8 METAPHYSICS 



should emerge in all the majesty of the complete truth, 

 no feature predominating over another, but all revealing 

 themselves in true perspective, and adaptation to the 

 wants of the whole. Thus it would once for all be seen, 

 that no individual fragment was inconsistent with the 

 truth of the whole, and, therefore, that every searcher 

 after truth, however humble, in the commonwealth of 

 knowledge, would find himself in entire accord with 

 every other searcher, let the subject of his search be what 

 it might in nature and apparent distance in time or space, 

 and, therefore, that he was engaged in the great common 

 work of forwarding the conquest of learning and civilisa- 

 tion, and adding one more stone to the great edifice of 

 knowledge. 



Thus, the individual worker, and the community of 

 researchers, would have interests alike, and however hard 

 they wrought, they would appreciate the great inspiring 

 influence of feeling that they were engaged in the noblest 

 work in which it is in the power of humanity to engage. 

 Moreover, we make bold to say that " the dreams " 

 of early humanity embraced some such thoughts, when it 

 had it revealed, in whatever form, what are the great 

 facts and teachings of "revelation," and the ends for 

 which all things that are exist. 



It is, we are persuaded, coming, that every exponent of 

 truth throughout the whole commonwealth of knowledge 

 will hasten to welcome every addition to its treasures by 

 whomsoever contributed and whatsoever source it may 

 have emanated, and that literally the time is coming when 

 the theologian will shake hands with and embrace the 

 physicist, that the metaphysician and the astronomer will 

 agree in their mutual estimates of each other ; and that, 

 even within the province of humanitarianism, there will be 

 found sufficient room for the best efforts of the socialist 

 and the philanthropist. We, therefore, hopefully perceive, 

 from reading between the lines of contemporary as well 

 as past history, that the universal drift of the " currents 

 of human events " shows a growing disposition on the 

 part of the leaders of thought and action, in all depart- 

 ments of knowledge, to take advice and to accept 

 assistance from every available quarter and source possible. 



