第5部分(第3/7 頁)

puts　far　from　it　the　knowledge　of　God；　can　well　estimate

how　much　furtherance　thereby　accrues　to　its　own　wayward　and　vain　strivings。　I　have　been

unwilling　to　leave　out　of　sight　the　connection　between　our　thesis　…　that　Reason　governs　and　has

governed　the　World　—　and　the　question　of　the　possibility　of　a　Knowledge　of　God；　chiefly　that　I

might　not　lose　the　opportunity　of　mentioning　the　imputation　against　Philosophy　of　being　shy　of

noticing　religious　truths；　or　of　having　occasion　to　be　so　in　which　is　insinuated　the　suspicion　that　it

has　anything　but　a　clear　conscience　in　the　presence　of　these　truths。　So　far　from　this　being　the　case；

the　fact　is；　that　in　recent　times　Philosophy　has　been　obliged　to　defend　the　domain　of　religion

against　the　attacks　of　several　theological　systems。　In　the　Christian　religion　God　has　revealed

Himself；　—　that　is；　he　has　given　us　to　understand　what　He　is；　so　that　He　is　no　longer　a　concealed

or　secret　existence。　And　this　possibility　of　knowing　Him；　thus　afforded　us；　renders　such

knowledge　a　duty。　God　wishes　no　narrow…hearted　souls　or　empty　heads　for　his　children；　but　those

whose　spirit　is　of　itself　indeed；　poor；　but　rich　in　the　knowledge　of　Him；　and　who　regard　this

knowledge　of　God　as　the　only　valuable　possession。　That　development　of　the　thinking　spirit；　which

has　resulted　from　the　revelation　of　the　Divine　Being　as　its　original　basis；　must　ultimately　advance　to

the　intellectual　prehension　of　what　was　presented　in　the　first　instance；　to　feeling　and

imagination。　The　time　must　eventually　e　for　understanding　that　rich　product　of　active　Reason；

which　the　History　of　the　World　offers　to　us。　It　was　for　a　while　the　fashion　to　profess　admiratio