INTRODUCTION 



significance we increasingly appreciate, and not 

 as a mere recognition of an inscrutable mystery, 

 nor, on this positive side, as an aberration of 

 the intellect. There can be no doubt that here 

 Fiske is decidedly far removed from the Spen- 

 cerian interpretation of religion. It is interest- 

 ing to see in how many ways his phraseology 

 now differs from the speech of the " Cosmic 

 Philosophy.'' " From our modern monothe- 

 ism . . . accidents of humanity are eliminated, 

 but the notion of a kinship between God and 

 man remains, and is rightly felt to be essential to 

 theism. Take away from our notion of God 

 the human element, and the theism instantly 

 vanishes ; it ceases to be a notion of God. We 

 may retain an abstract symbol to which we 

 apply some such epithet as Force or Energy 

 or Power, but there is nothing theistic in this. 

 Some ingenious philosopher may try to per- 

 suade us to the contrary, but the Human Soul 

 knows better ; it knows at least what it wants ; 

 it has asked for Theology, not for Dynamics, 

 and it resents all such attempts to palm off 

 upon it stones for bread." " If the world's 

 long-cherished beliefs are to fall, in God's name 

 let them fall, but save us from the intellectual 

 hypocrisy that goes about pretending we are 

 none the poorer ! " " The lesson of evolution 

 is that through all these weary ages the Hu- 

 cxxxiii 



