Ecce Christianus, Or, Christ's Idea of the Christian Life (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1879 edition. Excerpt: ... SHAKESPERE CONTRASTED WITH THE NEW TESTAMENT.--Continued. WE purpose in the present chapter to do our best to arrive at the bold architectonic framework of some of Shakespere's greater plays. We have seen how he works in detail, in what manner he fills up his ideas. We have also seen what are the philosophical conceptions that underlie the "Tempest "; we now want to see what are the conceptions that underlie some other of his nobler works. Obtaining these, we shall fairly have gauged the intellectual calibre of the man Shakespere, and can then state, with something approaching certainty, what are his mental dimensions. Since it is palpable that his later works are much nobler, more comprehensive, more penetrative than his earlier, we shall deal chiefly with that group of tragedies which all the evidence goes to prove were elaborated during his closing years, when his genius had reached its richest and most matured expression. If out of these we select "King John," "Richard II.," "Macbeth" and "Hamlet," we shall have what will probably be sufficient for our purpose. It is not intended to make an exhaustive analysis of his works, but only to find out the size of the mind that fashioned them. If we find out what is the intellect that is in these plays, probably not much of Shakespere's greatness will escape us. In "King John" we have the assertion that an empire founded on fraud is inherently weak and must go to ruin. God and the whole law of righteousness are fighting against it, and those forces shall prove in the end mightier and more comprehensive than any conceivable power which a usurper can bring. "The ungodly shall not stand," is the declaration, "they are like the chaff that the wind driveth away." That original defect of right, ...