New-York tribune., 1878-01-02

the development OF phlloSOphlcai bpccuia'o'' 49,
tho influence of it's results on the doctrines Oh to
liQion, especially from the time of Descartes ana
spinoza to that of schelling and schleiermacher'
HIS volume, though consisting of separate essays Is
pervaded by certain unity of thought. A deep
foundation is laid in substantial and transparent
principles and if it is free from the assurance OF
dogmatc reasonngs it is untainted by the spirit OF
vicious increduity, presenting to the thought1ui
reader the ground and sustenance OF SOLID 1nternAi
convictions.
The basis of religious faith, according to Dr.
Hedge is to be found in the higher nature OF man.
II is not matter Of authority, Of tradition OF IAN
tasy but of spiritual intuition In the broadest
sense II is the life of sentiment distinguished from
that of the understanding. 1t implies the abneea-
ton of self in devotion to ideas and objects OF sl
preme intrinsic worth 1t is the answer OF the heart
TO the claims of beauty, duty honor, man.
In the narrower and technical sense religion mny
be considered as the homage paid to supernuman
power. The motive which prompts this homage Is
one of the primary forces of the soul The history
of religion is the history Of man. The belief IN
Deity is natural to man. There is dim, instructive
sense of Deity prior to the feeblcst cropping AFTER
God. An intimation of Deity diviney implanted I'D
the human consciousness. Antecedent to oil teach-
ing. human nature 10 conscious OF want
which Deity alone can satisfy. 1t requires u
God. and with no guide but vague instinct gfopes
after something to fill the place in the soul whlch
enlightened thesm fills in civilized man. Inc
metaphysical arguments for the existence OF Uod,
in the view of the author, all imply the original
sense of Deity The strongest proof OF his being Is
the idea of God in the consciousness OF man. EV'-
dences from Nature may fortify the faith OF De-
levers, but they cannot overcome the scruples OF
unbelief. The manifestations OF intelligence ana
law in all her processes and functions carry no
conviction to the atheist, who sees IN them only
the necessary conditions of being In strctness OF
logic, they have no binding force of demonstra-
tion If we came to the contemplation OF Ma
ture. without the idea of God in minds, says
DIR. Hedge, we should not view it as cunning
mechanism, or as something created by antecedent
power. but rather as q self-subsistiag whole. The
belief in God in fact, undcrlies all he attempts to
prove His existence, and thus vitiates the reason
ing in such demonstrations. You may defend the
idea by reasoning when it is once given, but to
discover it by reasoning is very different thine'
and one beyond the power of the human intellect
1t is not the wonders of anatomy Or cosmology
that compel belief; they are simple responses To
the idea of God and all their cogency az proof
is also possessed by the simplest existences. " Tie
to whom Nature undssected is not the immediate
presence of God will never reach Him by dissec-
tion"
There is one view, however, suggested by Dr.
Hedge for which indeed he does not claim the
force of absolute demonstration, but ascrbes to 1t
as much validity at least as logical analysis inds III
the stock arguments OF natural theology. Taking
his start from Berkeley's theory of the non-e1ist-
ence of the external world, aud viewing it as a sue
cesson of mental experiences he proceeds to Inquire
into tbe origin and ultimate ground Of snch expc-
- NJ tolls mo " hp refnarkh
that ] am not their author. | do not cause hut
receive them. In of them am entirely pas
sive; in Others, my action is one. but not the sole
factor The experience refers me TO a cause without
and the cause must be adequate To the effect And
here il where all material explanation fails; for
matter by supposition is inert and powerlcss; II
could not of itself were there any such thing pro
duce an effect. If have an experience which call
seeing a star hundred million OF miles removed
the power must he equal to that effect. ihe "N-
percnccs of other intelligent bcings are the same
What is white TO one is white Ia all what il black j.
black: all agree in square and ronnd in hot aud
cold Hence we may infer the unity OF the power
which creates these experiences in different minds
Following this line of induction, the anthor AYERS,
that we arrive at the idea not precisely of the God
of theology but Of a Being resembling that as nearly
at least as the Being demonstrated by tie ply
theological argument.
With regard to the antithesis between the natural
and the supernatural, DIR. Hedge airms that the
distinction is not in the thing bu, in the thought.
Ii is classification Of ordinary and extraordinary
phenomena and powers. The term natural ie used
to denote the stated and intelgible fncts Of human
experience those which have been arranged under
the formulas which We call laws. Whatever apparent
facts transcend these principles either denied or
cassed a. supernatural. But the term supernatural
supposes two distinct agencies, Nature and God that
Is to say. 1t separates Nature from God; il makes
Nature goddess and thus introduces into the scheme
of religion q Manichean aud auti-Chrstian dual
ism. The Christian idea abolishes this dnaism,
teaching that the ordinary and extraordinary III hui
man affairs are equally natural and equally divine
As men grow toward spiritual maturity it is seen
that there is but power III the greatest and an
the least in the resurrection of the dead and the
shooting of q grain of wheat. In the faness Of
that spiritual maturity the goddess distinction OF
false religion will be done away, and natural and
supernatural be doomed"
The tendency of DR.. Hedges volume is to stmu-
late reflection, rather than to satisfy conviction.
He presents high ideal Of God, Of man. Of Christi
anity of the moral life, of the material universe
but the seeker of precise formulas Of faith will be
compelled to pursue his researches in another drcc
ton. significant feature of the work perhaps the
most valuable is it's lucid comments on the progress
of opinion and the development of the Church. In
this relation, the afiuent learning and critical tact
of the author stand him in good stead. Few writer's
are more conversant with the details of ecclesiast
cal history; few betray greater degree of sagacty
in penetrating into the inner sense of doctrine,
creed. religious phrase; aud still fewer are able to
combine the results of extensive research and pro-
found speculation in framework of spiritual bar-
mony. The superficial thinker will doubtless find
the suggestions of Dr. Hedge too refined, too subtle