INTRODUCTORY. 87 



some extent succeeded will react again upon the purely 

 intellectual courses of thought and imbue them with 

 fresh vigour and hopefulness. Should we, however, be 

 mistaken in this expectation, we can say this with 

 certainty, that neither the most refined theories of 

 science, nor the speculations of philosophy, nor the 

 dogmas of theology will prevent the utter loss of our 

 ideals, the ruin of the higher life of mankind. 



It has been frequently asserted that the philosophy 67 

 of the day is irreligious. This is only partially correct. O f e recent 



\r 1-1 -n philosophy 



Many earnest thinkers in England and abroad are to religion. 

 intently occupied with trying to understand the psycho- 

 logical foundation and the historical growth of religion, 

 which they look upon as a great Eeality, having an 

 independent existence outside science and philosophy. 

 If, at the same time, they refuse to draw into philo- 

 sophical discussion those great Divine and human 

 Truths, such as the nature of God and the scheme of 

 redemption, which philosophical writers of the preced- 

 ing age frequently dealt with in a prolific manner, we 

 may look upon this as a sign of increasing reverence, 

 and as an acknowledgment of the existence of other 

 powers in the human soul than those of merely external 

 sensation and logical inference. These thinkers are, in 

 their writings, merely preparing the way for the new 

 light. 



In the general Introduction I pointed out that I 

 propose in this History to look upon philosophical 

 thought as occupying an intermediate position between 

 scientific and religious thought. What has been said 

 in the last few pages confirms this view, by pointing 



