3.  Moreover these men were not devoid of benefit from Christ, because it is represented that He died for all men—­i.e. but for Him [i.e. apart from the knowledge of what was to come] God would not have ’winked at the times of ignorance.’  The efficacy of atonement is represented as transcendental, and not dependent on the accident of hearing about the Atoner.

4.  It is remarkable that of all men Darwin should have been worsted by this fallacious argument.  For it has received its death-blow from the theory of evolution:  i.e. if it be true that evolution has been the method of natural causation, and if it be true that the method of natural causation is due to a Divinity, then it follows that the lateness of Christ’s appearance on earth must have been designed.  For it is certain that He could not have appeared at any earlier date without having violated the method of evolution.  Therefore, on the theory of Theism, He ought to have appeared when He did—­i.e. at the earliest possible moment in history.

So as to the suitability of the moment of Christ’s appearance in other respects.  Even secular historians are agreed as to the suitability of the combinations, and deduce the success of His system of morals and religion from this fact.  So with students of comparative religions.

FOOTNOTES: 

[59] [I.e. a theory which comes at first as a shock to the current teaching of Christianity, but is finally seen to be in no antagonism to its necessary principles.—­ED.]

[60] [I.e. the battle in regard to the Christian texts or documents.—­ED.]

[61] See Gore’s Bampton Lectures, pp. 74 ff.

[62] Matt, xxviii. 17; Acts ii. 13.

[63] Three Essays on Theism, p. 255.

[64] [Note unfinished.—­ED.]

[65] [George Romanes began to make a collection of N.T. texts bearing on the subject.—­ED.]

[66] See Pascal, Pensees, p. 245.

[67] [The notes on this subject were often too fragmentary for publication.—­ED.]

[68] Ps. li.

[69] Pensees, pp. 91-93.

[70] See Nineteenth Century, May 1887.

[71] [The essay mentioned above should be read in explanation of this expression.  George Romanes’ meaning would be more accurately expressed, I think, had he said:  ’The ideal of Christian character holds in prominence the elements which we regard as characteristically feminine, e.g. development of affections, readiness of trust, love of service, readiness to suffer, &c.’—­ED.]

[72] See Analogy, part i. ch. 7; part ii. ch. 3, 4, &c.

[73] See Conclusion of Darwin and After Darwin, part I.

[74] I should somewhere show how much better a treatise Butler might have written had he known about evolution as the general law of nature.

[75] See Gore’s Bampton Lectures, lect. ii.