“The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.” (Luke 4:18.)
“Where the Spirit of God is, there is liberty.” (2 Cor. 3:17.)
TOLERANCE AND LIBERTY OF CONSCIENCE
PROCLAIMED BY CHRIST.
“And they did not receive him (Christ) because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. And when his disciples James, and John, saw this, they said: Wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, even as Elias did?
“But he turned and rebuked them, and said: Ye know not what spirit ye are of.
“For the Son of Man is not come to destroy man’s life, but to save them.” (Luke 9:53-56.)
“Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it, and smote the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus.
“Then said Jesus unto Peter, put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it? For all they that take the sword, shall perish with the sword.” (Matt. 26:52. John 18:10.)
It is no wonder that the people of Judea, filled with admiration at these sublime doctrines of equality, fraternity, liberty and tolerance, should exclaim. “Never man spake like this man!”