228 



FACTS AND FANCIES 



guage. Such a revelation would of necessity 

 require that we should receive it in faith, but 

 faith resting on evidence derived from things 

 known, and from the analogy of the revelation 

 'tself with what God reveals in nature. It 

 would be no valid objection to such a revela- 

 tion to say that it is anthropomorphic, since, 

 in the nature of the case, it must come through 

 man and be suited to man ; nor would it be any 

 valid objection that it is figurative, for truth as 

 to spiritual realities must always be expressed 

 in terms of known phenomena of the natural 

 world. 



It has been objected, though not on behalf 

 of science, that such a revelation, if it related 

 to things discoverable by man, would be useless, 

 while, if it related to things not discoverable, it 

 could not be understood. This is, however, a 

 mere play upon words, and reminds one of 

 the doctrine attributed to the Arabian caliph 

 with reference to the Alexandrian Library : If 

 its books Contain -;7hat is written in the Koran, 

 they are useless ; if anything different, they are 

 injurious ; therefore let them be destroyed. It 

 would indeed be subversive of all education, 

 human as well as divine ; for the essence of this 

 is to take advantage of what the pupil knows, 



