ROME AND PANTHEISM. 407 



pretation of the dogmas in which their conclusions are 

 summarized. There is nothing to be ashamed of or 

 that needs explaining away in this; nothing can remain 

 changeless under changed conditions ; and that insti- 

 tution is most likely to be permanent which contains 

 provision for such changes as time may prove to be 

 expedient, with the least disturbance. I can see nothing, 

 therefore, illogical or that needs concealment in the 

 fact of an infallible Pope putting a widely different 

 interpretation upon a dogma now, to what a no less 

 infallible Pope put upon the same dogma fifteen hun- 

 dred, or even fifteen years ago; it is only right, reason- 

 able, and natural that this should be so. The Church 

 of England may have made no provision for the virtual 

 pruning off of dogmas that have become rudimentary, 

 but the Encyclical from which I have just quoted leads 

 me to think that the Church of Borne has found one, 

 and, in her own cautious way, is proceeding to make use 

 of it. If so, she may possibly in the end get rid of 

 Protestantism by putting herself more in harmony with 

 the spirit of the age than Protestantism can do. In 

 this case, the spiritual reunion of Christendom under 

 Eome ceases to be impossible, or even, I should think 

 improbable. I heartily wish that my conjecture con- 

 cerning future possibilities is not unfounded. 



Scientists have been right in preaching evolution, but 

 they have preached it in such a way as to make it 

 almost as much of a stumbling-block as of an assistance. 

 For though the fact that animals and plants are de- 

 scended from a common stock is accepted by the greater 

 and more reasonable part of mankind, these same people 



