examples we may take the natural growth of Christianity out of previous
religions; the natural spread of it; the natural conversion of St. Paul,
or of anybody else. It is still assumed on both sides that there must
be something inexplicable or miraculous about a phenomenon in order to
its being divine.

What else have science and religion ever had to fight about save on the
basis of this common hypothesis, and hence as to whether the causation
of such and such a phenomenon has been 'natural' or 'super-natural.' For
even the disputes as to science contradicting scripture, ultimately turn
on the assumption of inspiration (supposing it genuine) being
'super-natural' as to its causation. Once grant that it is 'natural' and
all possible ground of dispute is removed.

I can well understand why infidelity should make the basal assumption in
question, because its whole case must rest thereon. But surely it is
time for theists to abandon this assumption.

The assumed distinction between causation as natural and super-natural
no doubt began in superstition in prehistoric time, and throughout the
historical period has continued from a vague feeling that the action of
God must be mysterious, and hence that the province of religion must be
within the super-sensuous. Now, it is true enough that the finite cannot
comprehend the infinite, and hence the feeling in question is logically
sound. But under the influence of this feeling, men have always
committed the fallacy of concluding that if a phenomenon has been
explained in terms of natural causation, it has thereby been explained
_in toto_--forgetting that it has only been explained up to the point
where such causation is concerned, and that the real question of
ultimate causation has merely been thus postponed. And assuredly beyond