110 THE PROBLEM OF EVOLUTION 



German Monistic Association, has acknow- 

 ledged himself to be a theist. 



It is true that he at once went on to add that 

 we could assert nothing about this lawgiver 

 without falling into unfounded speculations. 

 But when a man has once grasped the funda- 

 mental element in the theistic conception of 

 God, that behind the laws of nature is a law- 

 giver, not capable of identification with these 

 laws, he is forced to think of God as an intelli- 

 gent and personal being, unless indeed he admits 

 his inability to think logically. Faith, however, 

 does not begin at this point, as Plate imagines, 

 for this is only the foundation of faith, which 

 is concerned with supernatural revelation and 

 not with natural knowledge. But whoever 

 has once recognised God as the lawgiver of 

 nature, cannot avoid asking himself whether 

 this lawgiver may not have imposed upon 

 reasonable beings other laws besides those of 

 nature. To ask this question is not merely 

 a matter of necessity as Professor Plate as- 

 sumes. 



Professor Plate next compares the monistic and 

 the theistic views of the laws of nature. The monist 

 says that there are only natural laws, and we do 

 not know what underlies them. They are ever- 

 lasting and inviolable. In this sense there are no 

 miracles, there can be no violation of these laws ; 



