CONTENTS.

LECTURE I.

Dogmatism and Rationalism as methods of religious philosophy-meaning of these terms -errors of the respective systems denoted by each; the one forcing reason into agreement with revelation, the other forcing revelation into agreement with reason. Both methods may

be regarded as attempts, from opposite sides, to produce exact coincidence between belief and thought. - Instances of each exhibited and examined. Human conceptions are unavoidable in Theology; but there is need of some principle to determine their proper place in it. Such a principle can only be gained by an investigation of the Limits of Human Thought. - The proper object of criticism is not religion, but the human mind in its relation to religion. — A direct criticism of religion as a representation of God can only be accomplished by the construction of a Philosophy of the Infinite. It is therefore necessary to inquire whether such a philosophy is possible; and this can only be ascertained by an examination of the laws of human thought in general, which will determine those of religious thought in particular.—Analogous difficulties may be expected in philosophy and in religion, arising from the limitations of

thought common to both.-Contrast between two opposite statements of the extent of human knowledge, in the words of St. Paul and of Hegel. Purpose of the following Lectures, as an Examination of the Limits of Religious Thought,

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LECTURE II.

Statement of the two opposite methods by which a Philosophy of Religion may be attempted; the Objective or Metaphysical, based on a supposed knowledge of the nature of God, and the Subjective or Psychological, based on a knowledge of the mental faculties of man. - Relation of these methods respectively to the Criticism of Revelation - dependence of the former method upon the latter. - Further examination of the Objective or Metaphysical method. Two different modes in which man may be supposed to be capable of attaining to a knowledge of God-specimen of each — insufficiency of both to found a Rational Theology. — Examination of the fundamental ideas of Rational Theology, the Absolute -- the Infinite - the First Cause mutual contradictions involved in these three ideas ception of an eternal Causation incompatible with the Absolute — conception of a temporal Causation incompatible with the Infinite. -The Absolute cannot be conceived as a necessary and unconscious cause, nor as a voluntary and conscious cause, nor as possessing consciousness at all,-nor as containing within itself any kind of relation, nor as one and simple, out of all relation. Effect of these counter impossibilities on the conceptions of Theology — apparent contradictions in the conception of the Divine Attributes as absolute and infinite. Further contradictions involved in the coëxistence of the Relative with the Absolute, and of the Finite with the Infinite. Pantheism avoids these contradictions by denying the

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existence of the Finite and Relative-this solution untenable self-contradictions of the Pantheistic hypothesis. - Alternative of Atheism, which denies the existence of the Infinite and Absolute - contradictions involved in this hypothesis. — Summary of conclusions. Necessary failure of all attempts to construct a Metaphysical Theology-alternative necessitated by this failure. - Practical result of the above inquiry,

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LECTURE III.

Recapitulation of the results of the last Lecture. - Necessity of examining the Philosophy of Religion from the Subjective or Psychological side, as dependent upon a knowledge of the laws of the human mind. General conditions of all human Consciousness. First condition of Consciousness, Distinction between one Object and another - such a distinction necessarily implies Limitation-consequent impossibility of conceiving the Infinite.—Explanation of the contradictions involved in the idea of the Infinite-this idea inadmissible as the basis of a scientific Theology. - Second condition of Consciousness, Relation between Subject and Object-consequent impossibility of conceiving the Absolute. - Explanation of the contradictions involved in the idea of the Absolute. - Impossibility of a partial knowledge of the Infinite and Absolute. - Third condition of Consciousness, Succession and Duration in Time - hence all objects are conceived as finite- consequent impossibility of conceiving Creation, and counter impossibility of conceiving finite existence as uncreated. -Attempt to evade this limitation in Theology by the hypothesis of the existence of God out of Time-this hypothesis untenable in philosophy and unavailable in theology. - Fourth condition of Consciousness, Personality - Personality a limitation and a relation, and

hence inadequate to represent the Infinite. - Theological consequences of this condition. Personality the source and type of our conception of Reality, and therefore the only fitting representation of God. Necessity of thinking of God as personal and yet of believing in Him as infinite apparent contradiction between these representations - hence Thought cannot be the measure of Belief. - Consequent impossibility of constructing a Rational Theology. - Attempt to avoid the above conclusions by placing the Philosophy of the Infinite in a point beyond Consciousness-necessary failure of this attempt.- Summary of Conclusions. - Practical lesson from the above inquiry,

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LECTURE IV.

Analysis of the religious Consciousness, reflective and intuitive.Relation of the reflective Consciousness to Theology; its reasonings sufficient to correct our conception of a Supreme Being, but not to originate it-examination of some current theories on this point -statement of the value of the reflective faculties within their proper limits. - Reflection, as well as intuition necessary to distinct consciousness; but intuition is first in the order of nature, though not in that of time. - Two principal modes of religious intuition— the Feeling of Dependence and the Conviction of Moral Obligation, giving rise respectively to Prayer and Expiation.- Examination of these two modes of Consciousness. - Dependence implies a Personal Superior; hence our conviction of the Power of God-Moral Obligation implies a Moral Lawgiver; hence our conviction of the Goodness of God. - Limits of the Religious Consciousness - Sense of Dependence not a consciousness of the Absolute and Infiniteopposite theory of Schleiermacher on this point-objections to his

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