| PAGE |
| Introductory | [13] |
| The Argument | |
| I |
| The gradual narrowing of the miraculous element in the Bibleby recent discovery and discussion.—Thealarm thereby excited in the Church.—Thefallacy which generates the fear.—Theatheistic conception of nature which generatesthe fallacy.—The present outgrowing of thisconception. | [25] |
| II | |
| The present net results of the discussion of themiraculous element in the Bible.—Evaporationof the former evidential value of miracles.—Furtherinsistence on this value a logical blunder.—Thetransfer of miracles from the artilleryto the baggage of the Church.—Probability ofa further reduction of the list of miracles.—Alsoof a further transfer of events reputedmiraculous to the domain of history. | [37] |
| III | |
| Arbitrary criticism of the Biblical narratives of theraising of the "dead."—Facts which it ignores.—Thesubject related to the phenomena oftrance, and records of premature burial.—Theresuscitation in Elisha's tomb probably historical.—Jesus'raising of the ruler's daughterplainly such a case.—His raising of the widow'sson probably such.—The hypothesis that hisraising of Lazarus may also have been suchcritically examined.—The record allows thissupposition.—Further considerations favoringit: 1. The supposition threatens no real interestof Christianity.—2. Enhances the characterof the act as a work of mercy.—3. Isindependent of the belief of the witnesses ofthe act.—4. Is coherent with the generalconception of the healing works of Jesus aswrought by a peculiar psychical power.—Othercases.—The resurrection of Jesus an event ina wholly different order of things.—The practicalresult of regarding these resuscitations asin the order of nature. | [47] |
| IV | |
| A clearer conception of miracle approached.—Worksof Jesus once reputed miraculous not soreputed now, since not now transcending asonce the existing range of knowledge and power.—Thistransfer of the miraculous to the naturallikely to continue.—No hard and fast linebetween the miraculous and the non-miraculous.—Miraclea provisional word, its applicationnarrowing in the enlarging mastery of the secretsof Nature and of life. | [75] |
| V | |
| Biblical miracles the effluence of extraordinarylives.—Life the world's magician and miracle-worker;its miracles now termed prodigies.—Miraclethe natural product of an extraordinaryendowment of life.—Life the ultimate reality.—Whatany man can achieve is conditionedby the psychical quality of his life.—Nothingmore natural, more supernatural, than life.—Thederived life of the world filial to the self-existentlife of God; "begotten, not made."—Miracleas the product of life, the work of God. | [85] |
| VI | |
| The question, old and new, now confronting theologians.—Theirrecent retreat upon the minimumof miracle.—The present conflict of opinionin the Church.—Its turning-point reachedin the antipodal turn-about in the treatment ofmiracles from the old to the new apologetics.—Revisionof the traditional idea of the supernaturalrequired for theological readjustment. | [95] |
| VII | |
| Account to be made of the law of atrophy throughdisuse.—The virgin birth and the corporealresurrection of Jesus, the two miracles still insistedon as the irreducible minimum, affectedby this law.—The vital truths of the incarnationand immortality independent of these miracles.—Thesetruths now placed on higherground in a truer conception of the supernatural.—Thetrue supernatural is the spiritual,not the miraculous.—Scepticism bred from thecontrary view.—The miracle-narratives, whileless evidential for religion, not unimportant forhistory.—Psychical research a needed auxiliaryfor the scientific critic of these. | [107] |
| VIII | |
| The cardinal point in the present discussion thereality not of miracles, but of the supernatural.—Fallacyof pointing to physical events asessential characteristics of supernatural Revelation.—Thecharacter of a revelation determinednot by its circumstances, but by its contents.—Moralnature supernatural to physical.—Naturea hierarchy of natures.—Supernatural Religionhistorically attested by the moral developmentit generates.—Transfer of its distinctive notefrom moral ideals to physical marvels a costlyerror.—Jesus' miracles a revelation, of a typecommon with others before and after.—Theunique Revelation of Jesus was in the higherrealm of divine ideas and ideals.—These, whileunrealized in human life, still exhibit the fact ofa supernatural Revelation.—The distinction ofnatural and supernatural belongs to the periodof moral progress up to the spiritual maturityof man in the image of God.—The divine possibilitiesof humanity, imaged in Jesus, revealedas our inheritance and our prize. | [131] |
