obvious fact that thought is in essential relation to what are named the various forms of matter, and also that matter is variously modified and controlled on every side by the thought of man; it is, then, quite logical to regard matter in all its forms as externalized thought and spirit. This is what the categories of thought and being involve. A category is at once both internal and external, thought and matter, or on the external side as matter the categories are the externalizations of thought. The great mistake of Kant was that he regarded the categories as only subjective notions. True, he named quantity and quality, intuitive and constitutive, but even so they were with him only subjective notions; the rest of his categories he named regulative and contingent, consequently God was logically an unknown Being, if He existed at all. With him it was fundamental that notion without perception is empty, and perception without notion is blind. He did not attempt to prove this, and simply assumed it as a fact needing no proof. His transcendental synthesis of imagination really expressed the unity of thought and matter, as did his two stems of human knowledge having a single common root, because imagination implies an essential connection between the intellect and objects of sense. He evidently did not realize that all the categories contained the 'à priori synthetic judgments' he was in search of, but Hegel saw clearly the nature of the unity, for he said, 'They are possible through the original absolute identity of differents.' Stirling adds, that is simply the Ego'; which is the fundamental principle of concrete logic.

Our aim is not to give a complete system of the categories of Concrete Logic, which would here be an impossible task, but only to show some of its

fundamental principles. Many different catalogues of the categories have been given by various writers, according to their estimate of logic and philosophy, but, to our mind, the most complete system is that given by Hegel. To us a category is a notion denoting a relation, which is its essential nature. The categories fall in general into the particularity of the Notion. The universal and singular are no doubt categories, for they denote relations ; but particularity is their special sphere, and so far, expresses finite relations, but since relation is as infinite as being itself, the categories of thought are innumerable. They are all, however, within the Absolute Notion, and therefore constitute the essence of the being of thought. With Hegel, logic is the pure Idea, and the logical Idea proper is the sphere of the categories, and must be regarded as the system of pure reason, the realm of pure Thought, and so the science of things in their unity in thought.

Now, thought and things are immediately in the unity of self-consciousness and are at one in the Ego.

Thought is conscious in itself that it is always essentially active, that this activity is always within itself, and yet that it is in all objects of thought; therefore it contains a double activity, internal and external, in living unity. Every known movement without is at the same time a known movement within, for that which is immediately known as out is immediately known as in. Further, activity implies change, and change denotes process. Thought, however, is always permanent, and is in permanent unity with matter in all its manifold forms of action. Activity is the process of creation in and by thought's own self. The knowledge of movement is not merely derived from the motion of external objects, but is

known immediately in its own self-activity. Ego, which in its very nature is thought, is consequently the seat, source and origin of all movement, and the fountain of natural and spiritual life.

This activity of the Ego, the Notion or Thought, is what Hegel names the inner and pure negativity. External negation is the first negation, or mere ceasing to be; the pure inner negativity is the negation of the negation, that is, creation. Without negation there could be neither motion nor natural and spiritual life; no motion of the planets, no running rivers, no descending rain, no fertilization or growth in the vegetable and animal worlds. The negation of the negation is the restoring, creating, and perpetuating of being, motion and all natural and spiritual life. These terms express creation, birth, death and resurrection. Christ said, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone, but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.' In a deeper, spiritual sense He expressed the same truth when He said, Whosoever will save his life shall lose it, and whosoever will lose his life for My sake, shall find it.' Here death is the negation,' and life the negation of the negation.' Paul names it, 'the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus.' It is the love of God in Christ as the spirit of truth, and the essence of Christianity; it implies being 'dead to sin and alive unto God.'

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Such a phrase as 'the negation of the negation' is not only new, but at first appears somewhat repellent, but it is not more strange and forbidding than the phraseology or technical terms found in every scientific text-book, and besides, Concrete Logic brings with it an entire revolution in the science of logic, and therewith introduces a new principle into science in general.

The foregoing is fundamentally Hegel's dialectic, which with Stirling is a dialectic that was the living internality of an Ego.' According to this principle, the universe is no longer to be viewed as dead or as the working of a huge system of mere mechanical laws, but as the living universe of the living God. The dialectic is the active power and goodness of God manifest in all creation. In human thought it is the impelling power striving to break through its finite abstract limitations, and gain a fuller knowledge of the different forms of the finite in its own infinite nature.

When Kant wrote of 'a transcendental synthesis of imagination,' 'a divine intuitive understanding,' and the reflective judgment,' he was near to the deeper and true conception of the absolute concrete Notion; the unity of man, Nature and God. Creation as the work of God can never be independent of God, or without essential relation to Him. An intuitive, reflective and logical understanding and judgment belongs to human thought in and through its oneness with the divine; for thought in its 'triplicity' is the light of the understanding itself. If Kant had not himself possessed an intuitive understanding, he could not have seen the necessity for such in a divine understanding. It is not, however, given to man merely to be able to search and understand the deep things of God, but even to mould and control the forces and laws of nature to an almost unlimited extent. God has given power and dominion to man, He has put all things under his feet.' The full realization of this depends on man's knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of God and of Christ, and so of the unity of God and

man.

The doctrine of the unity of matter and thought

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touches closely the question as to the reality and possibility of miracles, which, as already noted, is no doubt at present supposed to be one of the most difficult problems to solve. According to the reported words of Jesus, these may be performed by false teachers as well as by true. Why do men question the possibility of miracles? Fundamen

tally only through the unity of matter and thought are miracles possible, and, as such, they are external manifestations of the power of prayer over what is called matter. To sense-perception, a miracle has the appearance of thought acting on matter at a distance through a void space, and therefore without direct contact; but an absolutely void space destroys at once the conception of universal matter and universal thought in their essential unity and relation. It thus renders impossible both a rational conception of the universe and the idea of miracles being performed either by God or man. The working of miracles by false prophets, without divine aid, indicates great power of thought in controlling Nature. Evidently there are invisible material forces in Nature upon which human thought acts and manifests itself in a great variety of ways. The material magnet and animal magnetism are obviously of the same origin, and form a ground for the action of what Paul calls lying wonders,' and deceitful workers.' There may be a strong faith in the power of Spirit which is not of God: the power of thought and spirit may be guided by the desire for 'the wages of unrighteousness,' by the pride of intellect and knowledge, or by the love of power. The true faith, the faith of God,' is the faith that worketh by love.' The true nature of thought will never be known until it is recognized that in reality, and in its fullest sense, it is identical with love, for God is Love.' Hitherto

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