lously living bodies of the same, and of the progressing mentalities of those that have minds. Such progress goes on, even through destruction, mutual preying of its agents upon each other, and through the blind rapine of mankind. It goes on more genially through the growth of social impulses and the devotion of human beings to others. We conceive that God is the benevolent, and perhaps struggling, spirit of this progress, even its enabling power, and the Conceiver of the plan. Throughout history He has been aided by "His servants the prophets," by His loving children, and by those also who are touched by His fire, though they may know Him not, while they strive to extend knowledge and wisdom on the earth-which is God's truth and wisdom and knowledge.

May we not even think that the expanding consciousness of the human race, from its bestial beginnings, has in some way reflected the consciousness of God? If so, is there not progress in God Himself, in the Divine Spirit, as well as in man? And if God is reflected in the spiritual consciousness of the human race, is He not then Himself conceivably a spiritual growth, development, or evolution?

Such thoughts of God the Spirit need not commit us to any logical conclusion in a metaphysical dualism. Rather, we register a non intelligo as to the origins of the physical universe and the laws of matter. But as for God the Spirit,

we may call Him the Good Spirit, inasmuch as most of the pain and evil in the world-even spiritual evil-seems to flow from the pull of matter and its ways upon our minds. Spiritual goodness may be less impeded as it becomes freer-that is, as it frees itself from the drag and push of matter. We may conceive our God as righteous in His nature, and through the very working of His nature making for good.

In imagining or in justifying our ideas of a living, working God who is Spirit, one need not struggle for an impossible consistency. Our conviction registers our most catholic response to all of life and its myriad facets of suggestion. Too many diverse and indeed contrary reflections enter this our convinced scheme of the divine life and function; it will not lack many a logical contradiction, being itself composed of feelings and intuitions as well as of some rational considerations.

But in our inconsistency we keep great company! No working religion ever has been consistent in the idea of its God. Indeed, the endeavour for such consistency means scholasticism. The religion that is living, like life itself, knows no consistency, which is of logic. Through Greek literature, the thought of Zeus is constantly running through all the compass of the notes, from vengefulness and lust to moral sublimity. In the Old Testament, Jehovah presents more phases of tribal or cruel, or again of universal, deity than he has canonical interpreters.

And in the Gospels, he who would make a logical consistency of God the Father and His Son must sift the utterances shrewdly! Through the coming ages the working faith of Christians was not to be handicapped with any logical consistency. Not through logic is religion justified of her children.

Obviously, then, with our present convictions as to human growth and evolution, and our tolerant historical interpretations, we need no longer stumble at the crude or harsh conceptions of the Divine obtaining among past men; nor, on the other hand, need we be troubled by the dogmatic and ultimate conclusions of metaphysical theologians which do not seem to tally with the phenomena of life. We have the same right to our own ideas, which it is our duty to enlarge and raise to the limits of our thinking and desires, and keep in accord with our vital convictions.

The elements of the discussion are endless, and one may not always argue fruitfully with our friends of different tempers and equal or greater intelligence, who can always show a con for any of our pros. It may be a question of temperament; but, as in one's own life one may gratefully recognize divine promptings and the leading care of God, so one may find in history the impulse of divine inspiration, as well as a universal plan and a divine standard and providence. I cannot regard the human story, and the whole unending growth and sloughing off of thought and temper, as a driven sequence of generat

ing conditions and unavoidable result. I cannot think it so simply or so brutally. It is complex beyond any likely reach of our analysis. And it seems to me not altogether reducible to the palpable and quantitative; for it is impressed with a certain human unaccountability. It seems permeated with arbitrary freedom; and its regularity or certainty of sequence is impinged upon and often foiled by the aberrations of human whim, if not by some incomprehensible power. I do not altogether understand history; I cannot explain much that has taken place. And I feel it safer to assume the constant or occasional participation of unfathomable elements—the animating and inspiring providence of God, the potent waywardness of human genius. The whole seems to me no brutally necessitated process into which all of us are drawn as helpless atoms, but in which the free dignity of man should decline to take futile part. It still seems to me that each thinking pigmy of us need feel no shame to play his small incalculable rôle, nor fear to do so, knowing well that no child's hand shall much derange the world.

VII

PROGRESS TOWARD FREEDOM

Yet we would not fail to recognize the unceasing and age-long working of physical or natural law in the evolution or creation of man, and its indelible

effect upon his entire organism and social progress. The needs of the body did not cease to constrain mankind through all stages of social and political development. So through all the historic periods we must accept not only the operation of natural law, but the continuing effect of animal impulse, which impregnates human nature through its long inheritance, and still measurably shapes the conduct of men and women. All these compulsions act as the vibrant and energizing background of human life.

It is from these basic assumptions and admissions that we rise to a consideration of the progress of human endeavour, which with some conscious impulse for betterment advances through increasing knowledge and clearer discrimination. Whatever may be the ultimate grounds of this progress, it has been the immediate achievement of the human mind working (with the aid, as we believe, of God) through increasing knowledge, for the attainment of an ampler and nobler, more spiritual and lasting, well-being. It is all a progress toward a more complete and inclusive freedom. Its furthest reaches will be won through the enfranchised power of the mind intent upon its various aims with conscious purpose; an intending of the mind which is, or may be called, the will resolved through the free action of the intelligence.

The early impulse toward knowledge relates itself to a conception of the consequences of conduct,