their work; it is the identification of self with the object it has embraced, carried to its utmost limit.  It is regarded as vain-glory by those who see in the new teaching only the personal phantasy of the founder; but it is the finger of God to those who see the result.  The fool stands side by side here with the inspired man, only the fool never succeeds.  It has not yet been given to insanity to influence seriously the progress of humanity.

[Footnote 1:  The discourses which the fourth Gospel attributes to Jesus contain some germs of theology.  But these discourses being in absolute contradiction with those of the synoptical Gospels, which represent, without any doubt, the primitive Logia, ought to count simply as documents of apostolic history, and not as elements of the life of Jesus.]

[Footnote 2:  See Matt. ix. 9, and other analogous accounts.]

[Footnote 3:  See, for example, John xxi. 15, and following.]

Doubtless, Jesus did not attain at first this high affirmation of himself.  But it is probable that, from the first, he regarded his relationship with God as that of a son with his father.  This was his great act of originality; in this he had nothing in common with his race.[1] Neither the Jew nor the Mussulman has understood this delightful theology of love.  The God of Jesus is not that tyrannical master who kills us, damns us, or saves us, according to His pleasure.  The God of Jesus is our Father.  We hear Him in listening to the gentle inspiration which cries within us, “Abba, Father."[2] The God of Jesus is not the partial despot who has chosen Israel for His people, and specially protects them.  He is the God of humanity.  Jesus was not a patriot, like the Maccabees; or a theocrat, like Judas the Gaulonite.  Boldly raising himself above the prejudices of his nation, he established the universal fatherhood of God.  The Gaulonite maintained that we should die rather than give to another than God the name of “Master;” Jesus left this name to any one who liked to take it, and reserved for God a dearer name.  Whilst he accorded to the powerful of the earth, who were to him representatives of force, a respect full of irony, he proclaimed the supreme consolation—­the recourse to the Father which each one has in heaven—­and the true kingdom of God, which each one bears in his heart.

[Footnote 1:  The great soul of Philo is in sympathy here, as on so many other points, with that of Jesus. De Confus.  Ling., Sec. 14; De Migr.  Abr., Sec. 1; De Somniis, ii.  Sec. 41; De Agric.  Noe, Sec. 12; De Mutatione Nominum, Sec. 4.  But Philo is scarcely a Jew in spirit.]

[Footnote 2:  Galatians iv. 6.]