Setting aside the scandal caused by His Messianic claims
and His reputation as a political firebrand, only two
accusations of personal depravity seem to have been brought
against Jesus of Nazareth. First, that He was a Sabbath-
breaker. Secondly, that He was "a gluttonous man and a
winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners" -- or (to draw
aside the veil of Elizabethan English that makes it sound so
much more respectable) that He ate too heartily, drank too
freely, and kept very disreputable company, including grafters
of the lowest type and ladies who were no better than they
should be. For nineteen and a half centuries, the Christian
Churches have laboured, not without success, to remove this
unfortunate impression made by their Lord and Master. They
have hustled the Magdalens from the Communion-table, founded
Total Abstinence Societies in the name of Him who made the
water wine, and added improvements of their own, such as
various bans and anathemas upon dancing and theatre-going.
They have transferred the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday, and,
feeling that the original commandment "Thou shalt not work" was
rather half-hearted, have added to it the new commandment,
"Thou shalt not play."