Professor Toy's Lecture on Monotheism.

Yesterday afternoon in the Physical Laboratory an interesting lecture upon "Monotheism" was delivered by Professor Toy. The speaker said that Monotheism had for its funadmental principle the oneness of the Deity. It is to be regarded as one single line in human advancement and naturally allies itself with the highest thoughts of the Diety.

One might say as he looks over the history of the world that the prevailing tendency has been towards Monotheism. For it must be acknowledged that the Monotheistic view of life and God is purer than any poly theistic view. This is especially true of the Egyptan religion, for in the earliest years of Egypt there were innumerable gods but gradually as the lives of the people became purer and their aspirations higher, the monotheistic view was generaliy received. Many of the passages in the works of Egyptian poets illustrate this.

In the Asiatic religion, too, the gradual change from polytheism to monotheism is noticeable. In the religion of Persia, too-a religion which seems to have two deities-there was a prevailing tendency toward monotheism. All these nations which seemed to have reached the unitary conception of the Deity, were, it is to be observed, civilized nations. No barbarian tribes ever advocated the theory.

It is to be noticed also, that the men who were the chief advocates of this theory were the most learned and distinguished men of their respective nations. The masses of men soon followed their leadership for the majority of men need but to have a new theory cleverly presented to them to become its strenuous supporters. The three great monotheistic religions are the Jewish, Christian and Mohammedan. It is true that at first the Jewish religion was polytheistic but little by little all the lesser gods lost their devotees and finally after the Jews came back fram their Babylonian captivity in the sixth century B. C., the worship of Jehovah alone was firmly established.

Professor Toy then spoke of the intense nationality of Jewish life, of the difference which existed between the Jewish and Mohammedan, the Mohammedan and Christian religions. In conclusion he said that that Monotheism has always been symbolical of advancing thought and high conceptions of the deity, for it has for its fundamental truth that there is but one God.