294 THE KIDDLE OF THE UNIVERSE. 



power of the heredity of ancient myths on the one 

 hand, and the early adaptation to erroneous dogmas on 

 the other. The particular faith in which the child 

 has been brought up generally remains in power, 

 unless a " conversion " takes place subsequently, owing 

 to the stronger influence of some other religion. But 

 even in this supersession of one faith by another the 

 new name, like the old one, proves to be merely an 

 outward label covering a mixture of the most diverse 

 opinions and errors. The greater part of those who 

 call themselves Christians are not monotheists (as 

 they think), but amphitheists, triplotheists, or poly- 

 theists. And the same must be said of Islam and 

 Mosaism, and other monotheistic religions. Every- 

 where we find associated with the original idea of a 

 " sole and triune God " later beliefs in a number of 

 subordinate deities — angels, devils, saints, etc. — a 

 picturesque assortment of the most diverse theistic 

 forms. 



All the above forms of theism, in the proper sense 

 of the word — whether the belief assumes a naturalistic 

 or an anthropistic form — represent God to be an 

 extramundane or a supernatural being. He is always 

 opposed to the world, or nature, as an independent 

 being; generally as its creator, sustainer, and ruler. 

 In most religions he has the additional character 

 of personality, or, to put it more definitely still, God 

 as a person is likened to man. " In his gods man 

 paints himself." This anthropomorphic conception 

 of God as one who thinks, feels, and acts like man 

 prevails with the great majority of theists, sometimes 

 in a cruder and more naive form, sometimes in a more 

 refined and abstract degree. In any case the form of 

 theosophy we have described is sure to affirm that God, 



