8o Contemporary Evolution. 



The efforts of those who strive for the third ideal need 

 not here occupy us, since our subject is the action upon 

 Christianity of the modern movement on the supposi- 

 tion that it continues. 



The first tendency, that towards true conscious pagan- 

 ism, may indeed, as was said in the first part of this 

 essay, present us with some startling developments in 

 the future. 



Nevertheless, when once completely dissociated from 

 the spirit of civicism, its force must greatly diminish, and 

 if the re-appearance of a Spanish grand inquisitor in the 

 flesh is about as likely as that of a plesiosaurus, a general 

 enduring return to the old paganism must be still more 

 unlikely, though the spread of pantheism at the present 

 time is portentous. 



There is then reason to believe that the second ten- 

 dency and ideal, that of freedom reposing both upon ex- 

 pediency and absolute God-given right is the consumma- 

 tion towards which society is, on the whole and in general, 

 tending, widely divergent as may be really or apparently 

 its direction here and there. 



In England, its colonies, this tendency is now trium- 

 phant. The same may still be said of the United States, 

 though greed of power on the part of an unscrupulous 

 president now threatens to stir up religious strife by a 

 wanton invasion of religious equality. Few sights could 

 be more grievous and depressing than would be that 



