212 THE GOSPEL, AND THE SOCIAL CREED OF SCIENCE. 



terra incognita of things in themselves, or which con- 

 tinues to indulge in feats of logical legerdemain, with the 

 abstract notions of existence and non-existence, will be 

 recognized as the empty pretence and delusion which it 

 really is. More particularly metaphysics, or ontology, 

 which has always pretended to a knowledge of the real 

 being and essence of things other than their phenomenal 

 manifestations, and which has aspired to lift the phe- 

 nomenal veil and to solve 'the final mystery of existence, 

 will be wholly discredited. It is a spurious department 

 of knowledge, which has never dealt with aught beyond 

 fictitious entities, phantasmal creations, or empty verbal 

 nothings ; and it has only so long imposed upon men 

 because of the genius of some who devoted themselves to- 

 its prosecution, having first imposed upon themselves. 

 It aspired to get beyond or behind phenomenal appear- 

 ances, to the world of true and real being ; in reality, it 

 got no further than the vain analysis of empty abstract 

 notions, and the fictions currently agreed upon by the 

 metaphysicians; unless, when the private phantasms 

 and monstrous mirages of the individual mind were 

 added so as to form a new system. It advanced no 

 further than these, which were after all phenomena, 

 though of a peculiar sort, as representing nothing beyond 

 their own chimerical selves. Happily, however, meta- 

 physics is now very generally falling into the disrepute 

 and discredit which so long ago overtook the pretended 

 science of astrology. 



The above is the most general point of view of the 

 positive scientific thinker. It is the common point of 

 view of science, of what is called the experience-philosophy, 

 as well as of the positivism of Comte. But the positive 

 thinker must not be identified solely with the disciple of 

 Comte, for the point of view and frame of mind is 



