Christianty without Christ [pp. 352-362]

1876.] CHRISTIANITY ~~ITHOUT CLIRIST. 359
And hence, too, an avowed atheist is told, that if he sits up
all night with a sick child, he is a Christian, whatever he may
think. A popular poem-popular because of the sentiment
which it teaches-represents the recording angel as placing at
the head of those who love God, the name of the man who
could only say; "~Vnte me as one who loves my fellow-men."
The love of our fbllow-men is thus made the highest form of
religion. This is below even natural religion. It ignores God
as well as Christ. Yet this is the doctrine which we find,
variously sugared over and combined, in poetry, in novels, in
magazines, and even in religious journals.
The doctrine which makes benevolence, the desire or purpose to promote the happiness not of our fellow-men merely,
but of being in general, or all beings, logically, and often
actually, results essentially in the same thing. All religion, all
moral excellence consists in benevolence. Our only obligation
is so to act as to promote the greatest good. This is the motive and the end of obedience. According to the New Testament, the motive to obedience is the love of Christ, the rule
of obedience is the will of Chnst, and its end the glory of
Christ. Every Christian is benevolent; but his benevolence
does not make him a Christian; his Christianity makes him
benevolent. Throughout all ages the men who have labored
most and suffered most for the good of others, have been
Christians-men animated and controlled by (?hrist's love to
them, and by their love to Christ. It is evident that the
spiritual life-the inward religious state-of the man to whom
it is Christ to live, is very different from that of the man who
lives for the happiness of the universe. A man n~ight thus
live if there were no Christ.
Another form of religion in which Christ fails to occupy liis
proper position, is that which assumes God to be merely a moral
governor, of infinite power and benevolence. Being infinitely
benevolent, he desires the well being of his kingdom. To for~ive sin without some suitable manifestation of his disapprobation of sin, would be inconsistent with a wise benevolence.
Christ makes that manifestation in his sufferings and death.
Then he retires; henceforth we have nothing to do with him
we have to deal with God on the principles of natural religion;
we must submit to his authority, obey his commandments, and