INTRODUCTION. 69 



and abstractions. But neither calculation and measure- ie. 



Summed 



ment, nor definition and abstraction, suffice to exhaust up iu the 



term reli- 



what is to us, in the quiet and serious moments of life, of ^* ffht 

 the deepest concern viz., our religion. I use the word 

 here in its original sense, and I propose to sum up in the 

 term religious thought the whole of the thought contained 

 in that large volume of literature which does not submit 

 to scientific and philosophical treatment, but which never- 

 theless forms so important an outcome of the mental life 

 of the century. 



There are other words more or less current in modern 

 literature that may serve to throw some light on the 

 distinction that I am here drawing for the purpose of 

 affording a preliminary view of the course to be pur- 

 sued in the following treatise. 



Science is said to be exact, positive, and objective, and 17. 



Science is 



it is opposed to such other thought as is inexact, vague, exact, posi 



tive, and 



and subjective. Science is said to convey its results or objective, 

 ideas in defined, direct, and general terms, whereas there 

 is a large department of literature and thought which 

 moves in undefined, symbolical, and indirect expressions. 

 Science professes to rest on clear and precise knowledge, 

 and is thus opposed to such other realms of thought as 

 rest on opinion, belief, and faith. It may be well to note 

 here that these different terms refer either to the method 

 of treatment or to the matter which is under treatment. 

 Science alone professes to have a rigid and undisputed 

 method. Other branches of thought either borrow their 

 methods from science, or they have fluctuating, not gener- 

 ally recognised methods, or they refuse to submit to method 



