y6 ESSAYS IN PHILOSOPHY 



summarily, that the distinction between theism and 

 pantheism lies just in this — that theism, in asserting 

 God, asserts the freedom and the moral immortality 

 of the soul ; but that pantheism, while apparently 

 asserting God to the extreme, denies his moral 

 essence by cancelling all real freedom and therefore 

 all immortality of worth — all that "life eternal" 

 which means imperishable and continual progress 

 in fulfilling freedom by universal growth in the 

 image of God. The conclusive proof of this is, that, 

 even in its highest form, pantheism necessarily 

 represents what it calls God as the sole real agent 

 in existence. Every other being exists but as part 

 or mode of the eternal One. 



VI 



At length we see why pantheism is at war with 

 the characteristic interests of human nature. Our 

 abiding interests are wholly identified with the reality 

 of freedom and immortal moral life ; and this, not 

 on the ground of any passion we may have for mere 

 unconstraint or for permanence of mere existence — 

 a ground of course not worthy of a rational being 

 — but on the immovable foundation laid by reason 

 as Conscience. For when this highest form of 

 reason is thoroughly interpreted, we know that the 

 value of freedom and immortality lies in their indis- 

 pensableness to our discipline and growth in our 



