The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-03-08
THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER.


The truth is there are two oppo-
site descriptions Of character under
which mankind may generally be class
ed. The one possesses Vigor, firmness
resolution; is daring snd active, quick
in its sensibilitieS, jealous of its fame,
eager in it's attachments, inf1eXible in
its purpose, violent in it's resentments.
The other meek, yielding, complying,
forgiving; not prompt to act but will
ing to suffer; silent and gentle under
rudeness and insult. suing for recon-
Citation where others would demand
satisfaction, giving way to the pushes
of impudence, conceding and indulgent
to the prejudices, the wrong headed
ness, the intractability of those with
whom it has to deal.
The former of these characters is and
ever has been. the favorite of the
world. 1t is the character of great
men. There is a dignity in it which
universally commands respect.
The latter is poor spirited, tame and
abject. Yet so it hath happened, that
with the founder of Christianity, this
latter is the subject of his commenda-
ton. his precepts. his example; and
that the former Is so in no part of its
compoSition.-Paley
We think Paley is mistaken in thus
entirely separating the qualities that
enter into human character; and then
representing the group of gentler quail
tiles as being the one alone which the
Christ approved by the sanction of his
great example, and the force of his
precepts. We think this common error
as to the character of the great peas
ant-God teacher of Nazareth, has led
to very many false notions relative to
the duty of man and even the policy
of nations. 1t must be remembered, in
the first place, that the accounts we
have of the Messia1's life and teach
ings are at best but meagre and frag-
mentary; but even in those fragments
may be seen in his example at least,
enough to correct the broad statement
of Paley.
While it is true that all the patience,
long suffering, meekness, loneliness,
gentleness, Willingness to forgive
wrong, and even to submit to the
pushes of impudence. attributed to
Jesus by Paley may be found both in
his example and his precepts, yet it
is also true that enough evidence in
even our fragmenz airy histories of his
life, exists to give us glimpses of the
great truth that the other qualities
grouped together by Paley and set on
one side as belonging peculiarly to men
of the world also went to the making
up of that marvellous character who
taught men the way of truth in Ju-
dea. He could and did teach, it is
true. as no one else ever has
taught, the beauty of goodness, the
force of gentleness, the power of for
bearance. the strength of forgiveness,
the majesty of patient silence in the
presence of insolent authority-but at
other times he showed the vigor of
forceful expression, and even tried the
virtue of scourge of ropes on the backs
OF thieves and robbers as well as ex-
pletives. 1t is true that he at the first
sent out his disciples to be as lambs
among wolves, to go without purse and
without scrip. but on another &C.
caSion he told them to take
their swords with them, and if they
did not have one, then to sell their
cloak and buy one. Now the girding
on Of sword, to say the very least Of
it, means defense, defense means force,
and the employment Of force don't