was asked."

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Aurora Leigh.

[2] "Meditationes Sacrae," x.

ANALYSIS OF INTRODUCTION.

[For the sake of the general reader who may desire to pass at once
to the practical applications, the following outline of the
Introduction--devoted rather to general principles--is here
presented.]

PART I.

NATURAL LAW IN THE SPIRITUAL SPHERE.

1. The growth of the Idea of Law.

2. Its gradual extension throughout every department of Knowledge.

3. Except one. Religion hitherto the Great Exception. Why so?

4. Previous attempts to trace analogies between the Natural and
Spiritual spheres. These have been limited to analogies between
_Phenomena_; and are useful mainly as illustrations. Analogies of
_Law_ would also have a Scientific value.

5. Wherein that value would consist. (1) The Scientific demand of the
age would be met; (2) Greater clearness would be introduced into
Religion practically; (3) Theology, instead of resting on
Authority, would rest equally on Nature.

PART II.

THE LAW OF CONTINUITY.

_A priori_ argument for Natural Law in the spiritual world.

1. The Law Discovered.

2. " Defined.

3. " Applied.

4. The objection answered that the _material_ of the Natural and
Spiritual worlds being different they must be under different
Laws.

5. The existence of Laws in the Spiritual world other than the Natural
Laws (1) improbable, (2) unnecessary, (3) unknown. Qualification.

6. The Spiritual not the projection upward of the Natural; but the
Natural the projection downward of the Spiritual.

INTRODUCTION.

"This method turns aside from hypotheses not to be tested by any
known logical canon familiar to science, whether the hypothesis
claims support from intuition, aspiration or general plausibility.
And, again, this method turns aside from ideal standards which avow
themselves to be lawless, which profess to transcend the field of
law. We say, life and conduct shall stand for us wholly on a basis
of law, and must rest entirely in that region of science (not
physical, but moral and social science), where we are free to use
our intelligence in the methods known to us as intelligible logic,
methods which the intellect can analyze. When you confront us with
hypotheses, however sublime and however affecting, if they cannot be