God.

There is, without a doubt, something in the Old Testament, as well
as in the New, quite different in kind, as well as in degree, from
the sacred books of any other people: an unique element, which has
had an unique effect upon the human heart, life and civilization.
This remains, after all possible deductions for 'ignorance of
physical science,' 'errors in numbers and chronology,'
'interpolations' 'mistakes of transcribers' and so forth, whereof we
have read of late a great deal too much, and ought to care for them
and for their existence, or non-existence, simply nothing at all;
because, granting them all--though the greater part of them I do not
grant, as far as I can trust my critical faculty--there remains that
unique element, beside which all these accidents are but as the
spots on the sun compared to the great glory of his life-giving
light. The unique element is there; and I cannot but still believe,
after much thought, that it--the powerful and working element, the
inspired and Divine element which has converted and still converts
millions of souls--is just that which Christendom in all ages has
held it to be: the account of certain 'noble acts' of God's, and
not of certain noble thoughts of man--in a word, not merely the
moral, but the historic element; and that, therefore, the value of
the Bible teaching depends on the truth of the Bible story. That is
my belief. Any criticism which tries to rob me of that I shall look
at fairly, but very severely indeed.

If all that a man wants is a 'religion,' he ought to be able to make
a very pretty one for himself, and a fresh one as often as he is
tired of the old. But the heart and soul of man wants more than
that, as it is written, 'My soul is athirst for God, even for the