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The Fundamentals. been said, the employment of his reasoning faculties in the task of devising a system which will account, after a fashion, for the existence and origin of, and for the changes which ap pear to take place in, the visible universe. Having settled upon such a system, the philosopher must thenceforth defend it from the attacks of philosophers of opposing “Schools” (who will put forth weighty volumes demonstrating to their entire satis faction that his philosophical system is a tissue of absurdities), and in replying to their many and various objections and criticisms. “ no t ACCORDING TO CHRIST.” We may thus, see at a glance that philosophy is, in its essen tial character, in accordance with human tradition and the fun damental of primary principles of the world-system; and that it is not according to Christ, who is hated by the world, and who has laid the axe at the root of all its principles. Promi nent among the elements of the world and of human tradition is the principle that the world reflects the grandeur of man, and that human reason is the highest and mightiest factor in it. In our day it has become a tenet of popular theology that the human reason is the final court of appeal in all matters of doctrine. In man’s world human achievement is exalted to the highest place, and no limit is set to what may be accom plished by human ingenuity. “Let us build us a city and a tower whose top may reach unto heaven, and'let us make us a name” (Gen. 11:4), is the program of humanity, as announced by those who established the basic principles of the world. In the great world-system that only is valued and lauded which is attained by the effort of man and redounds to his credit. Philosophy adheres strictly to this tradition and to these prin ciples in that its various explanations, in order to receive recognition as “philosophical,” must be purely the products of human reason exercised upon the results of human inves tigations.
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