History of Religious Evolution 749 



actions that conduce most to the general well-being of the 

 whole have, by long-continued proenvironal effort and mutual 

 trial, become recognized and fixed as moral principles. 



(6) The summation of moral principles, effected through 

 long millennia by each individual in relation to his neighbor, 

 constitutes conscience. 



(7) The universe, of which each individual forms a small 

 but highly energized transient material portion, and the great 

 energizing agency or Godhead of it constitute one vast and 

 continuous natural phenomenon that extends its boundary, 

 by insensible degree, from the finite to the infinite. No super- 

 natural agency or object is known or verifiable. 



(8) But man is ever advancing in his elucidation of the 

 ramifications of the above natural phenomenon, and so is 

 ever coming nearer to a realization of his Sonship with the 

 agency or Godhead. 



(9) God is the great ultimate power, force, or energizing 

 Unity of the universe, whom man by continued and summated 

 proenvironal effort and realization, has discovered and ap- 

 proached ever more nearly to. So God does not reveal him- 

 self, man must earnestly and patiently discover Him, as he 

 discovers the laws of the universe. 



(10) In the quest man discovers that the organic law of 

 "struggle for existence" may be modified and overcome by 

 the law of "cooperative love and sympathy" between him 

 and his fellows. 



(11) Christ and his followers have reached the highest stage 

 of proenvironal aspiration in the religion of Patritheism. This 

 realizes the beneficent and immanent presence of God, or 

 a final good Power, with those who strive to live according 

 to the highest jDroenvironal ideal. So to human understanding 

 God becomes a beneficent but wise Father, mankind become 

 brethren and sisters with Christ in their relation to the God- 

 head, Father, or ultimate energizing Agency. 



The whole "Philosophy of Life" then for the writer is the 

 ancient law or rather recommendation of tlie Medo-jiersian 

 Zoroastrians, afterwards borrowed by the Jews, still later 



