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Preface to First Edition ix

Preface to Second Edition xi

Preface to Third Edition xii

Chapter I.

THE GRAVITY OF THE PRESENT SITUATION

• § 1. The Truth of the Matter 1
• § 2. The Attitude of the Laity 6
• § 3. Christianity and Science not Reconciled 17
• § 4. The Genesis and Character of the New Outburst 25
• § 5. Apologetics “Found Wanting” 29
• § 6. More Things Which Confuse the Issue 36

Chapter II.

THE EXTRAORDINARY STATE OF APOLOGETICS WITH REGARD TO MIRACLES

• § 1. Preliminary Remarks
  • The View of Science 41
  • Why Have Miracles Ceased? 42
  • Belief in Miracles Essential 44
• § 2. Miracle Apologetics 45
• § 3. The Fundamental Miracles 55
  • The Resurrection 56
  • The Ascension 65
  • The Incarnation 68
  • Concluding Remarks 70

Chapter III.

THE DESTRUCTIVE CHARACTER OF MODERN BIBLE CRITICISM

• § 1. Clashing Views on Bible Criticism 71
• § 2. A Summary of the Results of Bible Criticism 76
• § 3. By Whom the “Higher Criticism” is Accepted 90
• § 4. Admissions by Orthodox Apologists 94
• § 5. Some Remaining Difficulties
  • We Must Accept the Whole or Reject the Whole 100
  • Silence of Historians 102
  • Thoughts on “Tradition” As God’s Method for The Transmission of Truth To Posterity 105
  • The Alleged Sinlessness of Jesus Christ 108
  • The Ignorance of Jesus Christ 109

Chapter IV.

THE GRAVE SUSPICIONS AROUSED BY THE STUDY OF ANCIENT BELIEFS

• § 1. The New Theological Theory of a Progressive Revelation 115
• § 2. Parallels in Ancient Religions, and Some Remarks Upon Them 121
  • Krishna and Buddha 121
  • Parallels Other Than Krishna and Buddha 126
  • Are the Krishna and Buddha Legends Borrowed from Christianity? 136
• § 3. Parallels in the Beliefs of Primitive Man, And Some Remarks Upon Them 142
  • The Religions of Ancient America 144
  • Vegetation Gods 148
  • Why Men Eat Their God 151
• § 4. The Solar Myth 154
  • Jonah and the Whale 154
  • Anticipations of Christianity in Solar Myths 156
  • The Christian Theory Ignored by Science 157
  • The Sun As a Symbol 158
• § 5. Concluding Remarks on Christian and Anti-Christian Theories 159
  • Argument from Essenism 162
  • Argument from Mithraism 163

Chapter V.

IRRECONCILABLE DIFFICULTIES CONNECTED WITH EVOLUTION

• § 1. Preliminary Remarks
  • The Doctrine of Evolution 169
  • Darwinism 171
  • The Average Person’s Ideas on the Evolution of Man 173
  • The Attitude of the Church 175
• § 2. “Nature Red in Tooth and Claw” 180
• § 3. The Bible Account of Creation Irreconcilable with Science in Each and Every Respect 188
• § 4. Proofs of our Animal Origin 197
  • The Extraordinary Affinity of Bodily Structure 198
  • The Revelations of Embryology 202
  • The Tale Told by the Useless Rudimentary Organs 205
• § 5. The Overthrow of the Doctrines of the Fall and Original Sin
  • The Importance of the Question 208
  • An Instructive Criticism 211
  • The Bishop of Worcester’s Theory 213
  • The Archdeacon of Manchester’s Theory 216
  • The Rationalist’s Theory 218
  • Conclusions 218

Chapter VI.

THE FAILURE OF THEISTIC ARGUMENTS

• § 1. Preliminary Remarks
  • Theism, and Who Are Theists 219
• § 2. The Existence of a First Cause—An Uncaused Cause 221
• § 3. The First Cause an Intelligence 223
  • Design and Directivity 223
  • Directivity 224
  • Design 225
  • Differences of Opinion Among Theistic Apologists 228
• § 4. The First Cause a Beneficent Intelligence
  • A Personal God 230
  • Divine Immanence in Nature 231
  • A Fact in History 232
  • The Past and Present Position of the Ethical Argument 234
  • Evil for which Man is not Held Responsible 235
  • Evil for which Man is Held Responsible 240
  • Conscience 243
  • Free-will 247
• § 5. Religious Experience
  • Mysticism and Conversion 251
  • The Psychology of Prayer 258
  • The Religious (?) Experiences of Intoxication 261
  • Music and the Emotions 261
  • Sexual Love 263
  • Revivalism 263
• § 6. The Inevitable Conclusion 264
• Note on Religion and Philosophy 266

Chapter VII.

FALLACIES IN POPULAR ARGUMENTS

• § 1. Preliminary Remarks—The Power of Christianity for Good 273
• § 2. Christianity Woman’s Best Friend 277
• § 3. The Overthrow of Christianity Would Endanger Society and the Nation 286
• § 4. The Spread of Christianity a Proof of its Truth 290
• § 5. The Noble Army of Martyrs 296
• § 6. The Universality of the Religious Instinct
  • The Hypothesis Stated 298
  • The Rationalist’s Contention 299
  • The Apologist’s Views concerning Superstition and the Religious Instinct 300
  • Beliefs of Savage Man 302
  • Magic and Religion 305
  • Religion in Modern China 307
  • Apostates in Christendom 311
  • Religion in Modern Japan 313
  • Classical History 314
• Note on Human Sentiment as to a Future Life 315

Chapter VIII.

CONCLUSION

• § 1. A Summary 317
• § 2. Why Lead a Moral Life?
  • Preliminary Remarks 323
  • The Necessity for Morality 324
  • Uselessness of Vague Threats 326
  • The Need for an Early Education in Ethical Principles 327
  • The Object-Lesson Furnished by the Japanese 328
  • Criminality 333
  • Our Aids 335
  • The Importance of a Knowledge of the Origin of Morality 337
  • Opinions of Ethicists 339
• Note on Systematic Moral Instruction 345
• § 3. Should the Truth be Told? 346
  • (a) “Magna est veritas et prÆvalebit” 347
  • (b) Obscurantism has had its Day 349
  • (c) The Effect on Morality 352
  • (d) The Real Danger 352
  • (e) The Consolations of Belief, and the Distress we may Cause by our Candour 353
  • (f) Can we Alter People’s Beliefs? 359
  • (g) Can Beliefs be Useful though False? 361
  • (h) Is a New Religion Required? 362
  • (i) Why be so Impatient of Error? 364
• § 4. The Outlook 365
• § 5. Concluding Remarks 375

Appendix 379

Index 409