1 88 Immortality [CH. 



tion hereafter cannot be doubted by anyone who knows 

 the love of God. 



That such cases do exist I can vouch for out of my 

 own experience. That they are far commoner causes of 

 unbelief than we realise, I have little doubt. The in- 

 fluence of very early impressions upon the whole future 

 outlook and life is brought out more clearly every day by 

 medical research into psychology. And the responsi- 

 bility thrown upon those who have to do with young 

 children becomes more and more clear almost terrible. 

 A single great emotional shock may change the child for 

 life. 



One of the commonest doubts to bring discredit upon 

 a spiritual interpretation of the universe is the doubt of 

 immortality. Whether early acquaintance with death or 

 the phenomena of mental decay be a cause of its wide- 

 spread existence I do not know; it seems probable. The 

 fact remains true; and that in spite of the almost uni- 

 versal yearning for life after death. Excellent reasons 

 for belief may be given not proofs, excepting those of 

 an authoritative religion, but reasons strong enough to 

 tilt the balance of probability down unmistakeably on 

 the side of survival and yet the doubt lingers. 



Is it not at the least possible that one cause of the 

 doubt lies in the firm line which popular theology draws 

 between the nature of God and the nature of man ? We 

 are taught that God is everlasting; we are taught that 

 men may have everlasting life; yet no attempt is made 

 to show that everlasting life must mean the same thing 

 for God as for men, or else the words become meaning- 

 less. We are taught that God is good, and man is evil; 

 that God of His goodness saves man; makes him like 

 Himself and confers the gift of immortality; and those 

 who teach us thus do not see that in their very teaching 

 they make man so radically unlike God that no bare 

 assertion of authority can make one brought up in such 



