NEW SYSTEM OF PHILOSOPHY. XIX 



ness, and force ; though it is somewhat diffuse, and the abstract 

 nature of some of his topics occasionally renders his thought diffi 

 cult of apprehension. His treatment of his subjects is generally 

 thorough and sometimes exhaustive ; his arguments are always 

 ingenious if not always convincing ; his illustrations are drawn 

 from almost every accessible field of human knowledge, and his 

 method of &quot; putting things &quot; is such as to make the most of his 

 materials. lie is undoubtedly entitled to a high rank among the 

 speculative and philosophic writers of the presennt day. * * * 

 In Mr. Spencer we have the example of a positivist, who does 

 not treat the subject of religion with supercilious neglect, and 

 who illustrates by his own method of reasoning upon the highest 

 objects of human thought, the value of those metaphysical studies 

 which it is so much the fashion of his school to decry. For both 

 these reasons the volume, which we now propose to examine, 

 deserves the careful attention of the theologian who desires to 

 know what one of the strongest thinkers of his school, commonly 

 thought atheistic in its tendencies, can say in behalf of our ulti 

 mate religious ideas. For if we mistake not, in spite of the very 

 negative character of his own results, he has furnished some 

 strong arguments for the doctrine of a positive Christian theo 

 logy. We shall be mistaken if we expect to find him carelessly 

 passing these matters by (religious faith and theological science) 

 as in all respects beyond knowledge and of no practical concern. 

 On the contrary, he gives them profound attention, and arrives 

 at conclusions in regard to them which even the Christian theolo 

 gian must allow to contain a large measure of truth. While 

 showing the unsearchable nature of the ultimate facts on which 

 religion depends, he demonstrates their real existence and their 

 great importance. * * * In answering these questions Mr. 

 Spencer has, we think, arrived nearer to a true philosophy than 

 either Hamilton or Mansel. At least he has indicated in a more 

 satisfactory manner than they have done, the positive datum of 

 consciousness that the unconditioned, though inscrutable, exists. 

 It may be said that Mr. Spencer is not chargeable with excluding 

 God from the universe, or denying all revelation of Him in Ilia 

 works, since he earnestly defends the truth that an inscrutable 

 power is shown to exist. We certainly would not charge him 



