第一小说网

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第5部分（第2页）

human　things；　we　have　the　convenient　licence　of　wandering　as　far　as　we　list；　in　the　direction　of　our

own　fancies。　We　are　freed　from　the　obligation　to　refer　our　knowledge　to　the　Divine　and　True。　On

the　other　hand；　the　vanity　and　egotism　which　characterise　it　find；　in　this　false　position；　ample

justification　and　the　pious　modesty　which　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　admiration　for

the　wisdom　of　God；　as　displayed　in　animals；　plants；　and　isolated　occurrences。　But；　if　it　be　allowed

that　Providence　manifests　itself　in　such　objects　and　forms　of　existence；　why　not　also　in　Universal

History？　This　is　deemed　too　great　a　matter　to　be　thus　regarded。　But　Divine　Wisdom；　i。e。　Reason。；

is　one　and　the　same　in　the　great　as　in　the　little；　and　we　must　not　imagine　God　to　be　too　weak　to

exercise　his　wisdom　on　the　grand　scale。　Our　intellectual　striving　aims　at　realising　the　conviction　that

what　was　intended　by　eternal　wisdom；　is　actually　acplished　in　the　domain　of　existent；　active

Spirit；　as　well　as　in　that　of　mere　Nature。　Our　mode　of　treating　the　subject　is；　in　this　aspect；　a

Theodicaea；　—　a　justification　of　the　ways　of　God；　—　which　Leibnitz　attempted　metaphysically　in

his　method；　i。e。　in　indefinite　abstract　categories；　—　so　that　the　ill　that　is　found　in　the　World　may　be

prehended；　and　the　thinking　Spirit　reconciled　with　the　fact　of　the　existence　of　evil。　Indeed；