true or false, indicates to those who understand it, with sufficient clearness, the author's opinions in regard to the Historic element now under discussion. But his views are further expressed by Morell as follows: "The mind has a purely rational nature, by virtue of which it sets before itself its own aim, the object of its own free activity. To deny this. would be to deny the very existence of mind itself: to ask why it is so, would be to ask why truth is truth." Fichte's "Idea of Universal History" is that of a free spirit struggling to surmount obstacles of its own creation, "seeking to bring into actual existence all that lies potentially in its consciousness." This constitutes his "world-plan" and designates his place among writers on the Philosophy of History.

Schelling maintains the existence of a faculty which intuitively discovers the Absolute. A mind possessing such a faculty must be in some sense free in its actions. But we are not left to inference in regard to Schelling's views of History. Morell states them as follows: "History is the absolute combination of the freedom of the individual with the necessary development of the race. Every act of which History is composed is a free act; and yet man, with all his freedom, cannot help contributing to the accomplishment of the destiny of the whole nation and whole race to which he belongs."

Hegel starts out with the astounding proposition that Sein Nichts, or that Being equals Nothing; and derives the idea of existence from the combination or contradiction of Being and Nothing. From this point he proceeds to expound in a series of logical

triads the origin and laws of matter, the life of man, and the process by which God himself is realizedthis last process in his Philosophy including the first two processes, or in other words all the ongoings of nature and all the thoughts and actions of men are but the unfolding of God. Hegel admitted no Creator. From nothing he developed existence, and then started a movement which in turn unfolded from it, logic, nature, mind, and God as a Divine personality. After assuming a series of conditions and annulling them, the Divine Spirit seems to attain freedom, in the freedom attained by men; but with Hegel there can be no such thing as individual Free Agency. Buckle binds mankind with the laws of matter, Hegel fetters him with the laws of thought. Buckle might admit a great First Cause, simply as an abstraction, while Hegel thinks he finds God only as the final product of all causation. The Philosophy of the former tends toward Atheism, and that of the latter is unadulterated Pantheism.

Schlegel's "Philosophy of History" was written at about the same time that Hegel delivered his "Lectures on History," and yet there is a wide difference in the doctrines of the two philosophers. Schlegel looks upon the freedom of man and the Providence of God as the two principal Historic elements. He writes, "Without this freedom of choice, innate in man or imparted to him — this faculty of determining between the divine impulse and the suggestions of the spirit of evil-there would be no History, and without a faith in such a principle there could be no Philosophy of History." And again, "Without the idea of a God-head regu

fating the course of human destiny, of an all-ruling Providence, and the saving and redeeming power of God, the History of the world would be a labyrinth without an outlet - a confused pile of ages buried upon ages-a mighty tragedy without a right beginning, or a proper ending."

3. THE THEISTIC THEORY.-The Theistic Theory recognizes God as the Creator of all things, and holds that He imposed and continues to impose certain conditions upon both nature and man, and that these must be taken into the account in philosophizing about History.

It is impossible to think that the creation did not begin to be-even Hegel's dialectic movement must start-and if so, it must have had an Author. Modern science has shown that new kinds of plants and new races of animals have been at various epochs introduced into the world, and if so, there is no alternative but to regard such facts as the result of the direct interposition of the same Power. that originally called the earth itself into existence.

God evinces his power in History. Nations rise and fall. Whole races disappear and new men spring as it were from the ground to take their places. Great multitudes of people are moved by a common impulse, for which no one can account, to emigrate, to reform, to become religious. Inventions and discoveries are made just when most wanted. Genius gives birth to science and art. Great men seem born for the times in which they live. Crises occur in human affairs, and when all men despair, help comes, whence no one can

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to These events and such as these, though to some extent the result of the potency of nature or the potency of will, indicate that the God who made the world still rules it. Without the idea of God regulating the affairs of men, History would be a grand chaos of disconnected facts and discor dant elements, as already quoted, a "Confused pile of ages buried upon ages.

As individuals, nearly all persons acknowledge the Providence of God. The common instincts of mankind all point in this direction. The lowest grade of savages entertain it in some form or other, cultivated Heathen nations admit it, and Christians everywhere hold that God ofttimes strengthens them in the performance of good, and ofttimes speaks comfort to the sorrowing spirit. If these instances were few, distant, or isolated, no general conclusion should be drawn from them; but in all ages, in all climes, and among all people, the common belief has been that the hand of God is frequently apparent in the affairs of men, and it is a monstrous libel upon human nature to deny it. To me the same consciousness that reveals the idea of God, reveals Him as the Maker, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe; and I hold both revelations alike valid.

I have not yet referred to the Bible, nor need I. Those who believe it to be true, have already realized its effect upon mankind; and those who disbelieve it, would not be persuaded by arguments based upon it. Some good Christians, however, think that, with Christ and his immediate Disciples, God ceased to manifest himself by Special Provi

dences; to them it might be said that the operations of the Holy Spirit must continue to be a special interposition of God, and the conversion of every sinner is a miracle. No man ever yet lifted himself up from sin and death, to purity and life. God must aid him in this work, and all such help is a Special Providence.

Much in History is Providential. Evidence of it comes from the creation, from the economy of nature, from the great events of the past, from individual experience, and from the Bible. All may have entered into the grand plan when first the creation was conceived, and may occur in accordance with that plan; but the plan itself may have embraced eras which God predetermined for his own glory or our good to distinguish by extraordinary manifestations of His presence or His power, or may have contemplated events which were to be specially guided by His omnipotent hand.

God's dealings with men cover three distinctly marked periods: first, that of Purity, before the Fall; second, that of Promise, from the Fall to the coming of Christ; third, that of Fulfilment, after the Resurrection. From both the nature and facts of the case, all these dealings resolve themselves into one grand plan for the protection of man from evil before the Fall, and for his restoration to holiness after it. This plan was undoubtedly made in view of man's Free Agency, and of physical influences, and, when well understood, harmonizes with them. Physical influences, indeed, must operate in entire subserviency to intellectual and moral influences to the laws imposed upon them