tal and physical, as the soul and guiding power of the universe, God remains forever the necessary postulate: τι κρείττον. « Το δε ζητουμενον τουτ' εστι, τις ή της κινησεως αρχη εν τη ψυχη. Δηλον δη, ώσπερ εν τῳ ὁλῳ Θεός, και παν εκείνῳ. Keyst γαρ πως παντα το εν ήμιν θείον. Λόγου δ' αρχη ου λόγος αλλα Τι ουν αν κρειττον και επιστημης ειποι πλην Θεος The thing in question is, what is the origin of reason in the soul. It is evident that, as in everything else, this is wholly to be found in God. For the divine nature in some manner or other, acts upon and moves the whole within us. The origin of reason is not reason, but something stronger. And what should I say is stronger than intelligence except God?" (Aristotle: Eud. Eth. VII, 14, 19). Such is not the language of Aristotle only, nor of the Greeks; but of all philosophers of whatever nation or tongue. Truly the "indwelling Deity moves in some manner or other all things." The signs of such an indwelling Deity are on every hand, the marks of intelligence bespeak an Immanent Thought throughout the infinite cosmos: "Were we compelled to choose between two alternatives of translating mental phenomena into physical or of translating physical phenomena into mental; the latter alternative would seem the more acceptable of the two." (Spencer: Psychology, vol, I, page 159). Seeing thus clearly what the mind of the scientific world really is, we are forced to acknowledge it not only theistic but truly religious. It should never be forgotten that a man may be truly religious though tossed on raging seas of doubt and fear. If it can be said of the agnostic, or skeptic, that of him who is heard to speak so positively in religious matters, that he confesses too much : "There is more faith in honest doubt Believe me than in half the creeds." Let us be glad that the discoveries of modern science, all the impressions of the outer on the inner world, all the interpretations by the inner world of self and not-self, all mental investigations whatever, but bind the human heart, already firmly bound, still more firmly to the heart of God. "So runs my dream: but what am I; An infant crying for the light: And with no language but a cry. And falling with my weight of cares And gather dust and chaff, and call And faintly trust the larger hope." (Tennyson). B: SCIENCE AND NATURAL RELIGION. Natural religion is the broadest of all forms of theistic worship; yet it is much narrower than simple theism. The consensus of scientific thought is, therefore, not so overwhelming in its favor, as in the case of mere theism. Theism the expression of this and much more: it is the expression of the relation, founded on this fact, between the Infinite and the finite, as that of a father to the child. Here the nature of the one is to confess disobedience, acknowledge dependence, and expect forgiveness and aid; and that of the other is to pity and forgive, strengthen and aid. The idea of this relation we see quite well manifested by Anchises: "At pater Anchises oculos ad sidera laetus Extulit, et caelo palmas cum voce tetendit: 'Juppiter omnipotens, precibus si flecteris ullis, Aspice nos; hoc tantum, et si pietate meremur, Da deinde auxilium pater, atque haec omina firma' Joyfully did father, Anchises, raise his eyes to the heavens, and stretching out his hands said: 'O Juppiter omnipotent, if ever thou art moved by prayer, behold us now; in this our great need, if we are worthy of any pity, lend us thine aid, O father, and confirm the omens'!'' (Virgil: Æneid, II, 686-). In Homer also we find set forth the care for men on the part of the Olympian gods: σε Ζευς δ' αυτος νέμει ολβον Ολυμπιος ανθρωποισιν, εσθλοις ηδε κακοίςιν, όπως εθέλησιν, έκαστῳ — From high heaven does Zeus himself assigħ to men both good and bad their fate, and as he wills to each." (Odyssey, VI, 187-). Not less by Plato is God represented as the rewarder of good and the avenger of evil works: δ «Τῳ δ' αει ξυνεπεται δικη των απολειπομένων του θείου νόμου τιμωρος, ἧς ὁ μεν ευδαιμονήσειν μελλων εχομενος ξυνέπεται ταπεινος avenger on the heels of him who forsakes the divine law; while he who wishes to be happy, adhering to her, follows after her in humble confidence." (Plato: Leges: IV, 716-). Still more beautifully and fully do we find the fatherhood of God taught in the Vedas: "O Being inconceivable! I humbly crave thy forgiveness. Thou art the father of all things animate and inanimate; thou art the sage instructor of the whole, worthy to be adored; There is none like unto thee. Wherefore I bow down; and with my body prostrate upon the ground crave thy mercy, Lord! worthy to be adored; for thou shouldst bear with me, even as a father with his son, a friend with his friend, a lover with his beloved. Have mercy, then O heavenly Lord! O mansion of the universe! and show me thy celestial form. I wish to behold thee with the diadem on thy head, O God, image of the universe!" (Dialogues of Kreeshna and Arjoon). How beautiful this prayer, how general; in all my theistic studies I have found no principles more agreeable to my nature, more generally acceptable, or more ennobling than those of the Vedas. If ever God gave humanity a revelation higher than nature gives us, I know not on what ground their inspired character can be denied. It is cer tainly a groundless supposition that the inspiration of the Christian Scriptures necessitates the non-inspired character of the sacred writings of non-Christian people; I can accept the Christian revelation on the grounds of evolution; but when one insists that it is the only revelation of the will of God to His creatures, I must admit that I find it utterly impossible versal fatherhood of God. Upon the Brahmin and Christian alike fall the dews of heaven; seed-time and harvest, summer and winter, come in due time to all; so likewise has the God of nature never failed to pour out upon all flesh without respect of persons those higher spiritual blessings at such time and in such manner as is most conducive to their respective welfare. Natural religion, however, admits no miracles, recognizes no particular revelation, rejects the doctrine of the Fall, and considers the doctrine of bloodatonement, as taught by orthodox Christians, as both unjust and blasphemous. On the other hand, while natural religion discards the peculiar principles of all religious systems; it would have men receive those principles common to them all, as the highest knowledge of the human soul concerning its God. Among the religious principles common to all systems of theology, we find set forth faith in God as the creator and upholder of all things; faith in the fatherhood of God; faith in prayer as a natural and reasonable thing; faith in a future life where every man shall be rewarded according to his works. However broad and few the dogmatic teachings, there nevertheless can be no religious worship without agreement as to the essentials which constitute it, and as to the form of expressing it. In order to religious worship of any kind, when publicly conducted, there must be on the part of each a willingness to relinquish, or even sacrifice, for the welfare of the whole, many things desirable to the individual. This is not such a privation as it appears to be on the surface. Our idiosyncrasies are |