THE ATTITUDE OF PHILOSOPHY 



the critical attitude of him who has given up 

 the symbol must be an attitude of radical hos- 

 tility. But now, as the crowning result of the 

 whole argument, we are enabled to show how 

 the dynamical view of things disposes of this 

 paradox. He who brings to his estimate of 

 religious opinions a Darwinian habit of mind 

 must understand that a sudden and radical al- 

 teration of Christianity into something else is 

 as impossible as the sudden and radical change 

 of one type of organism into another. He will 

 see that, while form after form has perished, 

 the Life remains, incarnated in newer and higher 

 forms. That which is fundamental in Chris- 

 tianity is not the mythologic superstratum, but 

 the underlying spiritual principle. The myth- 

 ologic symbols have changed from age to age. 

 The constant element has been, on its intellec- 

 tual side the recognition of Deity, and on its 

 emotional side the yearning for closer union 

 with Deity, or for a more complete spiritual 

 life. And the three foregoing chapters have 

 conclusively proved that this constant element, 

 in both its aspects, remains unchanged in that 

 religion whose symbols are shaped by science. 



In using the phrase " Cosmic Theism," there- 

 fore, to denote the religious phase of the phi- 

 losophy based upon the Doctrine of Evolution, 

 I do not use it as descriptive of a new form of 

 religion before which Christianity is gradually 



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