Essays Addresses on the Philosophy of Religion

Whilst the greatest effort has been made to ensure the quality of this text, due to the historical nature of this content, in some rare cases there may be minor issues with legibility. Christian Church, for well over the first three centuries of her existence, left all the killing to her persecutors and herself per sisted and prevailed not by killing but by dying. Nevertheless, we shall do well, I think, not to deny that even the persecutions tolerated or encouraged by later Church authorities, have con tributed, in certain times and places, to the real consolidation of Christendom. And especially we shall be wise if we do not insist upon any sense, innate in all human hearts, of the essential heinousness of all persecution. And in Paper No. 4 I have attempted to show how the reality of Evil is beyond any direct explanation by anyone - the true state of affairs here is not that believers can explain and that unbelievers cannot explain, still less that Christians cannot explain but that sceptics can. No but that Christianity does, if something other, yet something more than explain Evil. Christianity has Immensely increased the range and depth of our insight as to Evil and, at the same time, Christianity alone has given man the motives and the power not only to trust on, unshaken, in the spiritual sun, in God, in spite of these sun spots of Evil, but to transform Evil into an instrument of Good.

Christian Church, for well over the first three centuries of her existence, left all the killing to her persecutors and herself per sisted and prevailed not by killing but by dying. Nevertheless, we shall do well, I think, not to deny that even the persecutions tolerated or encouraged by later Church authorities, have con tributed, in certain times and places, to the real consolidation of Christendom. And especially we shall be wise if we do not insist upon any sense, innate in all human hearts, of the essential heinousness of all persecution. And in Paper No. 4 I have attempted to show how the reality of Evil is beyond any direct explanation by anyone — the true state of affairs here is not that believers can explain and that unbelievers cannot explain, still less that Christians cannot explain but that sceptics can. No but that Christianity does, if something other, yet something more than explain Evil. Christianity has Immensely increased the range and depth of our insight as to Evil and, at the same time, Christianity alone has given man the motives and the power not only to trust on, unshaken, in the spiritual sun, in God, in spite of these sun spots of Evil, but to transform Evil into an instrument of Good.