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reasons as the laws of optics from eyesight. The vulgar 
antithesis of faith and reason, is somewhat childish. Probably 
every one who has faith at all, has it, in most matters, to a 
greater extent than the evidence examined by him would 
alone account for ; and the residue, at least, of his conviction, 
however imperfect, is from something in himself. 
164. We admit the wide differences, from the outset of our 
careers, between man and man. It is part of the philosophy of 
man, that each is different from every other, not- antag0 . 
withstanding all our sameness. We must not forget, jj™ between 
however, that we develop, mentally and morally, 
and that the original differences may be much changed, even 
by ourselves. Original obstacles to our mental and moral 
advancement may be removed, and even original deficiencies 
sometimes supplied. We are powers. Materialism forgets this, 
and prefers that any thing may be a power rather than man. 
Yet it is a fact that by our self- exertion, even if we be of 
inferior nature, we may rise. The unimaginative, and the u slow 
of heart,” need not always remain at the same level : but 
reasoning will not work goodness, nor evidence produce faith, 
in those who by neglect of moral self-exertion have lost the 
“ witness within.” “ He that believes has witness in himself.” 
The “ lost ” have no “ root in themselves.” St. Matt. xiii. 21. 
For Faith, as well as goodness, must be personal. We 
choose whether we will be virtuous ; we choose whether we 
will be religious. Any one can decline it : He is 
free — he is responsible. — We think of him who we choose 
does not resolve to be Religious, as of one who de- andEeU^onT 
dines to recognize a certain relation in which he 
stands to the true-always : who will none the less, we must 
repeat, have to encounter, at last, the realities thus ignored. 
165. Then, finally; the ascertainment of the Religious objects is 
a duty which the simplest common-sense must recognize, when 
once it is perceived how wide the extent of our Deontology 
may be. If a man has a false object of Faith, he is reckoning 
on that which has no reality at all. This is not the same as 
being inaccurate in thought concerning the object, or imper- 
fect in the judgment of it, — (for that happens to 
all of us :) it is, that the man who has a false faith taimnent asce of 
is dealing with shadows and fancies of his own mind, Religious truth 
and not with those facts which, whatever he thinks, 13 nece ' 3arj ’ 
he will have to meet, because they are facts. The course of 
real events moves sternly on, overwhelming in its progress all 
theories of the sincerest speculators ; and so must the realities 
of the world to come, confound at last the rejectors of truth. 
Be it remembered, — that our ultimate Responsibility for 
