Religion as a Factor in Human Evolution 681 



inclination, volition that pertains to one as this private 

 individual, the giving up of every aim or activity that points 

 only to my exclusive pleasure and interest, the absolute identi- 

 fication of my will with the will of God." Pfleiderer {21J^: 2: 

 29) holds that ''Religion is the relation of our life to the world- 

 controlling Power, which is to become a community of life 

 with it." 



Practically all of the above definitions postulate a more 

 or less accurate knowledge of a being or agency higher than 

 man, and accordingly proof of this should be forthcoming. 

 Flint's definition also postulates knowledge coming to man 

 that is "inaccessible to his senses." This involves a method 

 and departure so fundamentally new and different from all 

 other methods by which man obtains knowledge that accept- 

 ance of it would only fairly be expected when good proof was 

 given of its operation. Both of these points will be consid- 

 ered later. 



Further it should be clearly stated that the part of Flint's 

 definition which says: "Man's belief in a being or beings, 

 mightier than himself, and inaccessible to his senses," entirely 

 breaks down, in application. Not only so it absolutely prevents 

 us from reaching a true conclusion. This it was largely which 

 caused, as we believe, such an earnest seeker after religious, as 

 after natural scientific, truth as Romanes to pen so contradictory 

 and illogical even though noble and aspiring a work as his 

 "Thoughts on Religion." For every religionist's beliefs are not 

 only individual in origin and acceptance; they are built up 

 primarily by activity of the senses. 



Thus the statement "God is a Spirit" at once calls up the 

 sensuous motion of the wind, its sound impression on the ear, 

 its indefinite and extended compass, as ascertained by eye 

 and ear. Similarly the sublime extended definition of God, 

 as given in the Westminster Creed, "God is a Si)irit, infinite, 

 eternal, and unchangeable; in his being, wisdom, power, holi- 

 ness, justice, goodness, and truth," is a sustained j^roenvironal 

 effort to picture a being or existence with qualities the oppo- 

 site in sense extension to those that we associate with fleeting 



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