PREFACE. XI 



comparatively rapid for such a serious book, of the former 

 edition. 



It may be well also to state that, for the sake of greater 

 clearness, I have departed from the customary methods of 

 exposition in another particular. With respect to all the 

 more important controversies materialism, pessimism, 

 socialism, etc. I have tried to give the essential and the 

 best arguments on both sides. I have tried to place 

 myself in all these cases at the believer's point of view 

 in expounding his belief, and in at least two important 

 instances, namely, in the question of a future life and in 

 the great social controversy of our age, now strongly 

 coming to the front, I have stated and almost pressed the 

 rival theories as strongly as if I believed them both, 

 though not, I hope, with the effect of leaving the reader 

 in final doubt as to my own opinions. I have followed 

 this method of exposition not only for the sake of 

 clearness, but to give the reader a sense of reality apt 

 to be lost in long logical discussions. Though the method 

 is not free from certain dangers of misapprehension, no 

 other seemed so suitable for conveying clearly and 

 pointedly, and within a moderate space, the abstract 

 arguments and ideas that are so difficult to grasp in a 

 tangible way. Following a different method, the book 

 would necessarily have been much increased in size by 

 quotation and protracted controversy, with no corre- 

 sponding increase in value or accuracy, and certainly 

 none in interest. By the method adopted, certainly one 

 scores fewer logical or verbal victories over particular 



