Sir William Hamilton's Philosophy of the Conditioned [pp. 472-510]

Sir William Ianmilton's
the perception of space as indefinite is added the more wonderful power of perceiving it to be incapable of increase, so we
think to the perception of the peculiar acts of God in design
and providence, is annexed the more remarkable power of perceiving these acts to be the acts of an infinite Being, of perceiving this wisdom to be His wisdom, this goodness to be His
goodness, this moral law to be His moral law. It seems further,
that in the very frame-work of our own minds is felt the same
power, carrying with it the same knowledge of God, even without the cognizance of reflective consciousness, since the general
laws of mind, as they are called, are obviously the same energy
running through and through the Ego, consciously distinct from
acts of the Ego, and shaping our consciousness to the designs
of infinite wisdom. In a similar manner it seems that to the
perception of a particular right or wrong act, is annexed the
perception that this right or wrong is also an announcement of
the nature of the infinite God, andlthat the imperative accompanying it is the command of the absolute Governor of the
world. Such appears to us the testimony of consciousness as
to our ability to know the infinite God. He acts in finite relations. As having power to perceive wisdom, goodness, and
justice, we recognize them in these acts; as having power to
know the acts of the infinite and absolute God, as distinguished from the acts of a finite being, we recognize these
acts as His. "The invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the
things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead."
With the first two statements Hamilton agrees; with the last
he disagrees. The element of it which implies a recognition of
an infinite and absolute Being, in a manner corresponding to
that which he calls an a priori conception, he declares to be
impossible. We began by showing that the nature of the object
does not render it impossible; we close by appealing to consciousness for the affirmation that it is a fact.
3~. Hamilton's "learned ignorance" is a very different thing
from simple silence on a subject too deep for thought. It
boasts itself to have sounded the depths of being, and enounces
what is possible and what impossible to the divine existence, on
points which are usually passed in silence-its absoluteness and
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