OF KNOWLEDGE. 



307 



of life, death, and immortality, of evil, sin, and re- 

 demption, which are now freely and largely discussed 

 by philosophical writers in all the three countries, did 

 not in English and Scottish philosophical literature find 

 any exhaustive treatment. They were relegated, after 

 the example of Bacon, to the separate domain of Theology 

 or Divinity, 1 where they received adequate treatment on 

 the basis of historical tradition. This was either con- 

 fined as with the Nonconformists and Presbyterians 

 to the Scriptures, which were interpreted, but not criti- 

 cised, in the light of Eeason, or it was the combined 

 authority of tradition and the Church which prescribed 

 the correct canons for explanation and interpretation of 

 the Scriptures. To the English mind the doctrines of the 

 Christian religion, taught in a more or less orthodox 

 spirit, and the unique historical records connected with 

 its mysterious origin, presented themselves quite as much 



1 See a remarkable passage by 

 George Ripley in his Introductory 

 Notice to Jouffroy's Philosophical 

 Essays, pp. 23, 24, quoted by 

 Robert Flint in his ' Philosophy of 

 History in France and Germany ' 

 (1874, p. 4): "There is a little 

 book," says George Ripley, "which 

 is taught to children, and on which 

 they are examined in the Church. 

 If we read this book, which is the 

 Catechism, we shall find a solution 

 of all the problems which have been 

 proposed ; all of them without ex- 

 ception. If we ask the Christian 

 whence comes the human race, he 

 knows ; or whither it goes, he 

 knows ; or how it goes, he knows. 

 If we ask that poor child, who has 

 never reflected on the subject in 

 his life, why he is here below and 

 what will become of him after 

 death, he will give you a sublime 

 answer, which he will not thoroughly 



comprehend, but which is none the 

 less admirable for that. If we ask 

 him how the world was created, 

 and for what end ; why God has 

 placed in it plants and animals ; 

 how the earth was peopled ; whether 

 by a single family or by many ; 

 why men speak different languages ; 

 why they suffer, why they struggle, 

 and how all this will end, he 

 knows it all. Origin of the world, 

 origin of the species, question of 

 races, destiny of man in this life 

 and in the other, relations of man 

 to God, duties of man to his fellow- 

 men, rights of man over the crea- 

 tion, he is ignorant of none of 

 these points ; and when he shall 

 have grown up, he will as little 

 hesitate with regard to natural 

 right, political right, or the right 

 of nations : all this proceeds with 

 clearness, and as it were of itself, 

 from Christianity." 



