existence of the Finite and Relative-this solution untenableself-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 Metaphysi cal Theology-alternative necessitated by this failure. - Practical result of the above inquiry, 68 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, 91 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 intuitionthe 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 view. Sense of Moral Obligation not a consciousness of the Absolute and Infinite.-Yet the Infinite is indirectly implied by the religious consciousness, though not apprehended as such; for the consciousness of limitation carries with it an indirect conviction of the existence of the Infinite beyond consciousness. Result of the above analysis- our knowledge of God relative and not absolute -the Infinite an object of belief, but not of thought or knowledge; hence we may know that an Infinite God exists, but not what He is as Infinite. Further results of an examination of the religious consciousness. God known as a Person through the con sciousness of ourselves as Persons-this consciousness indispensable to Theism; for the denial of our own Personality, whether in the form of Materialism or of Pantheism, logically leads to Atheism. - Summary of conclusions - -our religious knowledge is regulative, but not speculative — importance of this distinction in theological reasoning-conception of the Infinite inadmissible in Theology. — Office of religious philosophy, as limited to finite conceptions.Practical benefits of this limitation. - Conclusion, 114 LECTURE V. Distinction between Speculative and Regulative Truth further pursued. -In Philosophy, as well as Religion, our highest principles of thought are regulative and not speculative. - Instances in the Ideas of Liberty and Necessity; Unity and Plurality as implied in the conception of any object; Commerce between Soul and Body; Extension, as implied in external perception; and Succession, as implied in the entire consciousness.-Illustration thus afforded for determining the limits of thought-distinction between legitimate and illegitimate thought, as determined by their relation to the inexplicable and the self-contradictory respectively. Conclusion to be drawn as regards the manner of the mind's operation-all Consciousness implies a relation between Subject and Object, dependent on their mutual action and reäction; and thus no principle of thought can be regarded as absolute and simple, as an ultimate and highest truth. -- Analogy in this respect between Philosophy and Natural Religion which apprehends the Infinite under finite forms-corresponding difficulties to be expected in each.- Provinces of Reason and Faith. -Analogy extended to Revealed Religion - testimony of Revelation plain and intelligible when regarded as regulative, but ultimately incomprehensible to speculation-corresponding errors in Philosophy and Religion, illustrating this analogy. - Regulative conceptions not therefore untrue. The above principles confirmed by the teaching of Scripture. - Revelation expressly adapted to the limits of human thought. -- Relation of the Infinite to the Personal in the representations of God in the Old Testament. - Further confirmation from the New Testament. - Doctrine of the Incarnation; its practical position in Theology as a regulative truth; its perversion by modern philosophy, in the attempt to exhibit it as a speculative truth. Instances in Hegel, Marheineke, and Strauss.- Conclusion, 136 LECTURE VI. Result of the previous inquiries religious ideas contain two elements, a Form, common to them with all other ideas, as being human thoughts; and a Matter, peculiar to themselves, as thoughts about religious objects- hence there may exist two possible kinds of difficulties; the one formal arising from the universal laws of human thought; the other material arising from the peculiar nature - - - of religious evidence. The principal objections suggested by Ra- - |