THE STATE VERSUS THE MAN. 187 



and make place for a new and purified heaven and earth ! The belief 

 of stoics and of evolutionary sociologists logically advocates inaction, 

 for it respects the present order of things as attributable to natural 

 laws. The Christian's belief leads him to ardently desire reform and 

 progress, but also, when he is deceived and reduced to despair, it occa- 

 sionally culminates in revolutionary violence and in Nihilism. 



Not only Jesus, but all great religious reformers, such as Buddha, 

 Mahomet, Luther, and the great philosophers, especially Socrates and 

 Plato, and the great lawgivers, from Solon and Lycurgus to the legis- 

 lators of the French Revolution all the elect of humanity, in fact 

 are struck with the evils under which our race is forced to suffer, and 

 have imagined and revealed an ideal social order more in conformity 

 with the ideal of justice ; and in their writings they place this Utopia 

 in contrast with the existing order. The more Christianity becomes 

 despoiled of dogmas, and the more the ideas of moral and social 

 reform, contained in Christ's teachings, are brought forward as the 

 chief aim, the more Mr. Herbert Spencer's principles will be shunned 

 and avoided. In the splendid development of Roman law, which lasted 

 fifteen hundred years, a similar evolution took place. In the beginning, 

 in the laws of the twelve tables, many traces of the hard law in favour 

 of the mighty may be found. This is symbolized by the lance (quir), 

 which gave its name to the quiritarian right. The father was allowed 

 to sell or destroy his children, as they were his possession. He had 

 absolute power over his slaves, who were his " things." The creditor 

 might throw his debtor in prison, or even cause him to be cut in pieces 

 in partes secanto. The wife was entirely in her husband's power 

 in manu. Little by little, as centuries rolled on, eminent lawgivers 

 succeeded each other, and gradual changes were made, so that, finally, 

 just and humanitarian principles penetrated the entire Roman code, and 

 the Darwinian law, which glorifies might, gave place to the Christian 

 law, which extols justice. 



This movement will most assuredly continue, in spite of all the 

 abuse it may receive from Mr. Herbert Spencer, and from others 

 who think as he does. It is a result of the advance of civilization 

 from the commencement of Christianity, and even from the time of 

 the prophets of Israel. It will manifest itself, not as it did in the 

 middle ages, by works of mercy, but, under the control of economic 

 science, by the intervention of the State in favour of the disinherited, 

 and by measures such as Mr. Shaw Lefevre approves of, so that each 

 and all should be placed in a position to be able to command reward 

 in proportion to the amount of useful labour accomplished. 



Darwinian laws, generally admitted in the domain of natural 

 history and in the animal kingdom, will never be applied to human 

 societies, until the sentiments of charity and justice, which Christianity 

 engraves on our hearts, are completely eradicated. Contemporary 

 Review. 



