h
you and will take your words as a revelation; another class who
have no understanding of them and to whom they will naturally be as
idle tales.

'And you had better decide at once with which of the two you are
arguing; or, perhaps, you will say with neither, and that your
chief aim in carrying on the argument is your own improvement; at
the same time not grudging to either any benefit which they may
derive.'--PLATO.

'If we would reprove with success, and show another his mistake, we
must see from what side he views the matter, for on that side it is
generally true: and, admitting this truth, show him the side on
which it is false.'--PASCAL.

Sec. 1. INTRODUCTORY.

Many years ago I published in Messrs. Truebner's 'Philosophical Series,'
a short treatise entitled _A Candid Examination of Theism_ by
'Physicus.' Although the book made some stir at the time, and has since
exhibited a vitality never anticipated by its author, the secret of its
authorship has been well preserved[34]. This secret it is my intention,
if possible, still to preserve; but as it is desirable (on several
accounts which will become apparent in the following pages) to avow
identity of authorship, the present essay appears under the same
pseudonym[35] as its predecessor. The reason why the first essay
appeared anonymously is truthfully stated in the preface thereof, viz.
in order that the reasoning should be judged on its own merits, without
the bias which is apt to arise on the part of a reader from a knowledge
of the authority--or absence of authority--on the part of a writer. This
reason, in my opinion, still holds good as regards _A Candid Examination
of Theism_, and applies in equal measure to the present sequel in _A
Candid Examination of Religion_.

It will be shown that in many respects the negative conclusions reached
in the former essay have been greatly modified by the results of maturer
thought as now presented in the second. Therefore it seems desirable to
state at the outset that, as far as I am capable of judging, the
modifications in question have not been due in any measure to influence
from without. They appear to have been due exclusively to the results of
my own further thought, as briefly set out in the following pages, with
no indebtedness to private friends and but little to published
utterances in the form of books, &c. Nevertheless, no very original
id