London:
WATTS & CO.,
17 JOHNSON’S COURT, FLEET STREET, E.C.
1916
[v]
CONTENTS
PAGE
Preamble xi
ChapterI.—THE SNAREOF PRESUPPOSITION
Presupposition in science. The Copernicantheory. The reception of Galileo, Harvey, and Darwin. Blinding effectsof scholarship. The theological record. Mutations of Christian opinion.Defence of the belief in witchcraft. Leibnitz and Newton. Criticism ofthe Pentateuch. Parvish, Astruc, Voltaire, Colenso, and theprofessional scholars 1
ChapterII.—MODES OFCONSERVATIVE FALLACY
Persistence of the theological temper. Eachabandoned position first defended with the same fierceness. Saner formsof conservatism. Persistence in presupposition. Canon Inge on Jesus andPaul. The logical hiatus. Mill’s precedent. His dithyrambic moodand critical inadequacy. Disregard of the documentary evidence. Need toface the real problem. The sociological process. Mill’s dictumcontrasted with those of Newman and Baur 6
ChapterIII.—ILLUSIONS AS TO GOSPEL ETHIC
Mill’s method and mind non-historical.“The historic sense.” Dr. J. E. Carpenter’s. Theconcept of “sublimity.” God portraiture. Its limitations.The Gospel ethic. Significance of the contradictions. The parable ofthe Good Samaritan. Incompetent verdicts of theologians. The story ofLycurgus and Alcander. Plutarch on forgiveness of enemies. Fanaticismof Christian estimates of antiquity 18
ChapterIV.—THEMETHOD OF BLUSTER
The historic problem. Its treatment by aUnitarian cleric. The method of bluster. The real and the pretendedcharacter of the