on
an opposing opinion only as an object suited for attack; the other, with a
spirit caught from Germany, felt that there was some truth everywhere
latent. But both were reformers; both stimulated the revolt against the
cold spirit of the last century; both contributed to create, the one
indirectly, the other intentionally, a subjective spirit by their
psychological analysis.

Even movements which at first sight seem most alien to this spirit in
character, have really been affected unconsciously by it.(901) The
ecclesiastical reaction which sprang up about a quarter of a century ago,
though seemingly most objective in its nature, witnessed not less than the
very opposite, or rationalistic tendency, to the presence of this
influence. For both alike were founded on the idea that religion lacked a
philosophical groundwork: both sought a new ground of faith different from
that of the last century; the one in those utterances of consciousness
which created a reverence for historic tradition; the other in those
intuitions which were supposed to rise above scripture and tradition, and
to form the basis and measure of both.

The causes just named in literature and philosophy respectively, are some
of those which have contributed to create or to foster the change in the
character of the literature, and in the spirit of the age, which has
produced the alteration of tone which exists in the modern sceptical
literature.

In passing from these remarks on the peculiarly subjective tone of modern
unbelief, and the literary influences which have produced the general
change in the public taste, of which it is only one example, to an
enumeration of the authors who have given expression to doubt, and of the
specific forms of doubt now existing, we encounter a difficulty of
classification.

The most obvious arrangement would be to place the writers in groups,
according as they manifest a tendency toward atheism, pantheism, deism, or
rationalism,(902) respectively; but the mode which more nearly accords
with our general purpose would be to adopt a philosophical rather than a
theological classification, and arrange them according to the variety in
the tests of truth employed by them, and the sources from which their
arguments start, rather than the conclusions at which they arrive. Perhaps
the advantage of both plans will be in a great degree combined, if we
classify them according to the branch of science, physical, mental, or
critical