~rv, ~vit1i tlie atinosl~ltei'e ~~f'
fh()n~'}1t in ~v1ii~1~ 1~e ~vas 1)O1'1~ aiid CdO('ated, c'oiistitnt~4 a
}~ttrt ot t}ie ii~ttteriats ii~ tite l~J'i)4s of liis f'ol1o~vers ~vlieii the5
be~'tii their Nv()I'k of' C1(IbOI('ttiI~(~ tl~e co ii~~eptioi~ of djVjli
Christ. ~nt Itis ~X'~I1tinatiOI1 of this 5ni)jC(~t our iiniits f't~rIJid
1~5 }t'trti~~~iiar}y to itotice.
~~~e ~vi11 no~r attei~d to tite author's discussion of the tri~t}~
C'O1it('t~IiCd ii) tlte sceond I)rop()sitiol), tit at tite }a'vs ~}tieIt
regtt]'tte deve}opn~ei~ts in t}ie itteitt~1 und si)irituai ~vv~r{d are
exeuediitgl~ sio~v ill their oi3eratI()i1. TIte c}iat-)ter ~Vi1ieI4 he
devotes to its coiisideratioii is eiititled " The law of' our icligi()tis and n~orai devclopiuei~t."
It has already beeit slioNvit that if' tlie portraiture of' tl~e
Jesus is an i11vei~ti{~it aitd 11()t a reality, it n~ttst have oi'i~iiiated ii~ tite state of Jewislt ideas aitd feelings prcvaleitt at the
cotntneneeineitt of our era, aitd must have l)eeli evolved froiti
hv
tlten~ a succession of gi'o~vths. Aitd these growths tunst
have been regulated by tlte ltw of' the developiticitt of' tl~e
ltui~~an itiind. Sui~}~ose tl~eit tl~at tite ilttcrval is very great
wltielt se~~arates tlte stirtiiig-poiitt of tlte coneeptioli of tlte
I~o1~t1~.tit1ire, lrjin titat }~OrtrtitnrC ill its full di iticilsiolis. Then
it is evideitt tltat the laws of' inetital developn~ent ought to be
verv s~vif~ in their operatit)n iii order to render })05si})lc tlte
1)rid~ring over that iitterval iii a short period of time. If, oii
tite eoi~ti'aI'y, all itistory teacites thit titose laws are exceed adual and slow tit their aeti{~it, it tollo~vs titat tlte
5upp~)sition is absurd that tlte utytliologists iii tlteir creatioits
advanced, iii a fe~~ ~~ e~ti, fi 0111 tite potitt at`vItteli tltey tnust
ltave started to t}te full and glorious coitce~~tion of tite Jesus
w ito is portrayed
lit 0111 (~osp~l~. ~ o~~, tltat de~ Cl01)iItCittS
ill tite world of' initid proceed by very gradual stages, tlte
autlior pro v Cs b}t n~aity illustratioiis. lie poiitts out tlic cxceediitgiy giadual pi'ogress of pltiloso1tlty a~d of art, and of
tite ~ jtittii teligion~ of inaitl~iit~l, atid slto'v~ that ttt5~tltic ercatioiis tittist also follow a definite law of' gi'owtlt. TIte witole