Hestill，thatis，requiresabreathing-spacefortheimagination。’Truthistheprovinceofreason，’but’intheregulationoftheimaginationliteraltruthoffactsisnottheonlythingtobeconsidered。’156*Reasonmustkeepthefortress，butthe’imaginationmaysafelyfollowitsownendanddoitsbesttomakelifepleasantandlovelyinsidethecastle。’
Thus，thoughweareonlyentitledtohopeastothegovernmentoftheworldandalifeafterdeath，thebarehopemayhaveabeneficialeffect。’Itmakeslifeandhumannatureafargreaterthingtothefeelings，andgivesgreaterstrengthandsolemnitytoallthesentimentswhichareawakenedinusbyourfellow-creaturesandmankindatlarge。’Aspirationsarenolongercheckedbythedisastrousfeelingof’notworthwhile。’Religion，too，hasatbeforeusa’DivinePerson，asastandardofexcellenceandamodelforimitation。’157*Theideal，itistrue，wouldremain，evenifthepersonwereheldtobeimaginary；
andwouldnotbeencumberedbytheologicaldifficulties。Yetthereisanadvantageinthebeliefthataperfectbeingreallyexistsandrepresentstheruleroftheuniverse，whichcannotbesharedbytherationalist。158*Henceas，afterall，thetruthofthebeliefispossible，itmaybecombinedwiththeReligionofHumanity。Thatreligion，’withorwithoutsupernaturalsanctions，’willbethereligionofthefuture；butitwillbestrengthenedbythefeelingthatweare’helpingGod’andsupplying’cooperation’which’he，notbeingomnipotent，reallyneeds。’159*Truly，Millwasnearlyqualifiedforaplaceamongtheprophets。
Mill’sarbitraryassumptions，likethemetaphysicalwiredrawingsofMansel，areratherunprofitableinthemselves：fewpeoplewillcaretofollowthemindetail；andneithercouldboastofmanyconverts。BelieverssoonbecameawareoftherealscepticismofMansel’sposition；andpositivistssawthatMillleftanopeningforsuperstition。BothManselandMillweretroubledabouttheReligionofNature。Itisabundantlyclear，asMillmighthaveforeseen，thatsuchatheologyashecontemplatescouldbeofnorealvalue。Itdependsessentiallyuponcompromisesandarbitrarydistinctions。Itisstillwithinthesphereofscience，thoughdoomedtodisappearasscienceadvances，andfromthefirstisinconsistentwiththeveryaimswhichareproposedbytheology。Godisadmittedlynotomnipotent，andhisexistenceisnoguaranteeformoralityoroptimism。AndhencethereisanoddapproximationbetweenMillandMansel。
Millobserves160*thatthemoralcharacterofanallegedrevelationcannotbeofitselfaproofofitsdivinity。Theimportanceofthe’internalevidence’istherefore’principallynegative。’SosaysMansel。’Theevidencederivedfromtheinternalcharacterofareligion，whatevermaybeitsvaluewithinitsproperlimits，is，asregardsthedivineoriginofthereligion，purelynegative。’161*Whereisthedifference？Ifthemoralityofarevelationbebad，Millarguesthattherevelationmustbeatoncerejected。Manselthinksthatalthoughthemoralitybenotclearlygood，itmayinsomewayrepresentadivinecommand。Immorallawscannotbedivine，saysMill，thoughagoodlawmaybehuman。Alawapparentlybad，repliesMansel，maybedivine，though，ofcourse，thebadnesscanonlybeapparent。Here，aselsewhere，thebelieverintheempiricalcharacterofmoralityappearstoattributemostcertaintytothemoraljudgment。Thesolutionsdifferaccordingly。MillsupposesthatGodmustbegood，butreconcilesthistofactsbyassumingthatGodisnotall-powerful。Manselwillnotgiveupthepower，andtopreservethegoodnesshastoassumearadicalincapacityintheintellect——anecessityofbelievingwherethereisanimpotenceofconceiving。Mill，thatis，iscontentwiththeempiricaldeity，whoisnecessarilylimited；andManselkeepsthedeityofontologybutadmitsthathecannotbeknown。Mill’sconceptionispurelyarbitrary，thoughhekeepswithinthelimitsofconceivableexperience；whileManselpreservesthelanguageappropriatetotheconceptionofabsoluteunity，andyetadmitsthatitcanmeannothingforus。’Agnosticism’seemstobeaneasierandmorerationalalternative；ifitmeansanopenadmissionthatweknownothing，whenwecanonlysaveourappearanceofknowledgebyarbitraryassumptionsorbytheuseofmeaninglesswords。OfMill’spositionitmustbefranklyadmittedthathisdesireforareligiousandevensupernaturalbeliefisaproofofdissatisfactionwithhisownposition。Hefelthere，aselsewhere，thatsomethingwaswantinginhisphilosophy。Whatthatreallywasmaypartlyappearbyconsideringothercontemporarysolutions。Manselrepresentsaparticularphaseofthoughtwhichisalreadyextinct，andviewsdifferingbothfromtheirsandfromMill’shadinpracticeafarwiderinfluencethaneither。