THE DECADENCE OF THEOLOGY 121 



There are probably very few theologians or reli- 

 gious thinkers of any sort in our day who still hold 

 intact this original theological conception. It has 

 been modified by the scientific conception, crowded 

 back and lopped off here and there till but few of 

 its main features remain. When it fully possessed 

 men's minds, as during the long stretch of the theo- 

 logical ages, it cropped out in and colored every de- 

 partment of life and thought. Every event, every 

 fact of history and experience, and every phenome- 

 non of nature was seen through the medium of this 

 conception. Out of it grew the belief in magic, 

 alchemy, astrology, witchcraft, demoniacal posses- 

 sions, sorcery, apparitions, miracles, charms, exor- 

 cisms, etc. These notions fitted perfectly with the 

 theological conception, — the conception of a world 

 made and ruled by an anthropomorphic being. The 

 belief in a devil or evU spirit upon whom to saddle 

 all the mischief and disease and disasters became a 

 necessity. How could a benevolent being do or per- 

 mit these things ? A devil must be had, even if we 

 have to make one. Indeed, as soon as man invented 

 an anthropomorphic God an anthropomorphic devil 

 became a necessity. Think of the time when men 

 really believed in the devil — when they did not 

 simply believe that they believed in him, as we do 

 nowadays, but when they believed in him as really 

 as they believed in heat and cold, night and day, 

 life and death ; when doctors and theologians 

 guarded their mouths while exorcising an evil spirit 

 lest he jump down their throats. If a man inhaled 



