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on a confusion of the idea of universality, infinity and absolutism, and on an abuse of the facts of conscience.

Man, it is quite true, only recognizes himself as a person by excluding other persons; but it does not follow that this relation is essential to personality. One might say with the same right that personality implies conscience of a body, which is true in the same sense.

There is therefore no rational motive for contesting the Divine personality.

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CHAPTER VIII

THE DOGMA OF MEDIATION

"Versteh ! Unendliches und Endliches, das dir scheint

So unvereinbar, ist durch Eines doch vereint."1-RUCKERT.

The advantage of the Hegelian trichotomy-dread of Hegelianism-un -unreasonable-Hegel's method destined to reconcile philosophy to religion— The finite and the infinite supposed to be irreconcileable-The Incarnation consequently rejected as absurd-The true idea of the infinite-of space and time-The ideas of space and time inapplicable to God— relative only-The Word the equation between the Infinite and the finite-He is the Mediator as well.

THE

HE Hegelian method has this paramount advantage, that it complements all other philosophical systems. If we establish the reality of the phenomenal, material and finite world, we establish at the same time its opposite, the super-phenomenal, immaterial and infinite, and also the link, man, touching simultaneously the material and the immaterial. If we start from man, his vague consciousness of the supernatural and his vivid apprehension of the natural point him out to be the axis of two moments, leaning unduly to the latter, may be, but nevertheless conscious of the former, and thus establishing the reality of the Boundless and the Bounded.

1 "Understand; infinite and finite, what appears to thee
So irreconcileable, are yet reconciled through One."

on a confusion of the idea of universality, infinity and absolutism, and on an abuse of the facts of conscience.

Man, it is quite true, only recognizes himself as a person by excluding other persons; but it does not follow that this relation is essential to personality. One might say with the same right that personality implies conscience of a body, which is true in the same sense.

There is therefore no rational motive for contesting the Divine personality.

CHAPTER VIII

THE DOGMA OF MEDIATION

"Versteh! Unendliches und Endliches, das dir scheint

So unvereinbar, ist durch Eines doch vereint."1-RUCKERT.

The advantage of the Hegelian trichotomy-dread of Hegelianism-unreasonable-Hegel's method destined to reconcile philosophy to religionThe finite and the infinite supposed to be irreconcileable-The Incarnation consequently rejected as absurd--The true idea of the infinite-of space and time-The ideas of space and time inapplicable to God— relative only-The Word the equation between the Infinite and the finite-He is the Mediator as well.

THE

HE Hegelian method has this paramount advantage, that it complements all other philosophical systems. If we establish the reality of the phenomenal, material and finite world, we establish at the same time its opposite, the super-phenomenal, immaterial and infinite, and also the link, man, touching simultaneously the material and the immaterial. If we start from man, his vague consciousness of the supernatural and his vivid apprehension of the natural point him out to be the axis of two moments, leaning unduly to the latter, may be, but nevertheless conscious of the former, and thus establishing the reality of the Boundless and the Bounded.

1 "Understand; infinite and finite, what appears to thee
So irreconcileable, are yet reconciled through One."

If we start from the Absolute, we have at once the opposite, the phenomenal world, and its conciliating, doublefaced moment, man.

Hegelianism has created unnecessary alarm in some religious minds. M. Saisset misunderstands Hegel, and holds him up to scorn. The Père Gratry, one of the most eminent theologians of the Gallican Church, thinks that the mention of his trichotomy is sufficient to entitle him to be called an atheist.2 M. Lewes has fallen into the same mistake. Yet Hegel was himself a Christian, and, in his obscure and uncouth way, he laboured to reconcile. his philosophy with Christian dogma. That he did not make himself intelligible is not astonishing to any one. familiar with his style; that he failed to perfect the union, was due to his Lutheran prejudices.

Aristotelianism was, in the same way, dreaded as subversive to Christianity. Tertullian called the Stagyrite the patriarch of heretics, and a French council at Paris in 1209 proscribed his writings. Nevertheless, S. Thomas Aquinas mastered his method, and Aristotelianized Christianity.

In like manner, if I am not mistaken, Hegel is destined to play a conspicuous part in the reconciliation of modern thought to the dogma of the Incarnation. He supplies a key to unlock the golden gate which has remained closed to the minds of modern Europe.

It is incorrect to assert, as is done repeatedly, that Hegel lays down the identity of contraries. He teaches that every thesis implies and contains an antithesis and its mediating moment, which is their synthesis. That Hegel

1 Modern Pantheism, vol. ii. treatise 7.

Philosophie du Credo, p. 26; Logique, vol. i. p. 194. 3 History of Philosophy, vol. ii. p. 545.

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