Reason and Faith [pp. 648-685]

Reason and Faith.
Transcendental heresies, whether these hit the foe, or fall and
explode with destructive effect in their own or a friendly camp.
Worst of all, some of the mightiest men who have undertaken
to grapple with this Kantean philosophy and its monstrous
progeny, and have flattered themselves and others that they
have vanquished it, give unequivocal signs of being in a mournful degree mastered by it. They have caught somewhat of the
distemper in the attempt to cure it. They seem, scarcely knowing it, to be striving to inoculate philosophy and theology with
the virus, for the purpose of fortifying them against it; as will
yet more fully appear.
Before proceeding to Mr. Mansel's great work, and the
vigorous answer to it by Dr. Young, which will form the central topic of the observations we are about to offer, we wish
briefly to characterize the treatise of Dr. McCosh. Some of
its more particular statements relative to the great questions
handled in Mr. Mansel's work, we hope to bring before our
readers, when we come to the heart of our discussion.
Dr. MIcCosh has won high rank among the Christian philosophers of our day by the works he has already published. His
treatise on "The Divine Government, Physical and Moral,"
introduced him most favourably and widely to the notice of
cultivated and thinking men in both hemispheres. His next
work on "Typical Forms," &c. was welcomed by a narrower
circle, because more scientific and technical. At the same
time it was recognized as a valuable contribution to apologetics,
and a confirmation of the author's high rank as a thinker. We
rate the present work above either of its predecessors, alike as
regards the ability it manifests, the difficulty of the questions
elucidated, and the importance of the solutions, direct and indirect, which he offers to some of the great issues which now
enlist the mind of the church. His works have the merit of
speaking to living questions and meeting an existing desideratum. They touch apologetic theology at that point in which,
for the time being, the enemies of the gospel are most successful in perplexing and annoying its friends. They deal with it,
as it is impugned, obscured, or endangered by the scientists,
metaphysicians, rationalists, and mystics of our day-in short,
by whatever constitutes the prevalent "philosophy falsely so
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