He established no institutions with formal constitutions. He did not draw up a code—not so much as a system of moral philosophy. He left no “theological institutes,” with precise definitions and exact limitations. Some of his true friends have done their best at such work; he did not. Theirs is a man’s way; his was not.
He left no formal creed2; he never mentioned such a thing; he did not seem to think of it at all. It is so much a man’s way to do such things that we are not yet familiar with the idea that Jesus did not. It comes to many with a sudden surprise when they discover that Jesus said not a word about systematic3 theology, that to many is so precious. In all his words are no “articles of religion;” not a hint of them. He did not so much as put into form a doctrine4 of his own nature and person. Very often and in many ways he spoke5 of himself and God, and of his relation to the eternal Father, but he made no definition. Often he spoke of himself, of the Father and of the Holy Ghost, but he said not a word of the “hypostatic union” of three persons in one Godhead; not a word of the “economic relations” of the Holy Trinity.
Some good people, if they chance to read what is here put down, will be so certain in their own minds that Jesus did employ some of the methods of a mere6 man, in order to preserve his teachings in the world, that they will suspect the writer of irreverence7; at least of indifference8, if not of something they think less of, in what is said concerning “creeds” and “theologies.” They will be in error, as is common with them on such questions; the writer is only stating facts that no man can deny as to what Jesus did and did not do. Some admirable and good people have not yet learned the difference between arguing for their Church and pleading for Christianity; between defending their own notions and expounding9 the teachings of Jesus. And not a few confound their notions about God with the fact of his existence, as others mistake their theory of inspiration for the divine authority of the Holy Scriptures10.
Our way of teaching is a man’s way. If it is the best we can do let us be content; if not, let us amend11 our way. But let us not defend our way by pleading his example; let us follow our way because it is our way, if there be no better reason. Certain it is that the way Jesus took of teaching and perpetuating12 his doctrines13 was not a man’s way in any respect whatever.
Jesus wrote no book—not a line. He founded no school or other training institution; his three years’ loving and painstaking14 companionship with his disciples15 was indeed a training, but it was not an institution. This does not mean that his friends should not do such things; it is the only way they can do: but he did not do such things.
He did not so much as establish a Church; the Church grew out of his life as well as out of his teachings; it was compacted by the sympathy of men, women, and little children of common beliefs and hopes; above all, by the sympathy born of a common love for him—this far more, then as now, than by what they understood or believed of his teachings. He left for the government of the Church “no rules of order,” no book of “discipline.” He ordained16 no form of church government, “with checks and balances,” whatever. All those things may be good, and order in government is necessary; but he did not provide them. He left all such things to the common sense and best judgment17, guided by providence18 and the Holy Spirit, of his disciples. In Church as well as State the principle is this: God ordains19 the power; he does not prescribe the form; he ordains government, but leaves the form of it to the good sense and personal preferences of those who are to live under it.
All these things we have mentioned here belong to the works and ways of men; they are good or bad as they serve the ends of his kingdom. Moses, though an inspired lawgiver, yet a mere man, gave many forms and prescribed the order of doing many things; Jesus, the divine man, gave none.
In nothing is Jesus more unlike men than in his utter disregard of “forms” in the doing of the duties he enjoined20. He has no word about forms except the terrible words he used concerning the many forms punctiliously21 observed by certain Pharisees and hypocrites who were playing at religion. His life was full of worship, but he left not a hint as to any forms or attitudes for devotion. That simplest and most comprehensive of all prayers, “Our Father, who art in heaven,” is not a form; he said, “After this manner pray ye.” The prayer might take any form of words, or leave all words unsaid. And this prayer he gave his disciples in response to a request for a form. Jesus had no forms; he cared for none.
Nor did Jesus care for the “letter,” except as to the danger that good men might make a fetish of it. He said of the “letter, it killeth;” “the Spirit giveth life.” The Spirit is every thing, the letter nothing. If we were to use of him the language that fits the case of a man we would feel like saying, Jesus looked upon punctilious22 eagerness about “forms” and the “letter” as mere child’s play, that he scorned such unspiritual folly23.
This is certain: the only thing he denounced in a tone that was almost anger was zealous24 adherence25 to the form and to the letter, and sanctimonious26 contentment with this poor substitute for religion when the spirit of worship and service was dead. It will be the plainer to us that his was very far from being a man’s way when we remember that, with men, the less of spirit and reality an institution has the more anxious they are about mere form and letter. A spiritually dead man will contend more zealously27 about the form of a duty than the duty itself. And this is not unnatural28; when a Church is dead there is nothing left but form—a body ready for burial.
What terrific words Jesus used in what he said of such things! Let us hear him and try to understand how much he means for us of to-day:
“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe29 of mint, and anise, and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone30.
“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchers32, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.”
Had Jesus been only a man, conceiving vast plans for propagating his doctrines and perpetuating his kingdom, he would have done all the things he did not do. He would have relied on force, money, diplomacy33, argument. He would have considered what human selfishness is, and he would have appealed to it. He would have provided institutions and have founded schools. There would have been a “propaganda” compassing the world in its plans, and his agents would have been drilled in forms and methods after the manner of men. He would, to have been at all like a man in his plans, have left a system of “ethics” or “theology.” He would have formulated34 a “creed”; he would have drawn35 up a “constitution” with “bylaws” for his Church, stating in terms every principle and providing, according to the foresight36 given him, for every contingency37, as did John Wesley with his Discipline and Legal Hundred. (Can it be necessary to say this illustration is no reflection upon the great and good English reformer, who was a mere man?) He would have set for rigid38 observance forms and ceremonies of which he had none and prescribed none, not so much as telling men how they were to do in the matter of the sacraments—baptism and the memorial supper.
Mere men always do such things. Jesus did not adopt a man’s way in any of his work or plans, unless we except those who have learned of him something of the divine art of doing good to the souls and bodies of men.
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1
perpetuate
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| v.使永存，使永记不忘 | |
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creed
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| n.信条；信念，纲领 | |
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systematic
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| adj.有系统的，有计划的，有方法的 | |
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doctrine
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| n.教义；主义；学说 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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irreverence
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| n.不尊敬 | |
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indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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expounding
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| 论述，详细讲解( expound的现在分词 ) | |
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scriptures
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| 经文，圣典( scripture的名词复数 )； 经典 | |
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amend
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| vt.修改，修订，改进；n.[pl.]赔罪，赔偿 | |
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perpetuating
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| perpetuate的现在进行式 | |
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doctrines
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| n.教条( doctrine的名词复数 )；教义；学说；（政府政策的）正式声明 | |
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painstaking
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| adj.苦干的；艰苦的，费力的，刻苦的 | |
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disciples
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| n.信徒( disciple的名词复数 )；门徒；耶稣的信徒；（尤指）耶稣十二门徒之一 | |
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16
ordained
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| v.任命（某人）为牧师( ordain的过去式和过去分词 )；授予（某人）圣职；（上帝、法律等）命令；判定 | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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ordains
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| v.任命（某人）为牧师( ordain的第三人称单数 )；授予（某人）圣职；（上帝、法律等）命令；判定 | |
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enjoined
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| v.命令( enjoin的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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punctiliously
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punctilious
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| adj.谨慎的，谨小慎微的 | |
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folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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zealous
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| adj.狂热的，热心的 | |
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adherence
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| n.信奉，依附，坚持，固着 | |
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sanctimonious
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| adj.假装神圣的，假装虔诚的，假装诚实的 | |
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zealously
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| adv.热心地；热情地；积极地；狂热地 | |
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unnatural
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| adj.不自然的；反常的 | |
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tithe
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| n.十分之一税；v.课什一税，缴什一税 | |
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undone
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| a.未做完的，未完成的 | |
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gnat
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| v.对小事斤斤计较，琐事 | |
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sepulchers
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| n.坟墓，墓穴( sepulcher的名词复数 )；圣物置放处v.埋葬( sepulcher的第三人称单数 ) | |
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diplomacy
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| n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕 | |
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formulated
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| v.构想出( formulate的过去式和过去分词 )；规划；确切地阐述；用公式表示 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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foresight
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| n.先见之明，深谋远虑 | |
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contingency
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| n.意外事件，可能性 | |
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rigid
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| adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的 | |
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