naturalistmustbethevilesttypeofwretchunderthesun。Butsurelythesystematictheologiansarethecloset-naturalistsofthedeity，eveninCaptainMayneReid’ssense。Whatistheirdeductionofmetaphysicalattributesbutashufflingandmatchingofpedanticdictionary-adjectives，alooffrommorals，alooffromhumanneeds，somethingthatmightbeworkedoutfromthemereword“God“byoneofthoselogicalmachinesofwoodandbrasswhichrecentingenuityhascontrivedaswellasbyamanoffleshandblood。Theyhavethetrailoftheserpentoverthem。Onefeelsthatinthetheologians’hands，theyareonlyasetoftitlesobtainedbyamechanicalmanipulationofsynonyms；
verbalityhassteppedintotheplaceofvision，professionalismintothatoflife。Insteadofbreadwehaveastone；insteadofafish，aserpent。Didsuchaconglomerationofabstracttermsgivereallythegistofourknowledgeofthedeity，schoolsoftheologymightindeedcontinuetoflourish，butreligion，vitalreligion，wouldhavetakenitsflightfromthisworld。Whatkeepsreligiongoingissomethingelsethanabstractdefinitionsandsystemsofconcatenatedadjectives，andsomethingdifferentfromfacultiesoftheologyandtheirprofessors。Allthesethingsareafter-effects，secondaryaccretionsuponthosephenomenaofvitalconversationwiththeunseendivine，ofwhichIhaveshownyousomanyinstances，renewingthemselvesinsaeculasaeculoruminthelivesofhumbleprivatemen。
SomuchforthemetaphysicalattributesofGod！Fromthepointofviewofpracticalreligion，themetaphysicalmonsterwhichtheyoffertoourworshipisanabsolutelyworthlessinventionofthescholarlymind。
Whatshallwenowsayoftheattributescalledmoral？
Pragmatically，theystandonanentirelydifferentfooting。Theypositivelydeterminefearandhopeandexpectation，andarefoundationsforthesaintlylife。Itneedsbutaglanceatthemtoshowhowgreatistheirsignificance。
God’sholiness，forexample：beingholy，Godcanwillnothingbutthegood。Beingomnipotent，hecansecureitstriumph。
Beingomniscient，hecanseeusinthedark。Beingjust，hecanpunishusforwhathesees。Beingloving，hecanpardontoo。
Beingunalterable，wecancountonhimsecurely。Thesequalitiesenterintoconnectionwithourlife，itishighlyimportantthatweshouldbeinformedconcerningthem。ThatGod’spurposeincreationshouldbethemanifestationofhisgloryisalsoanattributewhichhasdefiniterelationstoourpracticallife。
AmongotherthingsithasgivenadefinitecharactertoworshipinallChristiancountries。IfdogmatictheologyreallydoesprovebeyonddisputethataGodwithcharactersliketheseexists，shemaywellclaimtogiveasolidbasistoreligioussentiment。Butverily，howstandsitwithherarguments？
Itstandswiththemasillaswiththeargumentsforhisexistence。Notonlydopost-Kantianidealistsrejectthemrootandbranch，butitisaplainhistoricfactthattheyneverhaveconvertedanyonewhohasfoundinthemoralcomplexionoftheworld，asheexperiencedit，reasonsfordoubtingthatagoodGodcanhaveframedit。ToproveGod’sgoodnessbythescholasticargumentthatthereisnonon-beinginhisessencewouldsoundtosuchawitnesssimplysilly。
No！thebookofJobwentoverthiswholematteronceforallanddefinitively。Ratiocinationisarelativelysuperficialandunrealpathtothedeity：“Iwilllayminehanduponmymouth；I
haveheardofTheebythehearingoftheear，butnowmineeyeseethThee。”Anintellectperplexedandbaffled，yetatrustfulsenseofpresence——suchisthesituationofthemanwhoissincerewithhimselfandwiththefacts，butwhoremainsreligiousstill。[298]
[298]Pragmatically，themostimportantattributeofGodishispunitivejustice。Butwho，inthepresentstateoftheologicalopiniononthatpoint，willdaremaintainthathellfireoritsequivalentinsomeshapeisrenderedcertainbypurelogic？
Theologyherselfhaslargelybasedthisdoctrineuponrevelation，and，indiscussingit，hastendedmoreandmoretosubstituteconventionalideasofcriminallawforaprioriprinciplesofreason。Buttheverynotionthatthisgloriousuniverse，withplanetsandwinds，andlaughingskyandocean，shouldhavebeenconceivedandhaditsbeamsandrafterslaidintechnicalitiesofcriminality，isincredibletoourmodernimagination。Itweakensareligiontohearitargueduponsuchabasis。
Wemusttherefore，Ithink，bidadefinitivegood-bytodogmatictheology。Inallsincerityourfaithmustdowithoutthatwarrant。Modernidealism，Irepeat，hassaidgoodbytothistheologyforever。Canmodernidealismgivefaithabetterwarrant，ormustshestillrelyonherpoorselfforwitness？
ThebasisofmodernidealismisKant’sdoctrineoftheTranscendentalEgoofApperception。BythisformidabletermKantmerelymeantthefactthattheconsciousness“Ithinkthem“must(potentiallyoractually)accompanyallourobjects。Formerskepticshadsaidasmuch，butthe“I“inquestionhadremainedforthemidentifiedwiththepersonalindividual。Kantabstractedanddepersonalizedit，andmadeitthemostuniversalofallhiscategories，althoughforKanthimselftheTranscendentalEgohadnotheologicalimplications。
ItwasreservedforhissuccessorstoconvertKant’snotionofBewusstseinuberhaupt，orabstractconsciousness，intoaninfiniteconcreteself-consciousnesswhichisthesouloftheworld，andinwhichoursundrypersonalself-consciousnesseshavetheirbeing。Itwouldleadmeintotechnicalitiestoshowyouevenbrieflyhowthistransformationwasinpointoffacteffected。SufficeittosaythatintheHegelianschool，whichto-daysodeeplyinfluencesbothBritishandAmericanthinking，twoprincipleshavebornethebruntoftheoperation。
Thefirstoftheseprinciplesisthattheoldlogicofidentitynevergivesusmorethanapost-mortemdissectionofdisjectamembra，andthatthefullnessoflifecanbeconstruedtothoughtonlybyrecognizingthateveryobjectwhichourthoughtmayproposetoitselfinvolvesthenotionofsomeotherobjectwhichseemsatfirsttonegatethefirstone。
Thesecondprincipleisthattobeconsciousofanegationisalreadyvirtuallytobebeyondit。Themereaskingofaquestionorexpressionofadissatisfactionprovesthattheanswerorthesatisfactionisalreadyimminent；thefinite，realizedassuch，isalreadytheinfiniteinposse。
Applyingtheseprinciples，weseemtogetapropulsiveforceintoourlogicwhichtheordinarylogicofabare，starkself-identityineachthingneverattainsto。TheobjectsofourthoughtnowACTwithinourthought，actasobjectsactwhengiveninexperience。Theychangeanddevelop。Theyintroducesomethingotherthanthemselvesalongwiththem；andthisother，atfirstonlyidealorpotential，presentlyprovesitselfalsotobeactual。Itsupersedesthethingatfirstsupposed，andbothverifiesandcorrectsit，indevelopingthefullnessofitsmeaning。
Theprogramisexcellent；theuniverseISaplacewherethingsarefollowedbyotherthingsthatbothcorrectandfulfillthem；
andalogicwhichgaveussomethinglikethismovementoffactwouldexpresstruthfarbetterthanthetraditionalschool-logic，whichnevergetsofitsownaccordfromanythingtoanythingelse，andregistersonlypredictionsandsubsumptions，orstaticresemblancesanddifferences。Nothingcouldbemoreunlikethemethodsofdogmatictheologythanthoseofthisnewlogic。LetmequoteinillustrationsomepassagesfromtheScottishtranscendentalistwhomIhavealreadynamed。
“Howarewetoconceive。”PrincipalCairdwrites，“oftherealityinwhichallintelligencerests？”Hereplies：“Twothingsmaywithoutdifficultybeproved，viz。，thatthisrealityisanabsoluteSpirit，andconverselythatitisonlyincommunionwiththisabsoluteSpiritorIntelligencethatthefiniteSpiritcanrealizeitself。Itisabsolute；forthefaintestmovementofhumanintelligencewouldbearrested，ifitdidnotpresupposetheabsoluterealityofintelligence，ofthoughtitself。Doubtordenialthemselvespresupposeandindirectlyaffirmit。WhenI
pronounceanythingtobetrue，Ipronounceit，indeed，toberelativetothought，butnottoberelativetomythought，ortothethoughtofanyotherindividualmind。FromtheexistenceofallindividualmindsassuchIcanabstract；Icanthinkthemaway。ButthatwhichIcannotthinkawayisthoughtorself-consciousnessitself，initsindependenceandabsoluteness，or，inotherwords，anAbsoluteThoughtorSelf-Consciousness。”
Here，yousee，PrincipalCairdmakesthetransitionwhichKantdidnotmake：heconvertstheomnipresenceofconsciousnessingeneralasaconditionof“truth“beinganywherepossible，intoanomnipresentuniversalconsciousness，whichheidentifieswithGodinhisconcreteness。Henextproceedstousetheprinciplethattoacknowledgeyourlimitsisinessencetobebeyondthem；
andmakesthetransitiontothereligiousexperienceofindividualsinthefollowingwords：——
“If[Man]wereonlyacreatureoftransientsensationsandimpulses，ofanevercomingandgoingsuccessionofintuitions，fancies，feelings，thennothingcouldeverhaveforhimthecharacterofobjectivetruthorreality。Butitistheprerogativeofman’sspiritualnaturethathecanyieldhimselfuptoathoughtandwillthatareinfinitelylargerthanhisown。
Asathinkingself-consciousbeing，indeed，hemaybesaid，byhisverynature，toliveintheatmosphereoftheUniversalLife。
Asathinkingbeing，itispossibleformetosuppressandquellinmyconsciousnesseverymovementofself-assertion，everynotionandopinionthatismerelymine，everydesirethatbelongstomeasthisparticularSelf，andtobecomethepuremediumofathoughtthatisuniversal——inoneword，tolivenomoremyownlife，butletmyconsciousnessbepossessedandsuffusedbytheInfiniteandEternallifeofspirit。AndyetitisjustinthisrenunciationofselfthatItrulygainmyself，orrealizethehighestpossibilitiesofmyownnature。Forwhilstinonesensewegiveupselftolivetheuniversalandabsolutelifeofreason，yetthattowhichwethussurrenderourselvesisinrealityourtruerself。Thelifeofabsolutereasonisnotalifethatisforeigntous。”
Nevertheless，PrincipalCairdgoesontosay，sofarasweareableoutwardlytorealizethisdoctrine，thebalmitoffersremainsincomplete。Whateverwemaybeinposse，theverybestofusinactufallsveryshortofbeingabsolutelydivine。Socialmorality，love，andself-sacrificeeven，mergeourSelfonlyinsomeotherfiniteselforselves。TheydonotquiteidentifyitwiththeInfinite。Man’sidealdestiny，infiniteinabstractlogic，mightthusseeminpracticeforeverunrealizable。
“Isthere，then。”ourauthorcontinues，“nosolutionofthecontradictionbetweentheidealandtheactual？Weanswer，Thereissuchasolution，butinordertoreachitwearecarriedbeyondthesphereofmoralityintothatofreligion。Itmaybesaidtobetheessentialcharacteristicofreligionascontrastedwithmorality，thatitchangesaspirationintofruition，anticipationintorealization；thatinsteadofleavingmanintheinterminablepursuitofavanishingideal，itmakeshimtheactualpartakerofadivineorinfinitelife。Whetherweviewreligionfromthehumansideorthedivine——asthesurrenderofthesoultoGod，orasthelifeofGodinthesoul——ineitheraspectitisofitsveryessencethattheInfinitehasceasedtobeafar-offvision，andhasbecomeapresentreality。Theveryfirstpulsationofthespirituallife，whenwerightlyapprehenditssignificance，istheindicationthatthedivisionbetweentheSpiritanditsobjecthasvanished，thattheidealhasbecomereal，thatthefinitehasreacheditsgoalandbecomesuffusedwiththepresenceandlifeoftheInfinite。
“Onenessofmindandwillwiththedivinemindandwillisnotthefuturehopeandaimofreligion，butitsverybeginningandbirthinthesoul。Toenteronthereligiouslifeistoterminatethestruggle。Inthatactwhichconstitutesthebeginningofthereligiouslife——callitfaith，ortrust，orself-surrender，orbywhatevernameyouwill——thereisinvolvedtheidentificationofthefinitewithalifewhichiseternallyrealized。Itistrueindeedthatthereligiouslifeisprogressive；butunderstoodinthelightoftheforegoingidea，religiousprogressisnotprogressTOWARDS，butWITHINthesphereoftheInfinite。Itisnotthevainattemptbyendlessfiniteadditionsorincrementstobecomepossessedofinfinitewealth，butitistheendeavor，bytheconstantexerciseofspiritualactivity，toappropriatethatinfiniteinheritanceofwhichwearealreadyinpossession。Thewholefutureofthereligiouslifeisgiveninitsbeginning，butitisgivenimplicitly。Thepositionofthemanwhohasenteredonthereligiouslifeisthatevil，error，imperfection，donotreallybelongtohim：theyareexcrescenceswhichhavenoorganicrelationtohistruenature：
theyarealreadyvirtually，astheywillbeactually，suppressedandannulled，andintheveryprocessofbeingannulledtheybecomethemeansofspiritualprogress。Thoughheisnotexemptfromtemptationandconflict，[yet]inthatinnersphereinwhichhistruelifelies，thestruggleisover，thevictoryalreadyachieved。Itisnotafinitebutaninfinitelifewhichthespiritlives。Everypulse-beatofits[existence]istheexpressionandrealizationofthelifeofGod。”
JohnCaird：AnIntroductiontothePhilosophyofReligionLondonandNewYork，1880，pp。muchabridged。
