564: SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION. 



think, there is an alternation of Evolution and Dissolution 

 in the totality of things if, as we are obliged to infer from 

 the Persistence of Force, the arrival at either limit of this 

 vast rhythm brings about the conditions under which a 

 counter-movement commences if we are hence compelled 

 to entertain the conception of Evolutions that have filled 

 an immeasurable past and Evolutions that will fill an im- 

 measurable future ; we can no longer contemplate the visible 

 creation as having a definite beginning or end, or as being 

 isolated. It becomes unified with all existence before and 

 after; and the Force which the Universe presents, falls into 

 the same category with its Space and Time, as admitting of 

 no limitation in thought. 



191. So rounding off the argument, we find its result 

 brought into complete coalescence with the conclusion 

 reached in Part I. ; where, independently of any inquiry 

 like the foregoing, we dealt with the relations between the 

 Knowable and the Unknowable. 



It was there shown by analysis of both our religious and 

 our scientific ideas, that while knowledge of the cause which 

 produces effects on our consciousness is impossible, the 

 existence of a cause for these effects is a datum of con- 

 sciousness. We saw that the belief in a Power of which 

 no limit in Time or Space can be conceived, is that funda- 

 mental element in Religion which survives all its changes 

 of form. We saw that all Philosophies avowedly or tacitly 

 recognize this same ultimate truth: that while the Rela- 

 tivist rightly repudiates those definite assertions which the 

 Absolutist makes respecting existence transcending per- 

 ception, he is yet at last compelled to unite with him in 

 predicating existence transcending perception. And this 

 inexpugnable consciousness in which Religion and Philoso- 

 phy are at one with Common Sense, proved to be like- 

 wise that on which all exact Science is based. We found 

 that subjective Science can give no account of those con- 



