The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-05-13

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~oYvlous h ~ that ai which . hAppsus
and INV h must havs bssn pFeaerdnSsu
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things. Ths agshor goes on 90 argus that
for such molecular pfeaftauesinenss
flaechel aud gpsncss have feIIed co,npletely
10 aespunt. ne aassrss that Hasokers
arnsImsuss lasIls IN Tho conclusions
that tho Coamio Gauss, IN IL totally, must
poescus the mind and pufpOss which
Haacksl denlsa To II, and cunssqusntly,
must ha endowed With tn primary quail
tIea Of Deity. In the fourth @otion q the
vorlt hsfore us arr est forth tbs practical
evidences for, ~ OPPOSED 70 tins dimcui.ies
Inherent In, O belief In the goodhees Of the
Deity. The author prooosds to eNamine
the difficulties lnssufable from tbs oon-
caption Of q free human personality ana
propounds q practical solution OF them.
Ultimately. hc reaches the conclusion tnat
~scienoe, when logically developed. makes
an assent to ZONE kind Of theism
able.
Let us state az concisely as possible b
final propositions which the authors In
auiry has led him TO formulate. He points
out that. when we confront tbs general
problem Of existence, when We consider
the various theories which 1t Ii possible 20
form with regard TO 1t, n when we IND
that We are met by underlying contradio-
tions everywhere, there are two courses
open to US between which We are compelled
TO choose. One il 10 abstain deliberately
from forming any theory at all which
might reasonably affiliate nj lives to the
universal order Of things, on the ground
that such beliefs involve q startling VIOLA
ton of reason. The other is to disregard
this fact, and form some belief Of the re-
auired kind in spite Of II. The first course
is adjudged by Mr.. Mallock to be self con-
demned, because. while affording us no
escape from the difficulty which II aims at
avoiding, 1t Is simply an act OF intellectual
despair or faulty which reduces human
existence to its bare animal elements. II
we do not adopt this course we must neoes-
sarily adopt the other. We must form
some theory. or assent to some system OF
beliefs, in accordance with which mans
higher life will be able &c sustain and develt p
itself. Only q limited number OF such be-
liefs h possible, and all being encountered
with tho Same negative difficulties, u
compulsory choice can be guided by n
principle only. We must choose the be-
liefs which are most In ~oonsonance posi-
lively with our external environments on
the one hand, and with our internal needs
on the other.
Our authors ultimate conclusion Is that
the only syetem Of beliefs on which human
civilization can sustain itself Is a system
of beliefs which. when brought into con-
tact with the world Of scientific knowledge
and when 30 analysed that It's logical i'm
plications become explicit energies as a
creed OF theism-that Is to say, a creed
which attributes to the Cosmio Principle
as O whole mind, purpose, feeling and
goodness In Q sense oongruous TO the sense
in which we recognize these qualities In
ourselves; a creed which, In spite Of our
own dependence on the universal Cause,
attributes TO ourselves also a true oausal
personality; and which, In spite OF our
dependence on the body Of which OUR In
tellect seems to be q mere function, at
tributes to ourselves also intellectual per.
manenoe,
Mr.. Mallock holds that eventually science
will play a direct part in the stimulation OF
active religions by forcing the waters Of
belief TO flow In a given channel and thus
to become ca pable, like a mill steam. Of
doing active and definite work instead OF
wasting themselves In impotent rivulets. OF
sta grating In a shallow food. He cam
not doubt, he tells us, that gradually
science will render impossible the absurd
and unstable attitude which. at the close OF
the nineteenth century. was dignihed by
the name Of agnostioism." In his opinion,
the real position OF those who call them
selves agnostios may be defined az fol.
lows: Science having, as they supposed,
expelled God from nature. they practically
looked on the change that was thus effected
as comparable to mans loss Of a sort OF
celestial schoolma ster, who had, indeed,
managed his business for him. but in many
ways was very o~bjectionable; and, the
schoolmaster being dead, they conceived
OF the human raoe as left In q free, even II
In rather a %forlorn. condition, to construct
for itself In defiance Of nature a little pri-
vate universe Of its own, like a sort Of
Dotheboys Hall, which has got rid Of its
Squeers, and whose orphans propose hence
forward to eduoste and to hoard them.
selves" Mr.. Mallook insists that such
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