(HIMSTIAMTY 



CHIMST I. \N>TA I) 



221 



*h>' mn-t >igiiilicant characteristics of thin prom-ess 

 in our a.-- 1 i- iliat it inaken more than ever 01 the 

 liiiniaii dement in the gospel, without detracting 

 in anything from its divinity. To the metaphysi- 

 cal abstractions which effaced the original char- 

 acter of this great past has succeeded a really 

 historical comprehension which makes it live again 

 before our eves. Thus in our concept ion of the 

 very personality of Christ, he has come nearer UK 

 without ceasing to he the Son of God who saves 

 us and lifts us up again. The heart as well as the 

 intellect finds its advantage in this evolution of 

 Christ ian thought, which is a return to its original; 

 and now, indeed, it is inure necessary than ever 

 that the lire of a holy enthusiasm and a fervent 

 love for ( 'hri.-t should kindle up again in Christian 

 soul-, amid all the distract ion-, of modern life, 

 which has In-come so complex through the develop- 

 ment of human activity in eveiy sphere, artistic, 

 industrial, commercial, or scientific. 



It must not be forgotten that after all the chief 

 struggle of Christianity is not against such or such 

 a system, but against the power of evil, against 

 in which destroys us ; and that it is above all a 

 work of redemption, of restitution, and of salva- 

 tion. It is this which distinguishes it from the two 

 .great religions which dispute with it the world. 

 Buddhism is the religion of absolute nothingness, 

 -of Nirvana, placing salvation in death and in 

 annihilation, and only retaining its millions of 

 Adherents by concessions ever more and more 

 frequent to idolatrous fetichism. Mohammedanism 

 is merely a materialisation of Judaism, making of 

 its Allah a God at once terrible and indulgent, for 

 he has only murderous rage for those who do not 

 hasten on in the footsteps of his pretended prophet 

 to the brutal conquest of the world, while at the 

 same time he is full of indulgence to a life of sen- 

 suality, which after being largely satisfied on earth 

 expects its final gratification in a sensual paradise. 

 To reconquer the millions of men held within the 

 grasp of these two great religions, and those who 

 belong to fetichistic idolatry, which is a survival 

 of prehistoric humanity, Christianity has spared 

 no effort, and has never refused to pour out the 

 blood of its martyrs. Therefore, everything brings 

 us back to the necessity for a struggle without 

 cessation, both near and far off, against the powers 

 of evil which everywhere wage war against it. 



If the dust of the battle sometimes casts a 

 shadow over the true character of Christianity, it 

 none the less remains vigorous and living as it was 

 eighteen centuries ago. We recognise it, even under 

 forms the least favourable, by the intensity of its 

 religious life, by its love of God and of Christ 

 inseparable from its love for man, who would perish 

 without it. Its career of conquest, far from being 

 diminished, has increased largely during the last 

 century through the magnificent development of 

 its missions abroad and at home. Its charity never 

 ceases to multiply works of benevolence and of 

 relief. The eye of faith discerns across the great 

 and tremendous struggle which sums up the whole 

 of human history, a combatant greater than the 

 greatest and holiest of Christian soldiers that 

 divine hero of whom Luther says in his immortal 

 hymn, that he fights for us and with us. It is for 

 this reason that we say at the conclusion, as at the 

 commencement : Christianity is Je&us Christ. 



For a list uf works on Christianity, Christian Dogma, 

 ami Church History, see the article CHURCH HISTORY 

 ami the I'ibliography appended. 



Christian Knowledge, SOCIETY FOR PRO- 

 MOTING (often referred to as the S.P.C.K.), one 

 of the great religious associations connected with 

 the Church of England, and the oldest of them 

 all. It was founded in 1698, although it did not 

 receive its present name till 1701 ; and had for 



it- oli|ccis : (!) To promote and encourage the 

 erection of charity schools in all parts of England 

 and Wales ; ( 2 ) to disperse, both at home and 

 abroad, Bibles and tracts of religion ; and, in 

 general, to advance the honour of Cod, and the 

 good of mankind, by promoting Christian know 

 ledge l"'ih at home and in other part* of the 

 world by the best methods that should offer.' 

 The-.' object- it has never ceased to pursue, chiefly 

 directing its efforts to the British dominion- ; par- 

 taking at once of the nature of an educational 

 association, a missionary society, a Bible society, 

 a religious tract society, and an emigrants' 

 spiritual aid society; and notwithstanding the 

 operations of other great societies in these several 

 departments of Christian benevolence, its revenue 

 amounts to above 50,000 a year. The lxx>kselling 

 business shows in some years total sales of 80,000 ; 

 the works published being in very various depart- 

 ments of literature, and including several admirable 

 series on Early Britain, Diocesan Histories, Ancient 

 History from the Monuments, Early Chroniclers, 

 &c. The Protestant missionaries who laboured in 

 the south of India in the 18th century were sup- 

 ported chiefly by this society, and it is now fully 

 engaged in supplying to the mission-field through- 

 out the world needful religious literature in the 

 vernacular. Besides translations of the Bible and 

 Prayer-book, it provides for pioneer missionaries, 

 grammars, dictionaries, reading-books, &c., to in- 

 struct them in the languages which they will have 

 to use. See a History of the Society (1898). 

 A Scottish Society for Propagating Christian 

 Knowledge, incorporated in 1709, has an annual 

 expenditure of 5000, mainly devoted to the main- 

 tenance of schools in the Highlands and Islands. 



Christian Names. See article NAMES. 



Cliristiansantl, sixth city of Norway in re- 

 spect of population (though great part or it was 

 burned in 1892), is situated near its southernmost 

 extremity, on a sandy plain. Pop. 12,813. It is a 

 garrisoned town, was built by Christian IV. in 

 1041, and has been the capital of its province or 

 stift since 1684. It has several dockyards, and a 

 good harbour much used for refuge. The steam- 



Bckets from London, Hull, Hamburg, &c. to 

 iristiania and the north usually call here. At 

 the mouth of the harbour is the beautiful island of 

 Oddero, laid out with public gardens and pro- 

 menades. Christiansand lias a considerable trade 

 in timber, pitch, stockfish (salted cod), fish-oil for 

 curriers, salmon, mackerel, and lobsters, the latter 

 chiefly for the London market. About thirty lobster 

 smacks are regularly employed between Christian- 

 sand and Billingsgate during the season. Many 

 thousands of white ptarmigans caught in the 

 neighbouring districts of Lister and Mandals are 

 shipped annually from Christiansand to England. 

 Shipbuilding is "a considerable industry. Chris- 

 tiansand has a cathedral and grammar-school, and 

 is the residence of a bishop and high-bailiff and of a 

 British vice-consul. The streets are wide, straight, 

 and regular ; the houses are built of wood and 

 detached, presenting altogether a remarkably colo- 

 nial appearance. The inhabitants are noted for 

 their stature, said to average six feet. 



Christiansfeld, a settlement of Moravian 

 brothers in Northern Sleswick, was founded in 

 177-. and h;us TOO inhabitants. 



Christians of St John. See ZABISM. 



Christians of St Thomas. See THOMAS. 



4'lirist ianstad. the capital of a Swedish pro- 

 vince of the same name, on the Helge, 14 miles from 

 the Baltic, and 351 SSW. of Stockholm by raiL 

 Formerly it was strongly fortified. It possesses an 

 arsenal, a school, a magnificent church, and a senate - 

 house. Pop. ( 1881 ) 9328 ; ( 1891 ) 10,670. 



