COSMIC PHILOSOPHY 



ter *' and " force " are mere symbols which 

 stand tant bien que mal for certain generalized 

 modes of divine manifestation : they are no 

 more real existences than the x and y of the 

 algebraist are real existences. The question as 

 to identifying Deity with Force is, therefore, 

 simply ruled out. The question which really 

 presents itself is quite different. Theologically 

 phrased, the question is whether the creature 

 is to be taken as a measure of the Creator. 

 Scientifically phrased, the question is whether 

 the highest form of Being as yet suggested to 

 one petty race of creatures by its ephemeral ex- 

 perience of what is going on in one tiny corner 

 of the universe is necessarily to be taken as 

 the equivalent of that absolutely highest form 

 of Being in which all the possibilities of exist- 

 ence are alike comprehended. It is the same 

 question which confronted us in our opening 

 chapter, and which returned to confront us in 

 sundry other chapters of our Prolegomena. Al- 

 ready we have more than once answered it, in 

 a general way, by showing that " the possibili- 

 ties of thought are not coextensive with the 

 possibilities of things." We have now to give 

 it a more special answer, by inquiring into the 

 possibility of a mode of existence not limited 

 by the conditions which limit conscious exist- 

 ence within the narrow domain of our terres- 

 trial experience. In other words, we have to 

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