The Project Gutenberg EBook of Nature Mysticism, by J. Edward Mercer

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org

Title: Nature Mysticism

Author: J. Edward Mercer

Release Date: June 9, 2006 [EBook #18539]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK NATURE MYSTICISM ***

Produced by Ruth Hart <ruthhart@twilightoracle.com>

NATURE MYSTICISM

BY

J. EDWARD MERCER, D.D., OXON.
BISHOP OF TASMANIA

LONDON
GEORGE ALLEN & COMPANY, Ltd.
44 & 45 RATHBONE PLACE

1913

_All rights reserved_

PREFACE

The aims of this study of Nature Mysticism, and the methods
adopted for attaining them, are sufficiently described in the
introductory chapter. It may be said, by way of special preface,
that the nature mystic here portrayed is essentially a "modern."
He is assumed to have accepted the fundamentals of the
hypothesis of evolution. Accordingly, his sympathy with the
past is profound: so also is his sense of the reality and
continuity of human development, physical, psychic, and
mystical. Moreover, he tries to be abreast of the latest critical
and scientific conclusions. Imperfections manifold will be
discovered in the pages that follow; but the author asks that a
percentage of them may be attributed to the difficulties of
writing in Tasmania and publishing at the antipodes.

J. E. M.

Bishop's Court, Hobart,
_March_, 1912.

CONTENTS

Chapter I. Introductory 1
Chapter II. Nature, and the Absolute 7
Chapter III. Mystic Intuition and Reason 15
Chapter IV. Man and Nature 23
Chapter V. Mystic Receptivity 30
Chapter VI. Development and Discipline of Intuition 38
Chapter VII. Nature not Symbolic 45
Chapter VIII. The Charge of Anthropomorphism 54
Chapter IX. The Immanent Idea 65
Chapter X. Animism, Ancient and Modern 71
Chapter XI. Will and Consciousness in Nature 79
Chapter XII. Mythology 90
Chapter XIII. Poetry and Nature Mysticism 97
Chapter XIV. The Beau