Why is Christianity true? Christian evidences

Front matter

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Preface

Many believers and many more would-be believers in Christianity are staggered by the assumptions and sometimes by the reasoned conclusions of current science or philosophy. The need is great for a restatement of the grounds of our Christian belief. Indeed, in recent years numerous works on the subject have appeared. In Great Britain especially many valuable manuals have been published. Of the more recent and extended works in English those of Professors Fisher and Bruce stand in the front rank. Both of them are exceedingly valuable as general treatises. Other works not so elaborate have done admirable service. Among these may be named Mr. Ballard's vigorous book entitled The Miracles of Unbelief, in which he deals many a stalwart blow by means of a single conception consistently applied, at all points of the attack upon Christian belief. Mr. Robertson Nicoll's The Church's One Foundation states with great clearness and force the real issues raised by recent destructive critical theories.

Some writers on the evidences of Christianity, however, surrender so much that their productions seem to be books on Christian evidences with Christianity left out. They render no real service to Christianity, who strip away from it all its charac-

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PREFACE t eristic features in order to commend it to a certain type of the unbelieving mind. Christianity is a distinct order of facts. These facts may be investigated. The first Christian literature, Christian history and Christian experience bear witness to the action of a supernatural power among men. Now if this witness is doubtful or false, by all means let us face the fact and relegate Christianity to a place among the many human attempts to find God. If, on the contrary, this witness can be shown to rest on solid grounds, let us not evade the issue with the prevalent unbelief, but in all sincerity and candor seek to make those grounds clear. No two orders of fact can permanently remain opposed to each other. The writer believes strongly that it is a mistake to exclude any of the essential elements from the defense of Christianity in the interest of some alleged intellectual necessity of the times. Frankness is better than reserve, for example, in dealing with miracles. The parts of Eevelation are joined together not mechanically but organically. One piece cannot be taken away as a sample, like an ornament from a cabinet, without injury to the whole. Emphasis and proportion, of course, are always in order. There is no need to tear miracles out of their place and hurl them into the teeth of the modern scientific man. The need is rather to assert clearly and restore the issue as to miracles. The disbeliever in Christianity, when attacking miracles, as a rule, never recognizes the real point.

PEEFACE

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We do not mean, of course, to assert that it is improper to develop one or another line of evidence to the exclusion, for the time, of other lines. This is often most desirable. We think, however, it is unfortunate to attempt to discredit any of the wellestablished forms of the argument for Christianity merely because some particular form happens for the moment to be unpopular. In the end more is lost than is gained by the procedure.

The attempt is made in the succeeding pages to state the argument for Christian belief from the four leading standpoints. The aim has been to put the case as clearly and with as little of the formal and technical in language and style as the nature of the subject would admit.

None of the following chapters has been published before except parts of the fifteenth, which appeared about a year ago in a review article. The argument as a whole, however, has been restated.

The £lan of the publishers of the series of books to which this volume belongs does not admit of footnotes, and not a great deal of space for reference anywhere. The numerals in the text refer to sources which are given at the end of the volume. This, of course, is no more than a partial recognition of my indebtedness to others who have preceded me in this field.

The "Bibliography" which is appended has been constructed on the principle of indicating to the general reader such works as are not too difficult to ob-

X PREFACE

tain, and which will enable him to pursue his 9tudies of the subjects of the various chapters at greater length when desired. The list of books given is far from exahustive, but it is hoped that it is not wanting in adaptation to the end in view and sufficiently extended to meet the needs of the majority of readers. It remains only to say that the index has been prepared by Rev. W. C. James, Th. D., pastor of the First Baptist Church, Russellville, Kentucky.

E. Y. Mullins.

Louisville, Kentucky,

Table Of Contents

PABT I.

THE CHRISTIAN VIEW OF THE WOBLD.

Chapter I. Modern Christian Evidences

1. The Christian needs to be able to defend his faith. — 2. Apologetics and Christian evidences. — 3. The task of the apologist. — 4. Philosophy and the inductive methods. — 5. Use of hypothesis. — 6. The quest of facts. — 7. Our assumptions. — 8. The scientific ideal. — 9. Ultimate beliefs of religion trustworthy. — 10. Facts of religion as real as those of physical nature. — 11. A prevalent error. — 12. Mental and spiritual facts known best. — 13. Diverse conclusions due to diverse spheres of thought. — 14. How the dispute must be settled. — 15. Unity through personality. — 16. Science founded on unproved first truths. — 17. Four classes of facts favor the Christian view. — 18. Physical nature. — 19. New Testament Revelation. — 20. Christian experience. — 21. Christian history. — 22. The argument cumulative 3-19

Chapter II. Pantheism

23. The great question. — 24. Theories must rest on facts. — 25. Two elements in the world of fact. — 26. The problem and theories of unity. — 27. Two groups of theories. — 28. Spinoza and pantheism. — 29. Its conception of substance and attributes. — 30. Pantheism and nature. — 31. Pantheism and God. — 32. Pantheism is monistic. — 33. Is Pantheism tenable? — 34. Pantheism gains unity by force not by thought. — 35. Is inconsistent on cause and effect. —

xi xii CONTENTS

36. Really teaches two principles instead of one. — 37. Thought known only as personal. — 38. Lotze on personality. — 39. Pantheism destroys morality. — 40. It destroys religion.— 41. Facts of consciousness destroy pantheism. — 42. Summary 20-32

Chapter III. Materialism

43. Idealism and materialism. — 44. Idealism identifies thought and things.— 45. Recognizes that thought is everywhere. — 46. Fails to preserve freedom and personality. — 47. Idealism against materialism. — 48. Materialism * begins with atoms, force and motion. — 49. Holds that mind and matter are one. — 50. Relies upon conservatism of energy. — 51. Materialistic atom a mere assumption. — 52. Materialism fails to unify the world. — 53. Dogmatizes where science is silent. — 54. Brain does not produce thought. — 55. Materialism does not account for mind. — 56. Nor for design in man and nature. — 57. Opposed to morality and religion. — 58. Mindstuff theory unproved. — 59. Science vindicates the spiritual view 33-47

Chapter IV. Agnosticism

60. Agnosticism asserts that ultimate realities are unknowable. — 61. Human mind without capacity for them. — 62. But this implies some knowledge of them. — 63. Evidence from will. — 64. Agnosticism denies God virtually. — 65. Agnosticism inconsistent. — 66. Assumes radical difference between appearance and reality. — 67. That realities are beyond our knowledge. — 68. That our faculties are incompetent. — 69. There are laws of thought as well as laws of things. — 70. No agnostic is consistent. — 71. Religious and moral life suffer under agnosticism 48-57

Chapter V. Evolution

72. Evolution defined. — 73. The conception analyzed. — 74. Evolution not a first cause. — 75. Scientific and philosophic evolution. — 76. Defective as to origins. — 77. Defec-

CONTENTS X iii

tive as to continuity. — 78. Defective as to inclusiveness. — 79. Does not find a single principle of unity. — 80. Theistic evolution. — 81. Two forms of it. — 82. Various attitudes towards evolution. — 83. Untenable even as hypothesis in extreme forms. — 84. Christian theistic view 58-71

Chapter VI. Theism : Evidence Of The Existence Of God

85. Two ways of regarding the proof. — 86. Can God's existence be proved? — 87. The practical reason. — 88. Other methods. — 89. Not mathematical demonstration. — 90. How far the belief is intuitive. — 91. Variety of types of theism. — 92. The argument from will. — 93. The argument from mind. — 94. The argument from design. — $5. Evolution and design. — 96. The moral and historical proof. — 97. Summary of the argument. — 98. Replies to objections. — 99. Theism alone insufficient 72-90

Chapter VII. The Synoptic Picture Of Jesus

100. A simple study of the facts. — 101. Christ in a series of relationships. — 102. Christ in relation to sin. — 103. Sinless, forgives sin, and secures its remission. — 104. Christ in relation to law. — 105. Christ is lawgiver and Lord. — 106. Christ in relation to the Kingdom. — 107. Christ is King and Founder of the Kingdom. — 108. Christ 's relations to Providence. — 109. Christ is the Lord of Providence. — 110. Christ controls nature's forces. — 111. Christ in relation to mankind. — 112. Sympathy, Sovereignty, Object of worship. — 113. Christ identified himself with God. — 114. Definite plan of Christ 's life. — 115. Christ 's miraculous entrance and departure. — Conclusion 93-111

Chapter VIII. The Meaning Of The Picture

116. Christ the centre of the struggle. — 117. The supernatural Christ the only adequate hypothesis. — 118. Acxiv CONTENTS

eounts for unity and consistency of the picture. — 119. Many relationships thus explained. — 120. Consistency of the miraculous element. — 121. Diverse elements of Christ's consciousness. — 122. The interdependence of parts. — 123. The picture original and vital. — 124. The moral grandeur of Jesus. — 125. Lowly and heroic virtues combined. — 126. Union of opposites. — 127. His teaching as to God and man. 112-124

CHAPTEE IX.

OPPOSING THEORIES.

128. Concessions of unbelievers. — 129. Eenan, Eomanes and Mill. — 130. Strauss. Goethe and Arnold. — 131. Lecky's view. — 132. Eelation of moral to physical miracles. — 133. Theory that the portrait is an ideal production. — 134. Theory of myths. — 135. Theory of deification. — 136. Eemarks upon all the theories. — 137. The moral claim carries all the others .125-135

CHAPTEE X.

CHRIST AS SPIRITUAL CREATOR: PRIMITIVE CHRISTIANITY.

138. Criticism and the Bible. — 139. Christ's creative work. — 140. The Synoptic Gospels his creation. — 141. Shown by his acknowledged pre-eminence as teacher. — 142. Christ's action prior to written Gospels. — 143. Paul's career and teaching.— 144. Doctrinal agreement with Gospels. — 145. Kingdom and church, Holy Spirit. — 146. Sermon on the Mount. — 147. Lord's Supper, death and resurrection. — 148. Paul's career and Christ's plan. — 149. The Person of Christ. — 150. Paul's religious experience.— 151. Eesults of Paul's labors. — 152. Summary. — 153. Christ is triumphant in Paul. — 154. Paul not the creator of Christianity. — 155. The fourth Gospel. — 156. Underlying unity of all the Gospels. — 157. The Christian continuities.,136-156

CHAPTEE XI.

CHRIST AS PRACTICAL IDEALIST : ETHICS AND RELIGION.

158. The argument from Christian ethics restated. — 159. Tests of ethical teaching. — 160. Effectiveness of the ethical appeal of Christ. — 161. Their universality and com-

CONTENTS xv

bination with religion. — 162. Christ's ethical enterprise. — 163. Redemptive as well as ethical. — 164. The difficulties. — 165. The means, repentance. — 166. The church. — 167. Preaching and the Holy Spirit. — 168. Confirmatory views. — 169. Conclusion and summary 157-169

CHAPTER XII.

MIRACLES: A BOND OF UNITY.

170. Miracles defined. — 171. Proper attitude towards miracles. — 172. Science and miracles. — 173. Philosophy and miracles. — 174. Hume on miracles. — 175. Half way position on miracles. — 176. Violent exegesis to sustain it. — 177. Religious experience and miracles. — 178. Immanence alone insufficient. — 179. Assumptions as to miracles. — 180. Miracles imply an ordered universe. — 181. The world of matter subordinate to the world of spirit. — 182. Personality and will explain miracles. — 183. Ethical quality of the miracles. — 184. A means of revelation. — 185. A bond of unity. — 186. Summary of the evidence for New Testament miracles. — 187. Conclusion 170-187

CHAPTER XIII.

THE RESURRECTION OP JESUS.

188. Summary of facts. — 189. Simplicity of the fact to be proved. — 190. Tests of historical evidence. — 191. Details of the Gospel account. — 192. Variety of appearances of Christ. — 193. The resurrection unexpected. — 194. Paul's testimony. — 195. His appeal to living witnesses. — 196. Summary of evidence from Paul. — 197. Confirmation of the evidence. — 198. Opposing theories. — 199. Swoon theory. — 200. Theory of Keim. — 201. Vision theory.— 202. Conditions preclude hallucination. — 203. Too many are deceived. — 204. Unaccountable restraint. — 205. Teachings of the risen Christ unexplained. — 206. Cause and effect violated. — 207. Summary and conclusion 188-203

CHAPTER XIV.

THE TOUR GOSPELS : THE LITERARY SOURCES OP CHRISTIANITY.

208. Statement of facts.— 209. The starting point, A. D. 200.— 210. Testimony of Irenseus.— 211. Clement of xvi CONTENTS

Alexandria. — 212. The Muratorian Fragment and Tertullian. — 213. Evidence at close of second century. — 214. Tatian and Justin Martyr. — 215. Papias and Polycarp. — 216. Summary. — 217. Criterion of apostolicity. — 218. During the second century. — 219. A selective process controlled the churches. — 220. Secondary literature of the period. — 221. The modern "synoptic problem. M — 222. Evidence from heretical sects. — 223. Agreement on the Gospel among the churches. — 224. Burden of proof on those who deny. — 225. Value of cumulative evidence . . 204-221

CHAPTER XV.

CHRIST AND EVOLUTION: HIS PLACE IN THE WORLD ORDER.

226. Three propositions. — 227. Christ the crown of nature. — 228. This view based on theism. — 229. Christ had no human father. — 230. Christ met a moral need of the world. — 231. Moral and intellectual paralysis of the age. — 232. The future dark. — 233. The soil of Judaism without promise. — 234. Christ destroyed Judaism. — 235. Paul interprets Judaism. — 236. Moral despair of Jew and gentile. — 237. Christ a divine product through Judaism. — 238. Old Testament prophecy. — 239. Contradictories unite in Christ.— 240. Summary 222-237

Part III. The Evidence Of Christian Experience

CHAPTER XVI.

THE DATA OF CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE.

241. Our study is of Christian experience. — 242. This best found in representative types. — 243. The conversion of Paul.— 244. The apostle John.— 245. Polycarp.— 246. St. Hilary. — 247. Luther. — 248. John Bunyan. — 249. Adolphe Monod.— 250. Hudson Taylor.— 251. S. H. Hadley.— 252. Sir Algernon Coote— 253. Capt. A. T. Mahan. —254. Bishop Moule.— 255. R. A. Torrey.— 256. J. Ewing. — 257. Steve Holcombe. — 258. A scientist's confession of faith, E. L. Gregory 241-262

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CHAPTER XVII.

THE ANALYSES OF CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE.

259. The distinctively Christian type of experience. — 260. We move in a realm of facts and realities. — 261. How spiritual knowledge arises. — 262. Christian experience may be studied as an order of facts. — 263. Christian experience defined. — 264. The initial stage. — 265. A surrendered will, repentance and faith. — 266. The presence of Another in Christian experience. — 267. Results, religious, moralj intellectual. — 268. New ethical ideal and reinforcement. — 269. The intellectual satisfaction. — 270. The thought side and fact side of Christianity. — 271. Nature of faith.— 272. The essentials of Christian experience.. 263-274

CHAPTER XVIII.

THE EVIDENCE OF CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE.

273. Is religious experience real or fanciful? — 274. The answer starts from a fact of consciousness. — 275. The subconscious mind. — 276. A psychological difficulty. — 277. Relation of mind states to brain states. — 278. After experience confirms the first stage. — 279. Is the Power personal? — 280. Results produced are personal. — 281. Personal relationships involved. — 282. Plan implies personal guidance. — 283. Christ's definition of religious experience. — 284. Christ meets the personal craving of the soul. — 285. Knowledge involved in faith in Christ 275-285

CHAPTER XIX.

THE VERIFICATION OF CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE.

286. Verification defined. — 287. Verification by means of contrast. — 288. Verification through reflection. — 289. Makes forgiveness reasonable. — 290. Assurance through reflection. — 291. Reflection affects the view of Christ. — 292. Verification in practical life. — 293. New moral power. — 294. Enduring the ills of life. — 295. Experience as cause and effect. — 296. Verification through prayer. — 297. The experience of other Christians. — 298. Compared with New Testament experience. — 299. Through the witness of the Holy Spirit. — 300. Verification progressive and cumulative ski 286-303 xviii CONTENTS

CHAPTER XX.

THE RELATION OF JESUS CHRIST TO RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE.

301. Proposed substitutes for Christ. — 302. The idealistic Christ.— 303. The Christ of Ritschl.— 304. The Christ of recent psychology. — 305. Is the evidence convincing to the non-Christian? — 306. Many living witnesses. — 307. Christ the centre of history. — 308. Testimony of the New Testament. — 309. Christ and Christian evangelism. — 310. Method of concomitant variations. — 311. Christ's supremacy in man's moral struggles. — 312. Rational explanation of evangelism. — 313. Failure of evangelism with Christ left out. — 314. Christian experience produces confidence. — 315. Christ the religious finality. — 316. Christian experience as hypothesis. — 317. Conclusion 304-321

Part IV. The Evidence From Christian History

CHAPTER XXI

THE TEST OF USEFULNESS: CHRISTIANITY A PERPETUAL INCENTIVE.

318. The standard of success applied to Christianity. — 319. Success relative to the opposition. — 320. Relative to the Christian programme. — 321. Success relative to spiritual laws. — 322. Success is relative to the end in view. — 323. Christ's power to mould personalities. — 324. Diversity of moral type. — 325. Success in overcoming opposition. — 326. Evolution does not explain success of early Christianity. — 327. Its power of recovery from within. — 328. Its power to mould diverse peoples. — 329. Universality of Christian ideals. — 330. Symmetry of Christian character. — 331. Progressive nature of Christianity. — 332. Cause of Christian success. — 333. Christianity is God seeking man. — 334. Christianity as Revelation and Energy. — 335. God personalized in Christ. — 336. A Ritschlian concession — 337. Theism alone insufficient 325-342

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CHAPTER XXIL

THE PAST AND PRESENT CHRIST AND HIS SUPREME ACT.

338. Gesta Christi and Gestum Christi.—ZZ9. Early- Christianity and the child, woman and slave. — 340. Low morals of the Roman world. — 341. Three ways of showing Christ's supremacy. — 342. The new leaven of charity. — 343. Christ 's present act of Regeneration. — 344. The moral discontent of the age. — 345. The worth of the individual. — 346. The perfect society. — 347. Christ's doctrine of God.— 348. Christ's doctrine of sin.— 349. The church the seedplot of truth. — 350. Liberty, equality, fraternity. — 351. Industrial freedom. — 352. Partial eclipse of the ideal. — 353. Christ never without witnesses. — 354. Ways of recognizing Christ's leadership. — 355. Conclusion 343-358

CHAPTER XXIII.

THE ARGUMENT FROM CHRISTIAN MISSIONS.

356. Missions contain the essence of Christianity. — 357. The missionary conception. — 358. Its vindication by history. — 359. Its exalted motive. — 360. Primarily love to Christ.— 361. England's forgotten worthies.— 362. The loftier missionary devotion. — 363. Method of propagation. — 364. "lain your King. ' ' — 365. Christ the voice of eternal truth. — 366. Missionary energy and success. — 367. It embraces all reforms. — 368. Notable missionaries. — 369. Education and Bible translation. — 370. Missionary patience. — 371. Statistics. — 372. The fresh energy of missions 359-377

CHAPTER XXIV.

CHRIST COMPARED WITH MOHAMMED AND BUDDHA.

373. Various estimates of Mohammed. — 374. Points conceded. — 375. Mohammedan practices. — 376. Defective view of God. — 377. Life and morals. — 378. Propagation by force. — 379. A personal religion. — 380. Far below Christianity. — 381. Rise of Buddha. — 382. His soul thirst.— 383. The light of Buddha.— 384. Buddhist knowledge. — 385. Speculative doctrines, transmigration and

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Karma. — 386. Meaning of Karma. — 387. Elevated ethics of Buddha. — 388. Other qualities. — 389. Inferior to Christianity in its view of God. — 390. Buddhism not a religion. — 391. Buddhism self -regarding. — 392. A dark background to exhibit Christian truth 378-395

CHAPTEE XXV.

CHRISTIANITY THE TOTAL ANSWER TO MAN *S RELIGIOUS NEED

Chapter I. Modern Christian Evidences

1. The Christian of to-day is called upon to give a reason for the faith that is in him. The new weapons of attack call for new methods of defense. The believer in Christ may indeed cherish no doubt. For his own private religious life he may need no apologetic. Some indeed insist that it is needless to spend time repelling the attacks of unbelief. But they forget the increasing multitude who are dazed or bewildered by the claims and the conclusions of a skepticism which wears the garb of science and philosophy. Others think that faith and science should be left to go each its own way ; that it is useless and vain to attempt a reconciliation. Each is lawful within its sphere, each is sufficient unto itself, but the spheres are wholly distinct, we are told. This, however, is a retreat, not a victory for Christianity. It is a return on its intellectual side to the monastic life. It is a confession that the world is too much for it, whereas the Master declared : "Be of good cheer ; I have overcome the world."

It must not be so. A bold stand outside or a timid stand inside the truth is no presage of the best results for the moral and religious life of man. All truth is one. The Christian ideas and conceptions must claim citizenship in the universal kingdom of truth. If any of these ideas are spurious coins in the general circulation of the world's religious market, the sooner we know it the better. No Christian believer can afford to claim exemption from the rules of war for any of his beliefs so long as he is in a hostile country.

2. Our purpose is to survey the line of Christian defenses in view of the present need. We urge no hard and fast distinction between Apologetics and Christian Evidences. One usually deals with the philosophic and the other with the historical and practical lines of proof. We are concerned chiefly with Christian evidences, although in some degree we must look at the situation in both fields.

3. The task of the defender of Christianity may be summed up as follows : It is to establish the Christian positions by means of the principles of investigation employed by the opposition, so far as those principles are valid. The defense, in the nature of the case, to be effective, must be in terms of the attack. Of course it is open to the Christian apologist to show that other principles of investigation are equally valid and legitimate. But history shows that onslaughts against the faith are rarely formidable except when they claim the backing and support of great and universal principles. Anything over and above these is usually outward trappings which have an ugly look only. They are, as Mr. Huxley says of certain imposing

THE INDUCTIVE METHOD 5

words, like the bearskin caps worn by grenadiers to make them look ferocious.

4. Now the principles which are invoked in support of the conclusions of current anti-Christian views are those of some one or other of the current philosophic systems, and those of the inductive method. The philosophic views are to be examined in order as we proceed. Inductive logic first studies facts and from these draws conclusions. It does not lay down a proposition which must be true and then set out in quest of evidence to prove it. On the contrary it insists rigorously upon the reverse of this. First get the facts. Conscientiously, dispassionately, heroically, and even stoically gather and systematize the facts it enjoins upon us. Hypothesis and verification are the mental processes employed. The hypothesis may arise in various ways. It may be, as Dr. Wace expresses it, a "sort of prophetic induction," 1 or as Mr. Froude says, it may be nothing but "an imperfect generalization caught up by a predisposition." 2 For, be it remembered, there are no unbiased people in the world. The "judicial" attitude of mind does not mean a disinterested attitude. No man ever investigated arching without a predisposition in favor of something. This is well. Truth cannot be found otherwise. A being without a predisposition might indeed exist in the form of a petrified man, but not as flesh and blood.

6. But the chief point to keep in mind about the hypothesis, or theory, is that it is to be cast aside for one that is better the moment the facts indicate the existence of a better. It is the truceless and eternal war of facts against superstition, predisposition, bias, and error which science undertakes to wage. This inductive method is pursued in physical science everywhere, and in the social sciences also, in economics, civics, sociology, and now at length in ethics and religion. Evolution and criticism both erect their intellectual structures with the stones blasted in the quarry of the inductive method.

We have no option as defenders of Christianity. Of all men we must not turn our faces away from an enterprise which first of all sets out in quest of facts. We hold that eternal facts, the most solid of all realities, are the contents of our Christian faith. We maintain that the only adequate hypothesis to account for a vast mass of facts is the Christian hypothesis, and that verification in all its legitimate forms in the personal and moral realm may be applied to the hypothesis successfully.

7. So far we stand on common ground with the scientist. Our science, we should rather say, perhaps, is as real as any other science. There are, moreover, other things we hold in common with science — certain starting points or assumptions. Let us glance at them. One of these is the principle of unity. The world is one, not many. Somewhere is to be found a force or principle or bond which unites all things. This is essential to thought, a first principle of all

ASSUMPTIONS 7

modern research. Neither science nor philosophy will dispute this point, but rather welcome it.

We also assume the reality and worth of the moral life of man. Observe that we are not taking religion for granted, though we might assume it in some sense, but only morality. Some materialists dispute the moral view of man. We deal with his objection in our chapter on Materialism, and thereby so far relax the requirement of the assumption. We cannot devote the volume to materialism. So we start with the moral assumption. Most disbelievers in evangelical Christianity agree with us here. Professor Huxley says : "I protest that if some great power would agree to make me always think what is true and do what is right, on condition of being turned into a sort of clock, and wound up every morning before I got out of bed, I should instantly close with the offer." 3 Such an arrangement would scarcely be "moral" in the strict sense, but the declaration, with others by Professor Huxley, indicates his recognition of the need and worth of the moral life. Thus also J. S. Mill was a staunch advocate of the ethical ideal while denying its necessary connection with religion.* We also take for granted the trustworthiness of normal human reason and the reality of things external to ourselves. As Dr. W. N. Clarke says, we live "in an honest world." The testimony of our senses and of our mental and moral powers may be relied upon. When it has really worked out its problems human reason does find truth. What we are saying implies

8 MODEBN CHBISTIAN EVIDENCES

that we accept as a fact the existence of the world about us. Matter and force are real existences.

We also assume personality. This point requires attention. What we call personality, including self-consciousness, intelligence, and will, is as real a datum of experience as any known to us. Mind states are indeed better known to us than chemical processes. The world of persons about us is as definite a fact as the world of things. The man who assumes beforehand that only matter and force exist in the world as a whole is guilty of the same error as that of the chemist who might determine beforehand to find only oxygen in water. The importance of this point for our discussion will appear later.

8. These are the leading points which we take for granted. Let us observe next what is the scientific ideal and how it is to be realized. We shall let Prof. Huxley, in his Lay Sermons, furnish the statement of it. He asserts that to "learn what is true in order to do what is right is the summing up of the whole duty of man, for all who are unable to satisfy their mental hunger with the east wind of authority." 5 To learn what is true and to do what is right is surely an acceptable proposition. He is praising Des Cartes as the founder of the modern scientific method in the "lay sermon" containing the above language. He goes on to show that in his Discourse on Method Des Cartes blazed out the straight and narrow way of science, which surely leads to the city of Knowledge. "There is a path that leads to truth so surely that