12 THE KIDDLE OF THE UNIVEKSE. 



Closer examination of this group of ideas shows it to 

 be made up of three different dogmas, which we may 

 distinguish as the anthropocentric, the anthropomorphic, 

 and the anthropolatrous. 1 



I. The anthropocentric dogma culminates in the 

 idea that man is the preordained centre and aim of 

 all terrestrial life — or, in a wider sense, of the whole 

 universe. As this error is extremely conducive to 

 man's interest, and as it is intimately connected with 

 the creation -myth of the three great Mediterranean 

 religions, and with the dogmas of the Mosaic, Chris- 

 tian, and Mohammedan theologies, it still dominates 

 the greater part of the civilised world. 



II. The anthropomorphic dogma is likewise con- 

 nected with the creation-myth of the three aforesaid 

 religions, and of many others. It likens the creation 

 and control of the world by God to the artificial 

 creation of a skilful engineer or mechanic, and to 

 the administration of a wise ruler. God, as creator, 

 sustainer, and ruler of the world, is thus represented 

 after a purely human fashion in his thought and work. 

 Hence it follows, in turn, that man is god-like. " God 

 made man to his own image and likeness." The 

 older, naive mythology is pure "homotheism," attri- 

 buting human shape, flesh, and blood to the gods. It 

 is more intelligible than the modern mystic theosophy 

 that adores a personal God as an invisible — properly 

 speaking, gaseous — being, yet makes him think, speak, 

 and act in human fashion ; it gives us the paradoxical 

 picture of a "gaseous vertebrate." 



III. The anthropolatric dogma naturally results 

 from this comparison of the activity of God and 



1 Anthropolatry means : " A divine worship of human nature." 



