355 
become purely formal, or legal. Such “ Revelation ” could 
make no demand on Faith, for it would be the destruction of 
that Deontology, which all Revelation is supposed to assist. 
This, however, will further appear. 
XX. 
142. We have thus far admitted nothing which is not evolved 
by logical necessity from the one fact of Responsibility, which 
was based on the indisputable approval or disapproval in- 
wardly given by all men to certain acts of themselves and 
their fellow-men. As we profess to have nothing to do with 
a Religion or a Revelation which does not stand on the 
fact of Responsibility, our argument is limited to simple 
issues. 
The idea of Revelation hitherto dwelt on, involves little 
more than the possibility of increase of know- 
ledge, and other alleviation of admitted difficulties la tf 0 e nSi t hert<i 
of the present moral agency of the world. The assumed; as. 
only source from which we have supposed this the Supreme, 
alleviation or assistance to be derived has been 
the Supreme Moral Governor Himself, in Whose rule such 
assistance to moral agency might be an element. 
143. If the assistance were derived from any being superior 
to ourselves, or from any of ourselves superior to the rest, it 
would still be subject to the ultimate Judgment of 
Him Who is Supreme — for otherwise He would not our Judgment 
be Supreme — as our argument has required (§ 48). knowied^el* 
Any such communication to us, when submitted to tireiy Deonto- 
our consciousness must (as we have said, § 125) be 
estimated by us within the limits pointed out. But with this 
exception, that it shall not essentially supersede our previous 
Deontology, or destroy its foundations, we clearly have no 
right beforehand to say in what other respects the new 
Revelation, or proffered assistance may be given. It is quite 
possible, for example, that the additional facts or truths im- 
parted by Revelation may need, and even give, some addi- 
tional powers for their discernment, or some elevation of 
the powers already possessed, such as may come 
from a higher education, or new circumstances. mo ^f t ow °™ 
A telescope of higher power may discover objects may be eia- 
unknown before ; and there may be means of a far- Ind e ?ud 0 ge. now * 
seeing moral discernment ; there may be faculties 
which find at length a remoter range, inspirations which sur- 
pass our common apprehension more than genius exceeds the 
ordinary gifts of understanding. We have no right to assume 
