ANALYSIS OF THE LECTURES.

LECTURE I.

THE QUESTION BEFORE US.

St. Matt. xvi. 13.

The Question before us in these Lectures is proposed by

our Lord Himself, and is a strictly theological one

Its import 1. as affirming that Christ is the Son of Man

2. as enquiring what He is besides

I. Enduring interest of the question thus raised even for
non-believers

II. Three answers to it are possible-

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II

1. The Humanitarian

2. The Arian

3. The Catholic

Of these the Arian is unsubstantial, so that prac-

tically there are only two

III. The Catholic answer

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1. jealously guards the truth of Christ's Manhood 18

2. secures its full force to the idea of Godhead . 26

IV. Position taken in these Lectures stated

Objections to the necessary discussion-

a. From the ground of Historical Estheticism

B. From the ground of 'Anti-doctrinal' Morality

y. From the ground of Subjective Pietism.

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Analysis of the Lectures.

LECTURE II.

ANTICIPATIONS OF CHRIST'S DIVINITY IN THE OLD TESTAMENT.

Gal. iii. 8.

Principle of the Organic Unity of Scripture-Its import-
ance in the argument.

I. Foreshadowings-

a. Indications in the Old Testament of a Plurality

of Persons within the One Divine Essence

B. The Theophanies; their import

7. The Divine 'Wisdom'

1. in the Hebrew Canon

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Probable Providential purpose of Philo's speculations.

II. Predictions and Announcements-

Hope in a future, a moral necessity for men and nations 73

Secured to Israel in the doctrine of an expected

Messiah

Four stages observable in the Messianic doctrine-

a. From the Protevangelium to the death of Moses
B. Age of David and Solomon

y. From Isaiah to Malachi

8. After Malachi

Contrast between the original doctrine and the se-
cularized form of it

Christ was rejected for appealing from the debased

to the original doctrine

Conclusion: The foregoing argument illustrated—

1. from the emphatic Monotheism of the Old

Testament

2. from its full description of Christ's Manhood .

Analysis of the Lectures.

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LECTURE III.

OUR LORD'S WORK IN THE WORLD A WITNESS TO HIS DIVINITY.

St. Matt. xiii. 54-56.

I. Our Lord's 'Plan' (caution as to the use of the ex-

pression)

Its substance the formation of a world-wide spi-
ritual society, in the form of a kingdom

It is set forth in His Discourses and Parables.
Its two leading characteristics-

2. Objections from losses and difficulties, con-

sidered

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3. Internal empire of Christ over souls

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4. External results of His work observable in

human society

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III. How to account for the success of our Lord's 'Plan'-

1. Not by reference to the growth of other

Religions

2. Not by the 'causes' assigned by Gibbon
3. Not by the hypothesis of a favourable crisis.
which ignores the hostility both of a. Judaism
and B. Paganism

But only by the belief in, and truth of Christ's Divinity

LECTURE IV.

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OUR LORD'S DIVINITY AS WITNESSED BY HIS CONSCIOUSNESS.

St. John x. 33.

The Christ of history' none other than the 'Christ of

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Analysis of the Lectures.

A. The Miracles of the Gospel History-

Their bearing upon the question of Christ's Person.

Christ's Moral Perfection bound up with their reality

B. Our Lord's Self-assertion.

I. First stage of His Teaching chiefly Ethical

marked by a. silence as to any moral defect.

B. intense authoritativeness

II. Second stage: increasing Self-assertion

which is justified by dogmatic revelations of His

Divinity

a. in His claim of co-equality with the Father

B. in His assertion that He is essentially one

with the Father

7. in His references to His actual Pre-exist-

ence

Ground of Christ's condemnation by the Jews

III. Christ's Self-assertion viewed in its bearing upon

His Human Character:

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LECTURE V.

THE DOCTRINE OF CHRIST'S DIVINITY IN THE WRITINGS OF

ST. JOHN.

I St. John i. 1-3.

St. John's Gospel 'the battle-field' of the New Testament

I. Ancient and modern objections to its claims

Witness of the second century

Its distinctive internal features may be explained

generally by its threefold purpose-

Analysis of the Lectures.

II. It is a Life of the Eternal Word made flesh

Doctrine of the Eternal Word in the Prologue.

Manifestation of the Word, as possessing the Divine
Perfections

of 1. Life

2. Love

3. Light

The Word identical with the only-begotten Son

III. It is in doctrinal and moral unison with-

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IV. Its Christology is in essential unison with that of the

Synoptists. Observe-

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1. their use of the title Son of God'

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2. their account of Christ's Nativity

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3. their report of His Doctrine and Work, and

4. of His eschatological discourses

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Summary

V. It incurs the objection that a God-Man is philosophi-

cally incredible

This objection misapprehends the Scriptural and Ca-

tholic Doctrine.

Mysteriousness of our composite nature illustrative of

the Incarnation .

VI. St. John's writings oppose an insurmountable barrier

to the Theory of a Deification by Enthusiasm

Significance of St. John's witness to the Divinity of

Christ

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