The New Testament 255 



three-fold tradition ; aud of a superstructure consisting, firstly, 

 of matter common to it with one of the others, and, secondly, 

 of matter common to each." 



Again : — ' ' There is no proof, nothing more than a 

 fair presumption, that anj^ one of the gospels existed, 

 in the state in which we find it in the authorised 

 version of the Bible, before the second century, or, in 

 other words, sixty or seventy years after the events 

 recorded." These considerations with slight differ- 

 ences in details are now practically admitted among 

 the abler apologists, with the result that, as Huxley 

 claimed, the New Testament, like the Old, must be 

 treated as Literature rather than as Dogma. As 

 Literature everyone has the right to examine the 

 contents critically, and, considering the importance at- 

 tributed to the contents, the right becomes a duty. 

 No doubt, had Huxley not lived there would have 

 been others equally ready and equally able to gain the 

 battle for freedom of thought in its special application 

 to the claim of the Bible to stand in the way of the 

 advance of scientific knowledge ; but as it is, it can- 

 not be denied that the existing prevalence of liberal 

 views, inside and outside the churches, on the nature 

 and interpretation of the Scriptures is largely due to 

 him. 



After the question of inspiration, the most striking 

 feature of the Bible is its appeal to miracles and the 

 miraculous element. It is now necessary to examine 

 the position asstimed by Huxley towards these. Two 

 great a priori difficulties have been brought against 

 accepting any record of miracles as true. The first of 

 these is very simple, depending on the history of all 

 times and peoples. It is that the human race has 

 shewn itself universally credulous in this matter. It 



