26 AN OUTLINE OF THE THEORY. . 
veys most certainly a conception of Divine action as lo- 
cal, special, and transitory; and in so far as it does this, 
it bears the marks of that heathen mode of philosophy 
which was current when Christian monotheism arose.” 
(“Darwinism and Other Essays,” 1895.) Evolution says: 
If there is a God we have no means of knowing Him; and 
what we know of nature certainly precludes the idea that 
God, if He exists, will concern Himself about man or 
break down the laws of nature even for an instant in 
his behalf. The conclusion is, that there is no inspired 
Bible. Nor indeed an absolute religion. All religious 
truths are considered relative, with no such distinction as 
true religion and false religion, since there is no criterion 
revealed (according to the theory) by which we can test 
a religion whether it be true or false. Finally, there is 
no absolute standard of morals. Moral truths, like the re- 
ligious, are relative only. In other words, the teaching 
that ‘Christ has atoned for sin,” is as little to be accepted 
as an absolute truth, as the command: “Thou shalt not 
steal’ must be accepted as embodying an absolute rule of 
conduct. Clodd says in “The Story of Creation”: “Man 
by himself is not only unprogressive, he is also not so 
much immoral as unmoral. For where there is no so- 
ciety there is no sin! Therefore the bases of right and 
wrong lie in conduct towards one’s fellow; the moral 
sense Or conscience is the outcome of social relations, 
themselves the outcome of the need of living. .... 
While the lower instincts, as hunger, passion, and thirst 
for vengeance, are strong, they are not so enduring or 
satisfying as the higher feelings which crave for society 
and sympathy. And the yielding to the lower, however 
gratifying for the moment, would be followed by the 
feeling of regret that he had thus given way, and by re- 
solve to act differently for the future. Thus at last man 
comes to feel, through acquired and perhaps inherited 
