And in the half-dozen chapters
which follow it is made to evolve in succession the doctrine of the
Incarnation, the Advent, and the Atonement of Christ, and to explain the
mysteries of the fall of man and of original sin. Considered in the
aspect in which Coleridge himself would have preferred to regard his
pupil's work, namely as a systematic attempt to lead the minds of men to
Christianity by an intellectual route, no more hopeless enterprise
perhaps could have been conceived than that embodied in these volumes. It
is like offering a traveller a guide-book written in hieroglyphics. Upon
the most liberal computation it is probable that not one-fourth part of
educated mankind are capable of so much as comprehending the philosophic
doctrine upon which Coleridge seeks to base Christianity, and it is
doubtful whether any but a still smaller fraction of these would admit
that the foundation was capable of supporting the superstructure. That
the writings of the pupil, like the teachings of the master whom he
interprets, may serve the cause of religion in another than an
intellectual way is possible enough. Not a few of the functions assigned
to the Speculative Reason will strike many of us as moral and spiritual
rather than intellectual in their character, and the appeal to them is in
fact an appeal to man to chasten the lower passions of his nature, and to
discipline his unruly will.
Pages:
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266