The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-02-22
THE CRITICS OF JESUS.
Character of the Savior Told by Rev.
Wallace Nutting.

wallace Nutting.
Rev. Wallace Nutting, at Plymouth
Congregational church, yesterday morn
ing addressed large congregation, in
spite of the rain which prevailed nearly all
morning. The services were held in the
lecture-room, as the auditorium is still
without seats or windows. Mr.. Nutting
preached upon the subject, "Jesus and
His Recent Critics" He took for his
text: Matt xxi :42-"What think We of
the Christ ?" and said:
A definition OF Jesus seems to be the effort of
the greatest minds OF the age As there are
some men whose biographies can be written in
a few pages. and contain nothing of importance,
so there are others who require volumes to set
forth the deeds aud the motives OF their lives.
There are even others who are so great that
many persons, looking from many points of
view, are scarce able to give US adequate idea
of the character that they describe. Now, il the
only basis of our judgment of Jesus is the end
less things that men have found TO say of Him,
we must for this reason alone place Him apart
from us as the summit OF Rainier stands apart
from its foothills. We see pictures of that great
peak which vary greatly. We wonder If they
can be true to the original. But when we
think moment we know that they have been
taken from different points of view; that they
are all true, and yet that none OF them alone or
all of them together are the whole truth.
Thus it should not surprise us that what We
now regard as among very important aspects OF
the life OF Jesus were not emphasized until
three, twelve, and even eighteen centuries after
His majestic figure appeared upon the plain OF
human vision. 1t should not disturb US that no
two discriminating persons believe altogether
the same things in regard to Jesus. and 1t should
not cause US to lose confidence in His unchange-
able form of glory that some still have very in
adequate visions of what He rcallyis. We easily
agree upon an Insignificant character, which
can be seen in a moment: let US persistently
continue the study OF the great lie OF Jesus
until, having learned what He is under every
circumstance of life-the mist the storm, the
sunshine--and having beheld Him from every
vantage ground OF our journey we reach the in
spiration point of the eternal morning when
we awake in His Likeness and see Him as He Is.
In His likeness, indeed, for the passion planted
bv Him, that shall urge us TO follow on TO know
the Lord will meantime be doing its transform
ing work and make the pursuing soul like the
pursued Jesus.
Jesus hiss of late been subjected to much
criticism by men who know how TO express their
criticisms in graphic manner. The successor
OF Beecher-Lymsu A bbott-has been Ieeturing
upon the evolution OF Christianity, ana the
representative men OF many schools OF thought
and rassion have criticised the critic. Some
times we fail TO recognize our great men I'LL
they are gone But If mistake not, DR.. Abbott
has shown himself a power, as a thinker and as
sneaker, second to few, If any, in our genera
tiou, Into the pulpit OF passion and personal
magnetism which Beecher filled. Dr.. ABBOTT mas
cone from an editors sauetum, and without
either of these greatest qualities OF Beecher
hnt purely by the power OF cold logic, ne has
talked his wsy into an audience FlNaling that
of his predecessor in numbers ana SURPRISING IL
in intellectual grasp; while at the same time ne
hiss nroyed the most aggressive,y suggestive OF
any modern preacher in the studies OF the
pastors OF the country.
ct MS hope that our inability to agree with
him always may not prevent Il proper appreeia-
ton on our part of what be has 70 say. Lei US
try To get some clear ideas Of what Jesus Is ana
IS not from the sidelights that have been iarowh
ON the Bible by DR.. Abbott, aad from ;he
structures that have been made upon ms re-
marks hy the most conservative OF the orthodox
drvines and especially by the most extreme OF
the Unitariaus, who was recently on this Coast,
ard vhoss name savage, dtly describes the
natur, of his attacks upon the orthodoxy OF
the day. - - ,,,,,
wbat think We of the Christ? Jesus Himself
,ste, the question He also asked or His DIS
cinles: "Nho do men say that ! ann ana
aWho saw We that anT" II is important that
we should answer these questions, for the fuit-
ness and the truthfulness OF our cehnition VII!
react powerfully upon ourselves. we shs4t
become to q great degree what We believe
Jesus is
Mr.. savage says: "How can man who lived
. ono wears ago be master, when we have no way
Of finding out what he really said or ala But
shor,ly after, in the same address, be proPounds
the question: "D!d Jesus do anything taat
mar did not do?' and he answers himself by
saving. .sNo" Now, want 10 ask how Mr.. saw
ace knows that! He claims shat Il is not pos