The historical argument, then, leads us back to miracles; for every other explanation of the first triumph of Christianity is found to be inadequate. While, on the other hand, the establishment of the Christian religion is just what we should expect if the miracles were true. And of course true miracles, not false ones, are required to account for it. The most holy and the most powerful religion the world has ever seen cannot have been founded on falsehood or fable. In other words, if we deny that the Christian miracles occurred, and take from Christ all that is superhuman, we cannot imagine Him as the Founder of Christianity. There would be an obvious want of proportion between cause and effect. And, as a matter of fact, it was not a natural Christ, but a supernatural Christ—the Christ of the Gospels—who won the heart of mankind, and conquered the world. We seem thus forced to the conclusion that the only thing which can account for the history of Christianity is its truth. Anyhow, it is plain that its History forms another strong argument in its favour.
CHAPTER XXIII.
THAT ON THE WHOLE THE OTHER EVIDENCE SUPPORTS THIS CONCLUSION.
Additional arguments for and against Christianity.
(A.) Christianity and Prayer.
Its universality. There are, however, three difficulties:
(1.) Scientific difficulty; said to be incredible, as interfering with the course of nature.
(2.) Moral difficulty; said to be wrong, as inconsistent with the power, wisdom, and goodness of God.
(3.) Practical difficulty; said to be useless, as shown by observation; but none of these can be maintained.