God of the Granite and the Rose Soul of the Sparrow and the Bee! The mighty tide of being flows Through countless channels, Lord, from Thee.
[*] Conceptions of God, His attributes, and His relation to Nature.—These have been and will ever be many and various. But I summarise three principal conceptions under each head, for I believe that other ideas, notions or conceptions are but combinations of two or more of these:—
I. Conceptions of God:—
1. God as the Ultimate Law.
2. God as the Omnipotent Energy or Power.
3. God as the Supreme Being or Person[18].
II. Notions of God's principal attributes:—
1. God as Creator or Nourisher.
2. God as Preserver or Protector.
3. God as Adjuster or Judge[19].
[*]Paragraphs marked with asterisks and their footnotes may be omitted at the first reading.
III. Ideas of God's relation with Nature[20] (i.e., with the world of men, animals, plants and other objects, and their inter-relations, of which men are aware):—
| 1. All is from God | = God is above Nature which He created and governs (Theism). |
| 2. God is in All | = God is in Nature although Nature is not God (Panentheism). |
| 3. God is All | = God is Nature and Nature is God (Pantheism)[21]. |