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and lack of the inner distinctions of being and activity；
substance and accident； potentiality and actuality； and the rest；
his repudiation of inclusion in a genus； his actualized infinity；
his 〃personality；〃 apart from the moral qualities which it may
comport； his relations to evil being permissive and not positive；
his self…sufficiency； self…love； and absolute felicity in
himself：candidly speaking； how do such qualities as these
make any definite connection with our life？ And if they
severally call for no distinctive adaptations of our conduct；
what vital difference can it possibly make to a man's religion
whether they be true or false？
For my own part； although I dislike to say aught that may grate
upon tender associations； I must frankly confess that even though
these attributes were faultlessly deduced； I cannot conceive of
its being of the smallest consequence to us religiously that any
one of them should be true。 Pray； what specific act can I
perform in order to adapt myself the better to God's simplicity？
Or how does it assist me to plan my behavior； to know that his
happiness is anyhow absolutely complete？ In the middle of the
century just past； Mayne Reid was the great writer of books of
out…of…door adventure。 He was forever extolling the hunters and
field…observers of living animals' habits； and keeping up a fire
of invective against the 〃closet…naturalists；〃 as he called them；
the collectors and classifiers； and handlers of skeletons and
skins。 When I was a boy； I used to think that a closet…
naturalist must be the vilest type of wretch under the sun。 But
surely the systematic theologians are the closet…naturalists of
the deity； even in Captain Mayne Reid's sense。 What is their
deduction of metaphysical attributes but a shuffling and matching
of pedantic dictionary…adjectives； aloof from morals； aloof from
human needs； something that might be worked out from the mere
word 〃God〃 by one of those logical machines of wood and brass
which recent ingenuity has contrived as well as by a man of flesh
and blood。 They have the trail of the serpent over them。 One
feels that in the theologians' hands； they are only a set of
titles obtained by a mechanical manipulation of synonyms；
verbality has stepped into the place of vision； professionalism
into that of life。 Instead of bread we have a stone； instead of
a fish； a serpent。 Did such a conglomeration of abstract terms
give really the gist of our knowledge of the deity； schools of
theology might indeed continue to flourish； but religion； vital
religion； would have taken its flight from this world。 What keeps
religion going is something else than abstract definitions and
systems of concatenated adjectives； and something different from
faculties of theology and their professors。 All these things are
after…effects； secondary accretions upon those phenomena of vital
conversation with the unseen divine； of which I have shown you so
many instances； renewing themselves in saecula saeculorum in the
lives of humble private men。
So much for the metaphysical attributes of God！ From the point
of view of practical religion； the metaphysical monster which
they offer to our worship is an absolutely worthless invention of
the scholarly mind。
What shall we now say of the attributes called moral？
Pragmatically； they stand on an entirely different footing。 They
positively determine fear and hope and expectation； and are
foundations for the saintly life。 It needs but a glance at them
to show how great is their significance。
God's holiness； for example： being holy； God can will nothing
but the good。 Being omnipotent； he can secure its triumph。
Being omniscient； he can see us in the dark。 Being just； he can
punish us for what he sees。 Being loving； he can pardon too。
Being unalterable； we can count on him securely。 These qualities
enter into connection with our life； it is highly important that
we should be informed concerning them。 That God's purpose in
creation should be the manifestation of his glory is also an
attribute which has definite relations to our practical life。
Among other things it has given a definite character to worship
in all Christian countries。 If dogmatic theology really does
prove beyond dispute that a God with characters like these
exists； she may well claim to give a solid basis to religious
sentiment。 But verily； how stands it with her arguments？
It stands with them as ill as with the arguments for his
existence。 Not only do post…Kantian idealists reject them root
and branch； but it is a plain historic fact that they never have
converted any one who has found in the moral complexion of the
world； as he experienced it； reasons for doubting that a good God
can have framed it。 To prove God's goodness by the scholastic
argument that there is no non…being in his essence would sound
to such a witness simply silly。
No！ the book of Job went over this whole matter once for all and
definitively。 Ratiocination is a relatively superficial and
unreal path to the deity： 〃I will lay mine hand upon my mouth； I
have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear； but now mine eye
seeth Thee。〃 An intellect perplexed and baffled； yet a
trustful sense of presencesuch is the situation of the man who
is sincere with himself and with the facts； but who remains
religious still。＇298＇
＇298＇ Pragmatically； the most important attribute of God is his
punitive justice。 But who； in the present state of theological
opinion on that point； will dare maintain that hell fire or its
equivalent in some shape is rendered certain by pure logic？
Theology herself has largely based this doctrine upon revelation；
and； in discussing it； has tended more and more to substitute
conventional ideas of criminal law for a priori principles of
reason。 But the very notion that this glorious universe； with
planets and winds； and laughing sky and ocean； should have been
conceived and had its beams and rafters laid in technicalities of
criminality； is incredible to our modern imagination。 It weakens
a religion to hear it argued upon such a basis。
We must therefore； I think； bid a definitive good…by to dogmatic
theology。 In all sincerity our faith must do without that
warrant。 Modern idealism； I repeat； has said goodby to this
theology forever。 Can modern idealism give faith a better
warrant； or must she still rely on her poor self for witness？
The basis of modern idealism is Kant's doctrine of