OF THE SPIKIT. 365 



time have done, the practical importance of the siib- 

 ject, as is shown by the fact that he turned away from 

 metaphysics and philosophical criticism to economics and 

 historical research. 



Equally inconclusive and fragmentary is the con- ^4. 

 tribution which appeared a century later and was also '^^l^l^ 

 posthumously published, John Stuart Mill's ' Three 

 Essays on Religion ' (1874). Both Hume and Mill state 

 clearly the difficulties and objections in the way of up- 

 holding existing traditional beliefs. With both the 

 negative portion of the argument forms the most im- 

 portant and stimulating contribution. Neither of them 

 ventures to pronounce against religion altogether, and 

 this not from want of moral courage, but probably from 

 two distinct and honourable motives : first, the respect — 

 nay, even the reverence — which they have for opposite 

 opinions if honestly held ; and, second, possibly a lurk- 

 ing suspicion that they have themselves not succeeded 

 in thoroughly grasping and fathoming the problem. 

 Having adduced various arguments, mostly of a nega- 

 tive bearing, they leave their readers to form their 

 own final judgment, if not to remain in a state of 

 doubt, perplexity, and confusion.^ 



^ The difficulty of arriving at a 

 just view of Mill's own position 

 was much accentuated by the 

 passage with which he concludes 

 his third essay. It is there (p. 

 255) maintained that " to the con- 

 ception of the rational sceptic it 

 remains a possibility that Christ 

 actually was what he supposed 

 himself to be ... a man charged 

 with a special, express, and unique 

 commission from God to lead mau- 

 iind to truth and virtue " ; and, 



Mill continues, "the influences of 

 religion on the character which 

 will remain after rational criticism 

 has done its utmost against the 

 evidences of religion, are well 

 worth preserving, and that which 

 they lack in direct strength as 

 compared with those of a firmer 

 belief, is more than compensated 

 by the greater truth and recti- 

 tude of the morality they sanc- 

 tion." The fairest comment upon 

 Mill's attitude as revealed in this 



