222 £SSAVS IN PHILOSOPHY 



man it is impossible, but with God all things are 

 possible." 



(2) The Middle Doctrine. — This says : There is 

 no intrinsic antagonism between religion and reason, 

 but merely a difference of gradation in light. Reli- 

 gion never contradicts reason, but supplements it, 

 and their harmony is the natural accord of the in- 

 complete with its needed complement. The harmony 

 undoubtedl}'- rests at last on authority, but not on 

 authority solely ; rather, on authority coniing as fid- 

 filment, and meeting confessed insufficiency. Where 

 according to the Old Doctrine authority was sternly 

 repressive, in the Middle Doctrine it is gracious. 



The Middle Doctrine agrees with the Old in assign- 

 ing to reason and religion separate provinces. But 

 it does not limit reason utterly to the things of sense, 

 nor does it find in the judgments of reason upon 

 things invisible any contradiction of the judgments 

 of religion, but only a shortness of reach and a defi- 

 ciency of light. Nor does the Middle Doctrine find 

 in the judgments of religion any contradiction of 

 the judgments of reason, so far as these can reach, 

 but only light and fulness of revelation where the 

 light of reason fails. To the Middle Doctrine, as 

 to the Old, the "evidence of things unseen" is un- 

 questionably Faith. But here Faith is not a submis- 

 sion to rebuke and reproof ; it is a humble and grateful 



