46 ULTIMATE RELIGIOUS IDEAS. 



the last chapter, reasons were given for inferring that 

 human beliefs in general, and especially the perennial ones, 

 contain, under whatever disguises of error, some soul of 

 truth ; and here we have arrived at a truth underlying even 

 the grossest superstitions. We saw further that this soul of 

 truth was most likely to be some constituent common to con- 

 flicting opinions of the same order ; and here we have a con- 

 stituent which may be claimed alike by all religions. It was 

 pointed out that this soul of truth would almost certainly be 

 more abstract than any of the beliefs involving it; and the 

 truth we have arrived at is one exceeding in abstractness the 

 most abstract religious doctrines. In every respect, there- 

 fore, our conclusion answers to the requirements. It has all 

 the characteristics which we inferred must belong to that 

 fundamental verity expressed by religions in general. 



That this is the vital element in all religions is further 

 proved by the fact, that it is the element which not only sur- 

 vives every change, but grows more distinct the more high- 

 ly the religion is developed. Aboriginal creeds, though per- 

 vaded by the idea of personal agencies which are usually 

 unseen, yet conceive these agencies under perfectly concrete 

 and ordinary forms class them with the visible agencies of 

 men and animals; and so hide a vague perception of mys- 

 tery in disguises as unmysterious as possible. The Poly- 

 theistic conceptions in their advanced phases, represent the 

 presiding personalities in greatly idealized shapes, existing 

 in a remote region, working in subtle ways, and communi- 

 cating with men by omens or through inspired persons ; that 

 is, the ultimate causes of things are regarded as less familiar 

 and comprehensible. The growth of a Monotheistic faith, 

 accompanied as it is by a denial of those beliefs in which the 

 divine nature is assimilated to the human in all its lower 

 propensities, shows us a further step in the same direction; 

 and however imperfectly this higher faith is at first real- 

 ized, we yet see in altars " to the unknown and unknow- 

 able God," and in the worship of a God that cannot by any 



