2 Preliminary Considerations 



religion; ready acceptance of dogmatic religion; belief 

 in th&soul and immortality; these are the offspring of 

 such vague ideas. When real thought is there the re- 

 sult is still the same ; metaphysical systems, theodicies, 

 philosophies of religion, all reflect the dual aspect of 

 Reality as being and yet becoming as becoming and 

 yet being. 



The simple man who knows there is a God and the 

 philosopher who almost 1 proves His existence alike are 

 driven to conclude that He lies behind the world, behind 

 all process in some sense, as a great Creative Cause. He 

 is therefore Transcendent. 



TJie simple man who knows that his life is somehow 

 guided and controlled by God, Who is near, Who is 

 more than externally omnipresent, Who is in all that 

 exists for, and happens to, a man, and the philosopher 

 who again almost 1 proves that change and process must 

 be a real part of the experience of a God Who indwells, 

 and must indwell, His created universe, are alike forced 

 to believe that God is not simply far away, but actually 

 present in His creation, Himself experiencing all the 

 changes that go on in it. God is therefore Immanent 2 . 



1 Almost in both cases, for logical thought, however unassail- 

 ably accurate, starts from its unprovable postulates and axioms, 

 confirmed, but not absolutely and ultimately justified, by experi- 

 ence, without which no thought would be possible. 



1 For the purposes of the present discussion I make no apology 

 for assuming the existence of God. The arguments in favour of 

 such an assumption which fall into line with the evolutionary 

 philosophy we are endeavouring to set forth will be found in my 

 Evolution and the Need of Atonement. Flint's Theism is a standard 

 work, on the more general arguments, though somewhat out of 

 date; Professor Seth's (Pringle Pattison's) books on the subject 

 are helpful, and there is a valuable summary in a few pages in 

 Lotze's Microcosmus, Bk ix. ch. iv. 2. Newest and most not- 

 able of all is Pringle Pattison's noble book on The Idea of God in 

 recent Philosophy. 



