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46. But if complete knowledge is limited, can this also 
be said of belief? Belief is certainly not limited by know- 
ledge, that is to say, by clear complete knowledge.' In com- 
mon life we constantly admit this, — indeed most of our actions 
are grounded on knowledge less than complete. This is the 
explanatory fact which appears to reconcile Christianity and 
Philosophy, namely, that we may believe that which we 
cannot fully conceive of. We may believe a thing to be 
possible without knowing how. True, we cannot go beyond 
our power of apprehension. Faith finds its limits here. There 
must always be some grounds of faith which are the subjects 
of reason. These reasonable grounds suggest the object of 
faith ; the willing student or believer lays hold of the 
dimly-seen guide and follows, whilst, it may be, the over- 
cautious or unwilling, refuse to trust to analogies or imperfect 
knowledge, and so stay without. The postulate so appre- 
hended frequently becomes, however, verified in its progress. 
Knowledge apprehends, and the moral function of faith 
trusts, and thus the former becomes power. The confidence 
of faith is limited only by the limit in the supplies which 
cognizance can bring to it. The unknowable is not always 
unbelievable. Sir William Hamilton says : “ The main scope 
of my speculation is to show articulately that we must believe 
as actual much that we are unable positively to conceive as 
even possible.” Science deals with truth unfolded, faith with 
truth discovered but undeveloped. 
“The deep things, I replied, which here I scan 
Distinctly, are below from mortal eye 
So hidden, they have in belief alone 
Their being ; on which evidence hope 
Is built.” Dante . 
III. Law. 
47. Remembering how some of the profoundest philoso- 
phers and finest rhetoricians of ancient and modern days 
have expounded the office of law in the universe, it appears to 
be quite unnecessary to re-state the argument on this head. 
But, in spite of all that has been said, we are constantly told, 
in literature purporting to be scientific, that all things are 
progressing towards some indefinite future development, by 
reason of inherent properties and external) conditions ; aud 
that the phenomena do, in fact, make and modify the laws. 
