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ECCE ORATOR I
Christ the Orator,
OR
NEVER MAN SPAKE LIKE THISMAN.
. ?" By
REV. T. ALEXANDER HYDE.
Author of " The Natural System of Elocution and Oratory," " How to
Study Character" " The True Basis for Science of Mind," " The
Boy Crusoes" "Remedy for Social Evils," " The Early
Church," " How to Make the Clergy Better Speakers,"
" Heroism of Christ," " The Silver Cord,"
"Phillips Brooks," etc.
BOSTON:
ARENA PUBLISHING COMPANY,
COPLEY SQUARE.
1893.
^-
THF
ipur
1
4i> _ <.j'.^. ->â–
/?©7©», tfcHOA AND
TItDgW FOON0AT1ON8.
i^07
COPYRiailT, 1893
By T. ALEXANDPJR HYDE
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Arena Prens.
^Mrs.S.V.V.Huntmgton
0(3tJ31 1906
/
£ BEJDXGATXOM. J
To Her, from whose loving lips
in the dawn of childhood, I first learned the
beauty, power and sweetness
of the English tongue; and who, as my mind
expanded and thirst for knowledge
grew, taught me, in matchless eloquence of
love, all that makes the soul right
and the heart strong, My MOTHER, in lov-
ing gratitude this book is dedicated
^r Tii-i^ :iUTEOE.
/
NOTE TO THE PREFACE.
During tlie preparation of this book for publication,
the author contributed a short article on the subject
of " Christ as an Orator " to the North American
Review. The article was very favorably received,
and many readers, including ministers and educators,
voluntarily addressed the author, care of the Eeview
and personally, writing in high praise of the subject
and of its excellent treatment, and expressing an
earnest desire that the author would furnish the pub-
lic with a more extended elucidation of this most im-
portant subject in book form. The author therefore
gladly avails himself of the present opportunity of
returning thanks for their favorable criticism, and it
gives him much pleasure to comply with their desire
for a more extended treatment. The present volume
was in preparation before the essay mentioned above
was written, and embraces all the topics so concisely
stated in the article, with many others of still greater
importance.
September, 1893.
/
PREFACE,
i
THIS book is published with the hope of calling
attention to a very important but much neg-
lected subject, " Christ as an Orator." Since Christ
came to manifest ^God and tyj^ical life to man, He
was not only the trutli.but also the expression or pat-
tern of the truth ; hence His expigggional is as ihi-
j)ortant as His divine or human iiatnre. This alone
ought to commend the study of Christ as an orator,
but when it is considered that He not only s pread h is
views by speech, but that He achieved the most won-
derM eyenrih history — the organization of oratory
as a continuous and abiding force forthe development
of cliafacter,— such a study^^becomes ar necessity.
Tlie ' riiilHonsofcluu^^witiri^^ ' f ou n d
in every^parT of the worlct are the result of Clirist's
preaching. The pulpit has had sncli a vast iiilhieiic'e
upon Imman j)rogress," that the world could harcTly
have reached its present high moral and spiritual en-
lightenment without its aid. For this work alone
Christ should be given the foremost place among
th()S(3 wlio have organized great philanthropic moye-
menfcs. It can also be shown, since all the eventsof ,
Hisjife were., the result of His preaching, that a hij k*»
tory^Tlis life is incomplete without a sketch of Hi^
oratorical methods. Nor can His teachings be clearly
comprehended unless His expressional characteristics
are understood. The records of the life of Jesus are
for the most part reports' of His sermons and cannot
be correctly interpreted unless studied in the lieht'of
yXXf^
4 PREFACE.
. (^,^^vvsA ^^^^ oratorical methods. The aim of this book, there-
fore, is to present Christ in His most fascinating char-
acter as a great orator, which He undoubtedly was,
and by unfolding some of the dramatic scenes'of His
life to irnpress His truths in the most vivid manner
upon the mind of the reader. In thus calling atten-
tion to the expressional side of our Lord's work, the
. . author sincerely hopes that all who read may find aid; ^\^^^
\ ^U/J^ r*-^ that the preacher, by learning directly the methods of /
^yMi% -^f / • >the World's Greatest Orator, may make his own elo-
y. ^ quence more persuasive ; and that every one may be
enabled to see the real Christ as He lived and moved
among men and addressed the vast assemblies of the
â– /^/ /^ world, and that by a study of Christ's oratorical style,
^'j ^ ^ a clearer and more harmonious interpretation of Scrip-
i^ '- -'' ture may prevail, and thus lead to the union of all
i,v«^vv-«fS' those whom erroneous conceptions of the words of
1 Christ now unhappily keep apart. The author has
also sought to present the subject in a popular way,
since not only preachers and scholars, should be
drawn toward this theme, but all classes, learned or
unlearned, — every one whose heart beats vath hope at
the mention of the greatest name in the world, — The
Christ.
• f ji . If^Sli THOMAS A. HYDE,
-M^W^P^ 15 Sumner Street,
May, 1893. Cambridge, Mass.
y
CONTENTS
CiiArTEK I. EccE Orator! Expression.
Expression Supreme — First Dramatic Scene on Eartli—
''Breath of His Lips and liod of Jlis Mouth"- -9-22.
II. Fulfilment of Prophecy.
''Logos" or Orator — Spoke Extempore - - 23-29.
III. Study of Christ's Oratorical Style
Necessary to Interpret Scripture.
Ignorance of His Style Leads to Great Evils, Doctrines
and Sects Founded upon an Ellipsis or Hyperbole, Mod-
ern Puritans, Socialists — Apparently Coiitradictory and
Cruel Commands, to Pluck out Eyes, to Hate Parents
etc.— Laws of Oratorical Interpretation- - 30-42.
IV. Psychological Elements of Power.
Defeats His Enemies by His Wit — Wily Plots and Ora-
torical Battles — Extraordinary Dramatic Scenes - 43-60
V. Soul Qualities; Originality.
A Fearless Orator in Stormy Conflicts, Poots up Every-
thing—Relation to Buddha— Acting-side of Truth 61-72
VI. Profound and Popular Qualities.
His Oratory draws Crowds and Stirs Opposition 73-79.
VII. Personal Appearance of Christ.
Face and Form, Handsome or Deformed? Portraits un-
der Pilate — Pen-pictures of His Dress, Habits etc. -SO-93
Vin. Expressional; Voice and Gesture.
His Elocution, Pathos, Sarcasm^ An<>er etc.— His Voice
8 CONTENTS.
heard by Vast Audiences 50,000 or more — Gesture, Ora-
torical, Striking- Attitudes recorded — His Mai^netic Eye—
Transli
Dramas — A Solitary Chapter in Oratory - - 94-118.
IX. His Oratorical Style,
Direct Address — Rhetorical Pig-ures, Emotion, Wit, Sar-
casm — Ludicrous Examples — Verbal Expression 119-134
X. General Methods of His Oratory.
Appeals to Every Part of Human Nature— Hlustrations
from Every Occasion — A Great Example - - 135-144.
XI^ Methods of His Oratory Continued.
Poetic, Imag-inative — Parables are Dramas- 145-154
XII. Circuit of His Preaching.
Discourses on Every Subject — Great Orations 155-165
Xin. Never Man Spake Like This Man.
Under the Orator's Spell— Shall Christ Pass Away? Dif-
ference between Christ and Other Teachers is the Ora-
torical Method— Greatest Power in the World 166-183
XIV. The Kingdom of Expression.
His Kingdom Unique in History — Organizes a Line of
Orators — Stupendous Conception, What Napoleon sought
in Vain Christ has Accomplished — Weapons of Warfare,
Peason, Faith, Sword of Propogation, Oratory— Inner
(yircle — An Un])aralled AV^onder — Oratory Clothed wilh
Power — Dust of Pc^tribution — Preachers in their Fash-
ionable Pulpits — Bold Preaching - - 184-196.
XV. The Charter op The Kingdom.
Its Divisions — Life Speaking to Life, Soul Force — Sad
Condition of the World wIkmi Elo
Church Loyal to it's Founder? — Christ's Last Charge —
Permanence of the Oratoric Method — Ever Fresh and
New— Fragmentary Condition of the Scriptures— Preg-
nant with Sermons— A Wonderful Provision 197-212,
CHAPTER I.
ECCE ORATOR !
IF it were possible to find a mountain somewhere in
our universe so lofty that from its summit we
could survey the whole "earth and observe the move-
ments of its inhabitants, how interestingly sublime
would be the prospect! Or if in the progress of
scientific invention some aerial car, or celestial globe
could be constructed to travel around the surface of
our earth, so that we could overlook vast portions of
the universe at a glance, how wonderful and fasci-
nating "wouTSnSe" tl ie wor ld of life we thus beheld!
"What would be ourthoughts, meditations and expres-
sions of admiration, as the unrevealed wonders of the
universe passed before our view ! No doubt physical
nature would captivate, charm and bewilder the mind,
as it unrolled its dazzling views before the unexpect-
ant eye. The long vistas o f suns and stars and uni-
verses of light, the blue expanse of heavens, studded
with bright gems or flecked by soft, tinted clouds, the
pathless untrodden fields of unknown and un-
measurable worlds would not fail to raise thoughts
of bewildermg^ublimity. And if we directed the
eye, thus' "enchanted" by the glittering splendors
of mysterious worlds and vast oceans of atmosphere,
so that, escaping for a time from the consideration of
10 CHRIST, THE ORATOR.
what for our speculation can after all only be full of
mystery, we look downward at earth, the home of man,
our home, where we live and move and have our being,
and where, at least, we have some tangible knowledge
of things, what_ would be our thoughts as we thus be-
held from our lofty view-point millions of fellow
mortals moving to and fro on the earth in their various
enterprises ? A sense of in.quisitive wonder would no
doubt stimulate anxiety to know more of our fellow-
men, and perhaps to investigate how we could best
help them in their life-struggles. What a scene that
would be, the life of man revealed as a whole, every
occupation, every amusement, every enterprise, every
human force, every factor in civilization and material
progress standing out clear before our view, like the
projecting peaks of some sunken continent ! If we
could have such a view of life, how rnarvelous would
be the picture ; how grand to the imagination ; how
invigorating to thought and schemes of philanthropy ;
how instructive to speculation, thus to look upon men
in their search for happiness and fame, and to dis-
cover the forces that have set in motion this seemingly
incoherent and perplexing state, called civilization.
As we look upon the earth, we see houses, temples,
massive buildings, bridges, railroads, enormous works
of engineering skill. Men are proud of these vast
achievements; and as their lordly cities arise, their
monuments reaching the clouds, they exclaim, *' Be-
hold what science, what invention has accomplished !
By the power of mechanical skill, we liave hewn cities
from mountains, and made the air a huge ear and the
y
\i
* X
ECCE ORATOR/ H t» ^
e arth a mighty voi ce for human communication." It
iseven so; not half the grandeur of human civiUza-
tion can be told, for its marvels are no sooner old, than
new ones arise to dazzle powers of description. And
yet all this vast fabric thus wonderfully raised may
be traced to an apparently insignificant force, namely,
thought expressed in activity, that is, " Ex^n-ession.''
The mightiest power in the universe is expression.
The thought struggles in the brain of man, and his wUuAA**-i
hands and his lips mould it into activity, shape and
form. The most wonderful machine ever constructed
has its origin in the thought of the human intellect
and the motion of the human hand. Tliought and
acjion rule the world. We give different names to
the forces that have made our civilization, knowledge,
power, invention, science, mechanical skill, enter-
prise, but they may all be classified under one name,
— "Expression." The huge blocks of marble that
stand in the squares of great cities, carved with
memorial letters — Wellington, Kapoleon, Nelson,
Wallace, Washington — are but the expressions of a
sculptor's thought. The steam engine, the gigantic
war vessel, encased in steel above and below the wave-
beats, the massive Cathedral, glittering in fantastic
carving and reverential ornaments of silver and gold,
the most stupendous building, erected to commemo-
rate some great triumph in war or peace, are but the
expression of some eminent artist's thought. -' ^
Everything in the universe, whether of construction
or creation, is but the expression of a plan or thought.
The lily of the valley, the daisy of the hillside, the hum-
13 CHRIST, THE ORATOR,
ble fern, and the wayside flower are the expressions of
vegetable life, since by motion, by struggle, by action
they have reached their beauty of petal, stem and
flower. Inanimate nature in its million years of
struggle, grinding iceberg, thunderous volcanic erup-
tions and shattering earthquakes has developed into
expression. The lowest vegetable forms, the simplest
animal creations alike reveal a tendency and a goal of
perfection, — the perfection of expression, so that we
could say of nature, animate and inanimate, in all her
years of suffering glory, she bore her pangs, and
clasped her joys, and rose from feebleness to power,
rose at the bidding of her master, God — to be a //^j/j
mother of the highest child of the universe, "Expres-
sion." . â– ^
In a metaphorical sense we can, therefore, say of
nature, as she unfolds her creations in their lovely
expressive moods, "Behold the Orator," since her /J,
flowers, her delicate plants, her trees, her bare and
slender grasses, have but one aim, struggle for but one / .
end — to be beauteous in expression. What were i'^^^^^f
those struggles but the putting forth of life-force in
the form of gesticulation, the movements of the plu-
mule, the clasping, clinging motion of the roots, the
embracing, caressing motions of the stems, the waving,
amorous motions of the leaves, analogous to the
eloqu^nt^gestures of the orator ? Can"lve"'not say of
nature, she has given to man many an eloquent speech?
The lily, rose, daffodil, humble violet, what are they ?
Flowers? Nay more, they are oruiioiis speaking of
God's wisdom, of God's beauty. 'I'lms we find traces
;-*â– â– **
J
y
ECCE ORATOR! 13
of th e orator everywhere , and we cannot repress the
exclamation when we behold a work of nature or of
man, " Behold the Orator!" r;.-.. : .
But now let us observe our universe in its higher man-
ifestations of life, from the lofty view-point of our
aerial car, and learn what we can of the spiritual forces
that help men in their search for fame and
• power. If we could say of the forces that help
men in their material struggles that they were
oratorical, can we not also declare that the spiritual
forces are oratorical ? The instruments, for the spread
of knowledge, intellectual or spiritual, are expres-
sional. All knowledge may be reduced to so many
actions of the intellect and so many movements of the
lips. The expression of thought sways the intellectual
and spiritual life of man. The king, emperor, presi-
dent, statesman, symbolize power and government.
Their regalias, their crowns and scepters, are but ^^f^^^
symbols of expression. They rule and maintain their ^-i^fHM
jurisdiction by expression. The teacher imparts
knowledge l3y words and gestures, and succeeds or
fails according to the clearness and impressibility of
his expression, t. ; •' •
It would seem, since nature rises in her glory and
power as she reaches the perfection of expression, that
God had ordained expres^^ion as tlie chief force in the
universe. The most intelligent animals are those
which are most expressive. The progress of man has
been and will always be on the lines of expression.
There is-some- truth, therefore, in the old expression,
"Men spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit,"
Vv^
14 CHRIST, THE ORATOR.
for if it is possible for a revelation of the spiritual to
be made to man, it must come through the channel
of expression. It seems, since nature has developed
from lower to higher forms of life on planes of expres-
sion, that her highest outcome would be a creature in
whom the instruments of expression were most per-
fect. How true this is, if we reflect that progress
must be accomplished through expression! The
worhi^ itself is said to have arisen because of the
utterance of the Almighty. God moved upon the
face of the deep. Withaword He commanded the
sun, the moon, and the stars to apj^ear, and all vege-
table and animal forms to move in the universe of
nothingness. Hence we should not be surprised if
the highest influence for education in this universe is
^1^^ expression, since it is such a high spiritual power, and
seems to be an attribute of God Himself. To look,
therefore, at our world again, we shall see a wonderful
confirmation of the great truth that all creation
reaches perfection on the lines of expression ; for there
we discover that the chief instrument of progress used
by men is speech. The higher the development, the
more frequent the use of expression. We can trace
the orator everywhere in the life-struggles of nieh.
Literature, whicli exerts a powerful Influence, is but the
record of spoken words. Teaching is the art of com-
municating knowledge. Language was first oral, and
has no ]K'rniaueut signification when divorced from its
articulate sound. Men us(^ speech to tell their wants,
joys and sorrows. J^^very form of our complex Hfe
requires tlic use of speech. Hence or atoi'y ha s always
iiv^JC^^j
/
ECCE ORATOR! 15
been a great force in the world ; and there will come a
condition of civilization, when every material or des-
potic weapon will be laid aside, and all disputes will be
settled by the power of speech.
As an instrument of moral development there can
be found no better, siuce speech is but soul utterance.
/ The orator may be defined as one who seeks to place
\ his soul upon other souls. What he believes, thinks,
V feels, he would impart to others for their development.
And if his soul is highly endowed, his influence upon
character must be great. Hence we should expect
that if God desired to give a revelation of Himself to
men, such a revelation would come through human
speech; and if God designed to develop character.
He would select human speech as the chief instru-
ment. For see what a power it must be in all phases of
spiritual or moral development. It is the channel of
communication between all forms of life. By its
nature it cannot be solitary or dead: the lips that
speak must live and the heart that prompts the tongue
must throb with sympath3\ The eve kindles and the
hand moves with earnest desire to win human souls to
happiness ; and even in the utterance of words how
much soul-quality can appear ! The.joft accent, the
sweet inflection, the enchanting melody of intonation,
convoy in the language of correspondence ideals of
perfection that can only have their realization in tlie
spiritual world. The voice, ear, eye, hand, those
beautiful instruments of oratory, when im^oregnated
with triie elorpience, sua'.Lio.-t in unmistakable language
the possibility of divine communication. As men
16 CHRIST, THE ORATOR.
speak to each other it is possible God can speak to
men.
And so we 'find in sacred books, that God is
described as having a voice that speaks, an eye that
sees, an" ear that hears, and a hand that nplifts. 9e
hqkls the world in the hollow of His hand fills eaT.
is attentive to man's feeblest cry ; and He guards him
(^ with the apple of His eye. He treads man's enemies
under His feet, and proclaims judgment with His lips,
and tlfunders marvelously with His voice. We thus
^jaA^ see that it is impossible to speak of God as influenc-
ing our lives, without attributing to Him attitudes,
motions and vocar~intohations that are orator[cal.
H6w""dramatic that scene that represents Adam, after
the commission of his first sin, covered with shame
and confusion, the dreadful garment of evil, as hear-
ing the voice of God calling to him, *'Adam, where art
thou ? " Or that other scene, the most dreadful the
world has at any time witnessed, where Cain stands
before God, his hand imbrued in fraternal blood, and
the voice of God speaks in thunderous accents,
"Cain, where is Abel thy brother? What hast thou
done ? The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me
from the ground. " Not only for judgment God speaks,
but to bless and impart truth. To David, Isaiah,
Jeremiah and other prophets. He spoke in accents
of warning, love and truth. So important did Jehovah
regard human speech as an instrument for develop-
ment of character, that He ordained a line of proph-
ets as orators to preach to Ilis people. All moral
movements, all spiritual revelation cam e through tli^s e
/
^CCE ORATOR! 17
pro phets, who se orations remain to-day specimens of
impassioned eloquence. Thus in every phase of
religious development, in every form of revelation,
and every movement for the spread of moral princi-
ples, we behold the orator.
Now bearing in mind the great truth we have been
unfolding, that expression is the supreme force in the
natural and spiritual world, let us try to discover
wh at u se man makes of expression to-day. As we
look again upon the earth from our lofty elevation, or
the aerial car that bears us around the world, we dis-
cover that, although there are many great forces in-
fluencing man's life, none are so potential as the
power of expression. All the branches of education
appealing to his taste or intellect, attain their crown
of glory in proportion as they reach perfection of ex-
pression. The ,,^tist with his pencil sketching scenes
f rom_nature ; the sculptor with his chisel carving fig-
ures of illustrious warriors in marble ; the dramatic
writer picturing in words of poetic fire human pas-
sion; the painter with his brush, flashing on canvas
mountain, lake' and gorgeous sunset, alike, reveal that
art is most successful when it attains perfect expres-
sion. Everywhere we can trace the power of speech.
It makes civilization possible ; it chains the world with
links of sympathy ; it makes or unmales governments ;
it declares war or peace ; it is the supreme force in the
universe ; and stimulates every work of science, art
and religion.
Behold those massive buildings, whose spires pierc-
ing the clouds, seems to support heaven's dome, the
2
18 CHRIST, THE ORATOU.
most wonderful structures on the earth, because of the
grandeur of their civilization. Behold them in their
various styles of architecture, church, temple, taber-
nacle, cathedral, glittering in golden ornaments of
beautiful carving and suggestive tracery. For what
purpose have they. been erected? What grand"~lbrce
do they symbolize ? Expression. They are conse-
crated for one glorious ideal, the worship of God,^and
the development of man. Forth from their sacred
walls issues at stated times, sweel:" music from the
human voice and from most perfect mechanical in-
struments. Mature, animate and inanimate, worships
God through the mighty medium of expression.
Within these buildings we find human speech conse-
crated to the most holy of purposes. Thousands oij
thousands of pulpits thunder forth human eloquence,
and millions on millions of men and women utter
speech in the praise of God. Miglitier than the glai'e
/ of a million swords, or the flash of a million guns, in
/ the cause of humanity, is the utterance of these pul-
v..pits. Within the walls of these magnificent structures
multitudes gather to hear human eloquence in the
service of God and man. These buildings with their
pulpits sjrmbolize the highest spiritual truth, that
revelation from God comes through expression, and
qJ^^JLJ^ men can be developed into perfect character through
liuman sj^eech and action.
What has set this mighty power into operation ?
What intellect human or divine has organized _elo-
l)v•^A^>^ quence'ai"ITie chief force in the moral and spiritual
jnij(^ development of man ? Every church cries aloud.
/
ECCE ORATOR! 19
** Behold ! The intellect th at has organized this force
i n the se rvice of God and man is botli' human and
divin e. Behold the orator for whose appearance all
nature has struggled, from dumb, mute inaction, into