Note 31 — Chapter III · ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE CONCEPTION OF JESUS.—ITS SUPERNATURAL CHARACTER.—VISIT OF MARY TO ELIZABETH.
George Eliot translation
The whole rationalistic interpretation of Scripture rests upon a sufficiently palpable paralogism, by which it stands or falls:
The New Testament authors are not to be interpreted as if they said something irrational (certainly not something contrary to their own modes of thinking).
Now according to a particular interpretation their assertions are irrational (that is contrary to our modes of thinking).
Consequently the interpretation cannot give the original sense, and a different interpretation must be given.
Who does not here perceive the quaternio terminorum and the fatal inconsequence, when Rationalism takes its stand upon the same ground with supernaturalism; that, namely, whilst with regard to all other men the first point to be examined is whether they speak or write what is just and true, to the New Testament writers the prerogative is granted of this being, in their case, already presupposed? ↑