ical] science,
there was really no rational basis in thoughtful minds, either for the
date of any one of the New Testament books, or, consequently, for the
historical truth of any one of the events narrated in them. Gospels,
Acts and Epistles were all alike shrouded in this uncertainty. Hence the
validity of the eighteenth-century scepticism. But now all this kind of
scepticism has been rendered obsolete, and for ever impossible; while
the certainty of enough of St. Paul's writings for the practical purpose
of displaying the belief of the apostles has been established, as well
as the certainty of the publication of the Synoptics within the first
century. An enormous gain has thus accrued to the objective evidences
of Christianity. It is most important that the expert investigator
should be exact, and, as in any other science, the lay public must take
on authority as trustworthy only what both sides are agreed upon. But,
as in any other science, experts are apt to lose sight of the importance
of the main results agreed upon, in their fighting over lesser points
still in dispute. Now it is enough for us that the Epistles to the
Romans, Galatians, and Corinthians, have been agreed upon as genuine,
and that the same is true of the Synoptics so far as concerns the main
doctrine of Christ Himself.

The extraordinary candour of Christ's biographers must not be
forgotten[61]. Notice also such sentences as 'but some doubted,' and (in
the account of Pentecost) 'these men are full of new wine[62].' Such
observations are wonderfully true to human nature; but no less
wonderfully opposed to any 'accretion' theory.

Observe, when we become honestly pure agnostics the whole scene changes
by the change in our point of view. We may then read the records
impartially, or on their own merits, without any antecedent conviction
that they must be false. It is then an open question whether they are
not true as history.

There is so much to be said in objective evidence for Christianity that
were the central doctrines thus testified to anything short of
miraculous, no one would doubt. But we are not competent judges _a
priori_ of what a revelation should be. If our agnosticism be _pure_, we
have no right to pre-judge the case on _prima facie_ grounds.

One of the strongest pieces of objective evidence in favour of
Christianity is not sufficiently enforced by apologists. Indeed, I am
not aware that I have ever seen it mentioned. It is the