210 THE GOSPEL, AND THE SOCIAL CREED OF SCIENCE. 



preaching pessimism. Quietism, asceticism, denial of the 

 will to live, as recommended by Schopenhauer, will not 

 suit our Western populations in the midst of the pressure 

 and struggle of existence. Possibly, indeed, a tincture 

 of this quiescence might be of service as an alterative 

 medicine to the system, in these days of feverish com- 

 petition and too keen pursuit of wealth ; but quietism 

 would not at all suit as our constant habit and way of 

 life. We want rather a fuller life, more wisely conducted ; 

 for it is to be particularly remembered, in discussing this 

 question of pessimism, that many of the ills of life are of 

 our own making, many more the making of others, both 

 of which might have been avoided if the lesson of Bishop 

 Butler and of positive science were more deeply borne in 

 upon our minds, that we are under Natural Government, 

 where we should rule our actions by a knowledge of the 

 regular sequence of cause and consequence. And this 

 consideration may serve to introduce that system and 

 view of life which professes to regard the world wholly 

 from this the scientific point of view. 



3. From the point of view of Positive Science, there 

 exist in the universe only phenomena, and a regular 

 order in these which it is the business of the scientific 

 investigator to discover, and which, when ascertained 

 and concatenated, constitute Science, the only knowledge, 

 real, true, and fruitful. At least, if there be existence in 

 the universe other than phenomena, actual or possible, 

 we shall never know aught about them beyond the bare 

 fact of their existence ; and if there be other knowledge 

 than that of the facts and laws of phenomena, it is barren 

 and useless. 



That there exists only phenomena for the human 

 understanding, the author of the Critique of Pure Reason, 

 himself greatest amongst the metaphysicians, has satis- 



