COSMIC PHILOSOPHY 



ratives are legendary. Hence it Is that when the 

 slowly dying belief in miracles finally perishes, 

 it will not be because any one will ever have 

 refuted it by an array of syllogisms : the syllo- 

 gisms of the theologian and those of the thinker 

 trained in science have no convincing power as 

 against each other, because neither accepts the 

 major premise of the other : but it will be be- 

 cause the belief is discordant with the mental 

 habits induced by the general study of science. 

 Hence it is that the scientific philosopher is 

 averse to proselytism, and has no sympathy with 

 radical infidelity. For he knows that theologi- 

 cal habits of thought are relatively useful, while 

 scepticism, if permanent, is intellectually and 

 morally pernicious. Knowing this, he knows 

 that the only way to destroy theological habits 

 of thought without detriment is to nurture sci- 

 entific habits, — which stifle the former as surely 

 as clover stifles weeds. 



The belief that God works after quasi-human 

 methods is akin to those just cited, in being in- 

 capable of proof or disproof by mere syllogism. 

 Our business is only to determine whether the 

 arguments in favour of it are calculated to con- 

 vince those who insist upon the relativity of all 

 knowledge, and whether the belief itself can be 

 made to harmonize with the scientific truths 

 upon which our Cosmic Philosophy is based. 



184 



