134 AN EPISCOPAL TRILOGY IV 



which they are strong enough to modify or control ; 

 and who is capable of being moved by appeals 

 such as men make to one another. This belief 

 does not even involve theism ; for our earth is an 

 insignificant particle of the solar system, while the 

 solar system is hardly worth speaking of in relation 

 to the All ; and, for anything that can be proved 

 to the contrary, there may be beings endowed 

 with full powers over our system, yet, practically, 

 as insignificant as ourselves in relation to the 

 universe. If any one pleases, therefore, to give un- 

 restrained liberty to his fancy, he may plead 

 analogy in favour of the dream that there may be, 

 somewhere, a finite being, or beings, who can play 

 with the solar system as a child plays with a toy ; 

 and that such being may be willing to do anything 

 which he is properly supplicated to do. For we 

 are not justified in saying that it is impossible for 

 beings having the nature of men, only vastly more 

 powerful, to exist ; and if they do exist, they may 

 act as and when we ask them to do so, just as our 

 brother men act. As a matter of fact, the great 

 mass of the human race has believed, and still 

 believes, in such beings, under the various names 

 of fairies, gnomes, angels, and demons. Certainly 

 I do not lack faith in the constancy of natural 

 order. But I am not less convinced that if I were 

 to ask the Bishop of Manchester to do me a kind- 

 ness which lay within his power, he would do it. 

 And I am unable to see that his action on my 

 request involves any violation of the order of 



