at any rate) has managed to persuade the general public
of its own divine uniqueness to such a degree that few
people, even nowadays, realize that it has sprung from just
the same root as Paganism, and that it shares by far the
most part of its doctrines and rites with the latter. Till
quite lately it was thought (in Britain) that only secularists
and unfashionable people took any interest in sungods; and
while it was true that learned professors might point to a
belief in Magic as one of the first sources of Religion, it
was easy in reply to say that this obviously had nothing to
do with Christianity! The Secularists, too, rather spoilt
their case by assuming, in their wrath against the Church,
that all priests since the beginning of the world have been
frauds and charlatans, and that all the rites of religion
were merely devil's devices invented by them for the
purpose of preying upon the superstitions of the ignorant,
to their own enrichment. They (the Secularists)
overleaped themselves by grossly exaggerating a thing that
no doubt is partially true.

Thus the subject of religious origins is somewhat complex,
and yields many aspects for consideration. It
is only, I think, by keeping a broad course and admitting
contributions to the truth from various sides, that valuable
results can be obtained. It is absurd to suppose
that in this or any other science neat systems can be found
which will cover all the facts. Nature and History do not
deal in such things, or supply them for a sop to Man's
vanity.