James Mill’s statement of the case represents the popular anti-religious arguments 249

But his way of putting the case is full of distortion and exaggeration 250

Though certain of the difficulties he pointed out were real 251

And those we cannot explain away; but if we are to believe in our moral being at all, we must one and all accept 252

We can escape from them by none of the rationalistic substitutes for religion 252

A similar difficulty is the freedom of the will 257

This belief is an intellectual impossibility 258

But at the same time a moral necessity 260

It is typical of all the difficulties attendant on an assent to our own moral nature 260

The vaguer difficulties that appeal to the moral imagination we must meet in the same way 261

CHAPTER XI.

THE HUMAN RACE AND REVELATION.

Should the intellect of the world return to theism, will it ever again acknowledge a special revelation? 264

We can see that this is an urgent question 265

By many general considerations 265

Especially the career of Protestantism 267

Which is visibly evaporating into a mere natural theism 268

And, as such, is losing all restraining power in the world 271

Where then shall we look for a revelation?  Not in any of the Eastern creeds 275

The claims of the Roman Church are the only ones worth considering 276

Her position is absolutely distinct from that of Protestantism, and she is not involved in its fall 277

In theory she is all that the enlightened world could require 279

The only question is, is she so in practice?  This brings us to difficulties 282

1st.  The partial success of her revelation; and her supposed condemnation of the virtues of unbelievers.  But her partial success is simply the old mystery of evil 282

And through her infinite charity, she does nothing to increase that difficulty 283

The value of orthodoxy is analogous to the value of true physical science 285