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by which either God's cause or man's cause is to be really
advanced； then he who lives the life of it； however narrowly； is
a better servant than he who merely knows about it； however much。
Knowledge about life is one thing； effective occupation of a
place in life； with its dynamic currents passing through your
being； is another。
＇332＇ Compare； e。g。； the quotation from Renan on p。 37； above。
For this reason； the science of religions may not be an
equivalent for living religion； and if we turn to the inner
difficulties of such a science； we see that a point comes when
she must drop the purely theoretic attitude； and either let her
knots remain uncut； or have them cut by active faith。 To see
this； suppose that we have our science of religions constituted
as a matter of fact。 Suppose that she has assimilated all the
necessary historical material and distilled out of it as its
essence the same conclusions which I myself a few moments ago
pronounced。 Suppose that she agrees that religion； wherever it
is an active thing； involves a belief in ideal presences； and a
belief that in our prayerful communion with them；＇333＇ work is
done； and something real comes to pass。 She has now to exert her
critical activity； and to decide how far； in the light of other
sciences and in that of general philosophy； such beliefs can be
considered TRUE。
＇333＇ 〃Prayerful〃 taken in the broader sense explained above on
pp。 453 ff。
Dogmatically to decide this is an impossible task。 Not only are
the other sciences and the philosophy still far from being
completed； but in their present state we find them full of
conflicts。 The sciences of nature know nothing of spiritual
presences； and on the whole hold no practical commerce whatever
with the idealistic conceptions towards which general philosophy
inclines。 The scientist； so…called； is； during his scientific
hours at least； so materialistic that one may well say that on
the whole the influence of science goes against the notion that
religion should be recognized at all。 And this antipathy to
religion finds an echo within the very science of religions
itself。 The cultivator of this science has to become acquainted
with so many groveling and horrible superstitions that a
presumption easily arises in his mind that any belief that is
religious probably is false。 In the 〃prayerful communion〃 of
savages with such mumbo…jumbos of deities as they acknowledge； it
is hard for us to see what genuine spiritual workeven though it
were work relative only to their dark savage obligations can
possibly be done。
The consequence is that the conclusions of the science of
religions are as likely to be adverse as they are to be favorable
to the claim that the essence of religion is true。 There is a
notion in the air about us that religion is probably only an
anachronism； a case of 〃survival；〃 an atavistic relapse into a
mode of thought which humanity in its more enlightened examples
has outgrown； and this notion our religious anthropologists at
present do little to counteract。
This view is so widespread at the present day that I must
consider it with some explicitness before I pass to my own
conclusions。 Let me call it the 〃Survival theory；〃 for brevity's
sake。
The pivot round which the religious life； as we have traced it；
revolves； is the interest of the individual in his private
personal destiny。 Religion； in short； is a monumental chapter in
the history of human egotism。 The gods believed inwhether by
crude savages or by men disciplined intellectuallyagree with
each other in recognizing personal calls。 Religious thought is
carried on in terms of personality； this being； in the world of
religion； the one fundamental fact。 To…day； quite as much as at
any previous age； the religious individual tells you that the
divine meets him on the basis of his personal concerns。
Science； on the other hand； has ended by utterly repudiating the
personal point of view。 She catalogues her elements and records
her laws indifferent as to what purpose may be shown forth by
them； and constructs her theories quite careless of their bearing
on human anxieties and fates。 Though the scientist may
individually nourish a religion； and be a theist in his
irresponsible hours； the days are over when it could be said that
for Science herself the heavens declare the glory of God and the
firmament showeth his handiwork。 Our solar system； with its
harmonies； is seen now as but one passing case of a certain sort
of moving equilibrium in the heavens； realized by a local
accident in an appalling wilderness of worlds where no life can
exist。 In a span of time which as a cosmic interval will count
but as an hour； it will have ceased to be。 The Darwinian notion
of chance production； and subsequent destruction； speedy or
deferred； applies to the largest as well as to the smallest
facts。 It is impossible； in the present temper of the scientific
imagination； to find in the driftings of the cosmic atoms；
whether they work on the universal or on the particular scale；
anything but a kind of aimless weather； doing and undoing；
achieving no proper history； and leaving no result。 Nature has no
one distinguishable ultimate tendency with which it is possible
to feel a sympathy。 In the vast rhythm of her processes； as the
scientific mind now follows them； she appears to cancel herself。
The books of natural theology which satisfied the intellects of
our grandfathers seem to us quite grotesque；＇334＇ representing；
as they did； a God who conformed the largest things of nature to
the paltriest of our private wants。 The God whom science
recognizes must be a God of universal laws exclusively； a God who
does a wholesale； not a retail business。 He cannot accommodate
his processes to the convenience of individuals。 The bubbles on
the foam which coats a stormy sea are floating episodes； made and
unmade by the forces of the wind and water。 Our private selves
are like those bubblesepiphenomena； as Clifford； I believe；
ingeniously called them； their destinies weigh nothing and
determine nothing in the world's irremediable currents of events。
＇334＇ How was it ever conceivable； we ask； that a man like
Christian Wolff； in whose dry…as…dust head all the learning of
the early eighteenth century was concentrated； should have
preserved such a baby…like faith in the personal and human
character of Nature as to expound her operations as he did in his
work on the uses of natural things？ This； for example； is the
account he gives of the sun and its utility：
〃We see that God has created the sun to keep the changeable
conditions on the earth in such an order that living creatures；
men and beasts； may inhabit its surface。 Since men are the most
reasonable of creatures； and able to infer God's invisible being
from the contemplation of the world； the sun in so far forth
contributes to the primary purpose of creation： without it the
race of man could not be preserved or continued。 。 。 。 The sun
makes daylight； not only on our earth； but also on the other
planets； and daylight is of the utmost utility to us； for by its
means we can commodiously carry on those occupations which in the
night…time would either be quite impossible。 Or at any rate
impossible without our going to the expense of artificial light。
The beasts of the field can find food by day which they would not
be able to find at night。 Moreover we owe it to the sunlight
that we are able to see everything that is on the earth's
surface； not only near by； but also at a distance； and to
recognize both near and far things according to their species；
which again is of manifold use to us not only in the business
necessary to human life； and when we are traveling； but also for
the scientific knowledge of Nature； which knowledge for the most
part depends on observations made with the help of sight； and
without the sunshine； would have been impossible。 If any one
would rightly impress on his mind the great advantages which he
derives from the sun； let him imagine himself living through only
one month； and see how it would be with all his undertakings； if
it were not day but night。 He would then be sufficiently
convinced out of his own experience； especially if he had much
work to carry on