284. THE REV. H. J. CLARKE ON 
the path of an habitual obedience to some visible authority. 
If so, what causes him to feel, as in the sort of case I am 
supposing he does feel, that he is authoritatively commanded 
to do this? And how is it that, in the event of his respect 
for the visible authority proving stronger than the con- 
scientious feeling which had risen up against it, he has the 
impression of having incurred blame? It is no explanation 
of the state of his mind to say that he blames himself. Why 
should he blame himself? ‘That is precisely what we want 
to know. For how can he rationally hold that it is to 
himself he is responsible? Why should he, with a view to 
self-accusation, establish a court within his conscience ? Andif 
he has absolute authority there, if he alone within that sphere 
of jurisdiction has the right to call for an account of his own 
actions, to determine what are faulty, and to visit guilt with 
censure, is he not entitled to forbear to exercise it? Yet if 
he be thoroughly conscientious, nothing is more certain than 
that he will not only lay no claim to such a right, but will, 
with all his heart and soul, rejevt as impious the notion that 
he does possess it. The more closely the phenomena of 
conscience are investigated, the more apparent it becomes 
that every act of mind in which it 1s brought into exercise is 
in effect a recognizing of the jurisdiction of a real and 
objective judicial authority from which there can be no 
appeal. 
But the impressions made upon that kind of sense which 
may be said to hear a voice commanding with authority are 
unmistakably distinct from those in which there is the 
recognition of mere power. It is one thing to give way 
to force, it is quite another to submit as to authority, and to 
respect and reverence it as such. What, then, is it which 
receives submission when the characteristically human sense 
of duty is at work? The question, it is evident, has reference 
to facts: it is with these we have to deal, and not with 
abstract notions, nor with metaphors that overstep strict 
truth. Something there appears to be to which a prevalent 
affection of the human soul, a sense indisputably normal, and 
incalculably powerful among the mightiest of the agencies 
hat sway the lives of individual men, and bear the whole 
world onward to its destined goal, ascribes supreme authority, 
I ask, “ What is it?” Surely the reply need not be long in 
coming. Man can acknowledge no rational obligation to 
render an account of himself ‘to the material universe, or 
indeed to any kind of bemg whose nature is inferior to his 
own. It is certain, paereiore; that the attributes which 
