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"Quick! up! leave all thinking alone,
And walk with me out into the world;

I tell you, a fellow who is always speculating
Is like an animal upon a dry heath,

Led round in a circle by an evil spirit,

While round about him lies the fair green meadow."

GOETHE'S FAUST.

THE world has hardly ever regarded with a favorable eye those who have been inclined to apply to every subject the searching test of reason. The philosopher and the theologian have indeed remained unmolested so long as they have confined themselves to the study, but their reception by persons out of doors has been anything but flattering. The practical men, who spend their lives rather in acting out conclusions than in forming them, who appeal to faith, common sense, and the practical reason of man, speak lightly of the student, and are prone to conclude that all philosophy must be the "wisdom of this world, that cometh to nought." The priests of the Gentiles bitterly opposed the wisdom of the philosophers of Greece and Rome; Ecclesiastical Councils, Synods, Assemblies and Inquisitions, have set arbitrary limits to the use of reason; in short, it has been, and to a very great extent is now, a prevailing opinion, that intellectual speculations cannot be engaged in with safety to the practical interests of

the individual and of society. We see this at the present day in the bulls of Popes, which are not yet superannuated, though we may think so, in the decrees of General Assemblies, in our own dread of thorough examination.

It will be said, our Age has been characterized as the age of inquiry, can we then be said to distrust speculation. We answer, this is the age of inquiry, and in many cases there has been great freedom of inquiry, in some this freedom has even been abused and passed into licentiousness. But still the party is small, of those who have no distrust of reason, or who see clearly the limits within which its operations must be confined. The very extravagancies of some, so far from being used as data from which to deduce the legitimate action of this faculty, have driven many into the extreme of asserting that it should not be employed at all, except under the direction of arbitrary authority. Our age reflects, reasons, but as yet we have not learned to reason skilfully and judiciously, and the man of speculation is dreaded as one wielding a sharp-edged tool with unskilful hands. Some see, as they think, the true use of speculation, while others have lost themselves in its mazes, but the majority stand bewildered, afraid yet obliged to examine, and unwilling to bring old authorities to the test of reason, lest their pretensions prove unfounded. There is ground for this hesitancy, and it will lead to the best results, if it produces caution, the heedful and judicious use, and not the rejection of the dangerous article.

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The tendency of the mind to pass from one extreme to another forms a great obstacle to a just theory and practice, in relation to this matter. The youthful Radical frequently becomes as his mind matures, not a moderate, liberal, reasonable man, but a rank Tory, a bigoted opponent to reform. The Rationalist in religion may end with being a Roman Catholic,—and it is a fact, that transitions of this kind have been frequent in Germany. To this unsteady action, this striving for peace in absolute inaction, the nations that do the world's thinking are especially liable; and who can be very severe in his judgement upon men, who in times and places which seem to be set apart for the work of destruction long for some rest? One night is for them, what long years were for the worthy Rip Van Winkle. Let them lose for one moment the current of events, and they are uncertain whether they are standing on their head or their feet. Then one cannot enjoy a ceremony, a form, an established custom, such constant

battle must he wage with the legions of pickaxe men, that gather round him with incredulous stare, endeavor to persuade him that he dreams or is deluded—that his precious treasure is after all only so much common copper, and who, if they fail of convincing him, feel called upon to pull down his fairy palace for the good of society. There is Christmas, for instance, that one would like to celebrate; but it is quite out of the question, the date is not yet fixed. We are brought up with English books in our hands, filled with accounts of Christmas holidays and the like, but one must not expect to enjoy them, since the whole fabric is without foundation. Take the discussion of the celebration as a religious festival, in connection with the application of free inquiry to dietetics that distinguishes our day, and we may see the time again when the question will be argued, "whether Mr. Peters, (Hugh Peters, we suppose,) did justly preach against Christmas pies, the same day that he ate two mince pies for his dinner?" Such a state of uncertainty with regard to everything, from important institutions down to tea and toast, is indeed exceedingly annoying, but it is better to examine faithfully and believe understandingly, than to live in blissful ignorance.

We say it is better to examine. Inasmuch as a man has a head as well as a heart, he is bound to examine, he cannot do without examining. The rudest must investigate to some extent. Standing as we do apart from the universe, and in some degree even from our own faculties, and possessing the power of observation, we must observe and decide, we must trace as far as possible our connection with the rest of creation and with the great Creator, we must discover the true ground of action, and ascertain where speculation must give way to faith. We must bring together first principles, and group facts, and discover laws and dependencies. The intellect is able to labor and must be supplied with occupation, for God hath made nothing in vain. No natural faculty can in its proper operation jar upon any other faculty. The rule is now, as ever, ne quid nimis;" the difficulty lies not in the use, but in the abuse. What then are the limits, and what may be considered the abuses of the speculative faculty?

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I. There are some prints which speculation cannot establish, because they come within the province of faith. Any attempt, therefore, to bring proofs of the reality of these objects of faith must, from the very nature of the case, be idle, and the failure may prove injurious to the truth designed to be supported; because it will be

difficult to persuade men, that the structure is firm, when a support seemingly important, but really useless, has been removed.

II. Speculation must always be based upon facts. We must never forsake the firm earth, to lose ourselves in the air and mist of vain imaginations. The facts of mind and matter must be our starting points, and our firm foundation. This point it is not necessary to insist upon.

III. The faculty of speculation must not be developed to the exclusion of our other capabilities. We must not blind ourselves with what Bacon has called "dry light." The imagination, the affections, all the powers of mind must be cultivated and brought to bear in the pursuit of truth.

Such being the rules, what evils have resulted from their violation, what have been the abuses with which men of speculation are chargeable?

I. They have attempted to apply the test of the human faculties to subjects entirely beyond their reach,-to the discussion of which, from the very nature of things, they can never be competent. Men, with their finite faculties, have attempted to explain the nature of God and the phenomenon of creation, to enter into the counsels of the Almighty and show definitely the end of every act of creation, providence and grace. They have applied a finite measure to Infinity, and then wondered that with this measure, and no other, they could not compass and comprehend it. Being themselves creatures, they have been unable to comprehend the mystery of creation, and so they passed to denying the fact for want of an explanation, and concluded that there was no Creator. In attempting to prove what cannot be proved, it was found that no possible combination of the fundamental principles upon which we must proceed in all our reasoning could establish these principles themselves, and hence it was concluded that nothing is certain,—that "all things flow." The human faculties have been used to show that these faculties are to be relied upon, but as no one is allowed to bear witness of himself, the proof was rejected and the powers of the mind discredited. Dr. Clarke attempted to demonstrate the existence of a God, but could bring no logical proof, which might discredit the notion of an infinite series of created beings. The result of this want of success, and of the more complete examination of the whole matter, has been the recognition of the fact, that belief is higher than knowledge, and that faith must be the commence. ment of science, as well as of the religious life. We do not need to

prove to ourselves that our faculties may be trusted; we believe it, and without this belief we cannot advance a step, but are plunged into universal skepticism. We are not capable of understanding the Almighty unto perfection, and cannot, in the nature of things, ever expect to attain to such knowledge. Though one can understand parts of the great system of things, we are of course unable to harmonize them with other parts with which we are entirely unacquainted. We cannot understand the plans of the Almighty, because what we see is as nothing compared with what we do not see. Humility is the appropriate grace of the student. Faith is as firm a ground for action as the assurances of the understanding, for it furnishes us with the very principles upon which we must proceed. An imperfect knowledge of the Infinite can never be disgraceful to a finite being.

II. Men of speculation have abused their faculty, by employing it upon scanty materials, or making it entirely the servant of fancy and imagination. It is needless at the present day, to utter commonplaces about the labor which has thus been expended to no purpose. But it may be worth observing, that the most diligent students-those who have been most patient in the collection of facts have sometimes proved most signally unsuccessful, because, with all their general diligence, they wanted the particular facts upon which, and upon which alone, in the case in hand, a conclusion should have been based. In this way we may explain the fact, that the poorest peasant may sometimes surpass in true philosophical and theological knowledge the greatest philosophers and theologians. Students of truth, in forming their theories, have wanted the facts which the experience of a life of truth alone can supply. The most careful description of an idea or sentiment cannot give us that idea or sentiment, at best it can only put us in the way of producing it in our minds. Describe patriotism to one who has not the sentiment, and you speak to him in an unknown tongue. Speak of love to God to one who has never felt it, and you give him no idea. If a man has no conscience, he will of course in all his theories deny its existence. If he does not love his family, friend, or neighbor with disinterested affection, of course disinterested affection will be foolishness to him,— we shall have a selfish system of ethics. "The natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." If

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