" So ended the last great demonstration,
thus far, on the side of sacred science--the last retreating shot
from the theological rear guard.
It is but just to say that a very great share in the honour of the
victory of science in this field is due to men trained as
theologians. It would naturally be so, since few others have
devoted themselves to direct labour in it; yet great honour is none
the less due to such men as Reland, Mariti, Smith, Robinson,
Stanley, Tristram, and Schat.
They have rendered even a greater service to religion than to
science, for they have made a beginning, at least, of doing away
with that enforced belief in myths as history which has become a
most serious danger to Christianity.
For the worst enemy of Christianity could wish nothing more than
that its main Leaders should prove that it can not be adopted save
by those who accept, as historical, statements which unbiased men
throughout the world know to be mythical. The result of such a
demonstration would only be more and more to make thinking people
inside the Church dissemblers, and thinking people outside, scoffers.
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