DETERMINISM AND FREE-WILL. 299 
begin with from an &@ priori point of view, and then coming 
more closely to the problem, and examining our consciousness, 
and seeing what we find there in favour of this hypothesis. 
The @ priori arguments may be divided into four—education, 
religion, the science of government, and history. 
There are few, if any, serious-minded persons who do not 
believe in the importance of moral and religious education. 
The battle has been raging in this country as to the form which 
that education should take, whether it should be abstract and 
undenominational, or definite and denominational. But few 
have denied the value and the importance of some kind of 
moral training. The reason is not far to seek. It is because 
we believe that the life of the man is influenced by the training 
of the boy. True education aims above all things at forming 
character. We know there is innate character in every child. 
But we also know this can be influenced and moulded. By 
wise and careful teaching, combined with correction and 
reward, a child may develop noble sentiments, high aspirations, 
affection, conscientiousness, truthfulness, honour. As _ these 
principles grow and become exercised, they become more strong. 
The character is moulded by them, and the will responds to 
them. There doubtless are exceptions where the desired 
results are not attained, where the boy surrounded with moral 
and religious advantages grows up a worse man than others 
less advantageously placed. But this is because the lessons 
given have not been assimilated. The character has not 
improved, and so the life has not improved. But where the 
education is effective—the result seems invariably to follow. 
Where principles are instilled and imbibed, the daily conduct 
answers to the helm; and you can feel assured that the man 
will act as the boy has grown to be. On the theory of 
free-will this would not be so. Ifa man is free to act inde- 
pendently of character and influences, he probably will so act: 
and if he did, our anticipations based upon the principles we 
have instilled into him, would be disappointed. 
Let us next take the question of religion. The main idea 
in the minds of that large class of people who believe in 
religion is that through its forms and ceremonies, and more 
especially through prayer, and in the sacraments, an influence 
or influences come from the spiritual world into the inmost 
being of the person who prays, or who is prayed for, and 
that this influence affects his will and actions. This is 
certainly the main thought in Christianity. Our Lord promises 
absolutely an answer to prayer which is directed towards the 
