CHAPTER VI. 

 ESTHETIC EVOLUTION. 



I" F the reasoning hereinbefore put forward is correct, the 

 influences of social, political, scientific, and philo- 

 sophical evolution can have no other ultimate effect than 

 that of strengthening and advancing the Christian Church. 

 It might then be expected by the reader that a further 

 question should next be considered, namely, one concern- 

 ing that evolution of religion itself which is now taking 

 place around us its antecedents, its present action, its 

 results ; and this would form a most deeply interesting 

 subject of inquiry. For the Christian religion claims to 

 be not the true religion, but simply religion the only 

 religion which ever was, is, or shall be. The patent fact 

 that various forms of heathenism have existed, exist, and 

 will for a time continue to exist, is not of course denied ; 

 but it is asserted that all these religions differ from the 

 Christian as being fragmentary, distorted, and therefore 

 misleading representations of the one great truth conveyed 

 to us in its entirety by Christianity, just as the Church 

 itself differs from the sects as being the synthesis of all 

 those truths they severally hold. The religion of the 

 Christian Church claims to differ from all other systems, 

 heathen or Christian, not as one coloured ray of light 



