^Esthetic Evolution. 219 



differs from another the violet from the red of the solar 

 spectrum, but as white light differs from all the coloured 

 lights as being the synthesis resulting from their har- 

 monious blending in one perfect unity. 



Now were we to treat of the process of religious evolu- 

 tion which we see going on about us, that process might 

 be regarded as it takes place within and without the great 

 Christian organism. But the evolutionary process within 

 the Church has been once for all elucidated with a master 

 hand by Dr. Newman in his great work on " The Develop- 

 ment of Christian Doctrine ; " and it is well worthy of 

 remark, that this contribution to the great theory of 

 evolution was one of the first. Its sagacious author antici- 

 pated the doctrines of Spencer, of Darwin, and of Haeckel, 

 though he restrained their application strictly within the 

 area of his proper subject. It should not be forgotten by 

 those who esteem so highly the doctrine of evolution, that 

 almost the first, and perhaps the most solid and enduring 

 contribution towards it, was in the domain of theology, 

 and by one of the most uncompromising supporters of 

 sacerdotalism and the supernatural. 



It would be presumptuous for one who is no theologian 

 to attempt to follow in such footsteps. It will be enough 

 to observe that the generation which has gone by since 

 that era-marking work appeared has apparently justified 

 its assertions and predictions. The culmination of the 

 process has been the great Vatican decree, the keystone 



