xxvi This Work not systematic. 



between the religious and the scientific points of 

 view. But I believe, and have written my former 

 work in great part for the purpose of showing, that 

 the worlds of matter and of spirit the truths of 

 science and of faith are much closer to each other, 

 and interpenetrate much more, than is generally seen 

 by the men of this generation. 



The final chapter contains an argument which I 

 believe is original, or at least stated in an original 

 way, against both Gnosticism and Agnosticism, and 

 in favour of what may be called religious common 

 sense. 



It will be seen that the present work is little more 

 than a collection of occasional essays, and makes no 

 pretence to systematic completeness. It will be seen 

 also that I write as a believer to believers ; I have 

 not endeavoured to prove the truth of the Christian 

 Revelation, or the general trustworthiness of the 

 Christian Scriptures, but have throughout taken 

 them as established. 



I have to conclude this Introduction with an 

 apology. In my Scientific Bases of Faith, page 1 97, 

 the following occurs : " I need not spend any time 

 in refuting the wretched fiction of an imputed 

 righteousness, by which God is by some supposed 

 to account men as righteous who are not so." I now 

 regret the expression "wretched fiction." It was 

 neither just in itself nor becoming in me, thus to 

 speak of a belief which is held by many who, I doubt 



