and truth, air and
light from religion. For science is seeking especially this: Deeper
penetration into and illumination of the world. It presses with macroscope
and microscope into its most outlying regions and most hidden corners,
into its abysses and fastnesses. It explains away the old idea of two
worlds, one on this side and one on that, and rejects heavenly things with
the notice "No Room" of which D. Fr. Strauss speaks. It aims at
discovering the mathematical world-formulae, if not indeed one great
general formula which embraces, defines unequivocally, and rationalises
all the processes of and in infinity, from the movements of Sirius to
those of the cilia of the infusorian in the drop of water, and which not
only crowds "heaven" out of the world, but strips away from things the
fringe of the mysterious and incommensurable which seemed to surround
them.

Mystery : Dependence : Purpose.

There is then a threefold religious interest, and there are three
corresponding points of contact between the religious and the naturalistic
interpretations of the world, where, as it appears, they are necessarily
antagonistic to one another. Arranging them in their proper order we find,
first, the interest, never to be relinquished, of experiencing and
acknowledging the world and existence to be a mystery, and regarding all
that is known and manifested in things merely as the thin crust which
separates us from the uncomprehended and inexpressible. Secondly, there is
the desire on the part of religion to bring ourselves and all creatures
into the "feeling of absolute dependence," and, as the belief in creation
does, to subordinate ourselves and them to the Eternal Power that is not
of the world, but is above the world. Finally, there is the interest in a
teleological interpretation of the world as opposed to the purely causal
interpretation of natural science; that is to say, an interpretation of
the world according to eternal God-willed purposes, governing ideas, a
plan and aim. In all three respects, it is important to religion that it
should be able to maintain its validity and freedom as contrasted with
naturalism.

But while religion must inquire of itself into the reality of things, with
special regard to its own needs, there are two possibilities which may
serve to make peace between it and natural science. It may, for instance,
be possible that the mathematical-mechanical interpretation of things,
even if it be