religion  and  its  doctrines  do  not  receive  from  speculative
philosophy  a  respect  founded  upon  free  inquiry  and  sincere
conviction,  so  long  the  religion  that  is  not  respected  will
not  be  loved.  If  you  would  have  the  practice  of  religion
thrive,  you  must  take  care  that  its  theory  is  made  intelli-
gible." Thus  he  defends  his  own  "  gnosis."

Much  more  might  be  told  of  the  endless  warfare  of
opinions  that  disturbed  the  minds  of  men  during  the  later
years  of  Schleiermacher's  life  ;  but  enough  has  been  said  to
indicate  the  source  of  his  earnestness  when  he  endeavoured
to  find  in  Christian  ethics  a  place  of  repose  and  a  support
of  religious  faith.  He  was  a  man  of  high  intellectual
culture ;  but  he  knew  that  religion  could  not  have  its  true
basis  in  the  intellect.  Philosophical  notions  respecting  the
genesis  of  religion,  and  speculative  views  travelling  far
beyond  the  bounds  of  ordinary  minds,  could  do  nothing,
said,  to  restore  a  true  and  practical  faith.  He  therefore
wished  earnestly  to  find  in  ethical  and  religious  facts  a  sure
basis  of  faith ;  and  thus  was  led  on  to  the  ethical-religious
doctrine  developed  in  his  Christology.  Whatever  were  his
errors  and  "  inconsistencies  " — much  may  be  said  of  the
latter — he  was  eminently  a  man  of  wide  sympathy  j  one
who  could  feel  the  force  of  the  sentiment  expressed  in  such
lines  as  these  : —

"  Through  a  night  of  doubt  and  gloom,
Millions  travel  toward  the  tomb ;
No  kind  hand  their  footsteps  guides
To  the  home  where  love  abides  ;
Tones  of  truth  within  them  stirred
Meet  with  no  kind  answering  word ;
But  all  along  their  stormy  way
Howl  the  winds,  and  lightnings  play,
And  thunders  roll,  and  never  cease —
Instead  of  angels  chanting  '  peace.'  "

It  is,  says  Schleierrnacher,  our  sympathy  with  the
spiritual  wants  of  mankind  that  should  make  us  first  of  all
disposed  to  accept  a  divine  revelation  of  which  the  central
truth  is  at  once  spiritual  and  historical,  and  though.
