Imperfect as the
revelations thus made of an evolution of religious beliefs,
institutions, and literature still are, they have not been without
an important bearing upon the newer conception of our own sacred
books: more and more manifest has become the interdependence of all
human development; more and more clear the truth that Christianity,
as a great fact in man's history, is not dependent for its life
upon any parasitic growths of myth and legend, no matter how
beautiful they may be.[[384]]
No less important was the closer research into the New Testament
during the latter part of the nineteenth century. To go into the
subject in detail would be beyond the scope of this work, but a few
of the main truths which it brought before the world may be here
summarized.[[385]]
By the new race of Christian scholars it has been clearly shown
that the first three Gospels, which, down to the close of the last
century, were so constantly declared to be three independent
testimonies agreeing as to the events recorded, are neither
independent of each other nor in that sort of agreement which was
formerly asserted.
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