If revelation has been of a progressive character, then it follows that it must have been so, not only historically, but likewise intellectually, morally, and spiritually.  For thus only could it be always adapted to the advancing conditions of the human race.  This reflection destroys all those numerous objections against Scripture on account of the absurdity or immorality of its statements or precepts, unless it can be shown that the modifications suggested by criticism as requisite to bring the statements or precepts into harmony with modern advancement would have been as well adapted to the requirements of the world at the date in question, as were the actual statements or precepts before us.

Supposing Christianity true, it is certain that the revelation which it conveys has been predetermined at least since the dawn of the historical period.  This is certain because the objective evidences of Christianity as a revelation have their origin in that dawn.  And these objective evidences are throughout [evidence] of a scheme, in which the end can be seen from the beginning.  And the very methods whereby this scheme is itself revealed are such (still supposing that it is a scheme) as present remarkable evidences of design.  These methods are, broadly speaking, miracles, prophecy and the results of the teaching, &c., upon mankind.  Now one may show that no better methods could conceivably have been designed for the purpose of latter-day evidence, combined with moral and religious teaching throughout.  The mere fact of it being so largely incorporated with secular history renders the Christian religion unique:  so to speak, the world, throughout its entire historical period, has been constituted the canvas on which this divine revelation has been painted—­and painted so gradually that not until the process had been going on for a couple of thousand years was it possible to perceive the subject thereof.

Christian Dogmas.

Whether or not Christ was Himself divine would make no difference so far as the consideration of Christianity as the highest phase of evolution is concerned, or from the purely secular [scientific] point of view.  From the religious point of view, or that touching the relation of God to man, it would of course make a great difference; but the difference belongs to the same region of thought as that which applies to all the previous moments of evolution.  Thus the passage from the non-moral to the moral appears, from the secular or scientific point of view, to be due, as far as we can see, to mechanical causes in natural selection or what not.  But, just as in the case of the passage from the non-mental to the mental, &c., this passage may have been ultimately due to divine volition, and must have been so due on the theory of Theism.  Therefore, I say, it makes no difference from a secular or scientific point of view whether or not Christ was Himself divine; since, in either case, the movement which He inaugurated was the proximate or phenomenal cause of the observable results.