Essays Philosophical

Excerpt: In it, moreover, every conclusion of philosophy is tested by the fuller search-light from above, that it may be cleared of misunderstanding and mistake and made truth indeed. Hence, while in a certain sense it may be truly said that "the Church is not a School of Philosophy," there is a sense in which it may be said that she is the School of Philosophy. All truth fits into the sublime truth, which is her special concern, and is illumined and fortified by it. She welcomes truth of any kind, no matter by whom discovered or enunciated, because every truth will in some way be useful to mankind. She warns against pernicious errors. She condemns the folly that would make reason self-sacrificing and would ignore or refuse the higher light; and good sense condemns this as well as she. She never meant to condemn Aristotle, but the unworthy use made of him by trifiers. Now the great philosopher and the Angel of the Schools are linked inseparably in the esteem of mankind, and the Church blesses their union, and finds in the philosophy of religion thence resulting the best answer to the many questions which the rationalism of our age is so anxiously asking. In conclusion, it is well to remark that their union is due to the University of Paris. This blending of the human and the Divine lights, for the solution of the great world-problems, is the natural function and the bounden duty of universities, is implied in their profession to seek after and impart the universality of knowledge. This demands the union and harmony of science, philosophy and religion. The omission of either from a university mutilates the totality and spoils the harmony of truth and lowers the institution beneath the real university level, In the future, as in the past, the true university must be a sanctuary of truth, a rampart against the incursions of error, a beacon-light in the journey of mankind.