vm THE EVOLUTION OF THEOLOGY 319 



I do not quote myself Avith any intention of 

 making a claim to originality in putting forth this 

 view ; for I have since discovered that the same 

 conception is virtually contained in the great 

 " Discours sur 1'Histoire Universelle " of Bossuet, 

 now more than two centuries old : 



Le culte des hommes morts faisoit presque tout le fond de 

 I'idoldtrie : presque tous les hommes sacrifioient aux manes, 

 c'est-a-dire aux ames des morts. De si anciennes erreurs nous 

 font voir a la verite combien etoit ancienne la croyance de 

 1'immortalite de 1'ame, et nous montrent qu'elle doit etre rangee 

 parmi les premiewa traditions du genre humain. Mais 1'homme, 

 qui gatoit tout, en avoit etrangemeut abuse, puisqu'elle le 

 portoit a sacrifier aux morts. On alloit meme jusqu'a cet exces, 

 de leur sacrifier des hommes vivans : on tuoit leurs esclaves, et 

 meme leurs femrnes, pour les aller servir dans 1'autre monde. 1 



Among more modern writers J. G. Muller, in his 

 excellent " Geschichte der anierikanischen Urre 

 ligionen" (1855), clearly recognises "gespenster- 

 hafter Geisterglaube " as the foundation of all 

 savage and semi-civilised theology, and I need do 

 no more than mention the important develop- 

 ments of the same view which are to be found 

 in Mr. Tylor's "Primitive Culture/' and in the 

 writings of Mr. Herbert Spencer, especially his 

 recently -published " Ecclesiastical Institutions/' 2 



1 (Euvres de Bossuet, ed. 1808, t. xxxv. p. 282. 



2 I should like further to add the expression of my indebted- 

 ness to two works by Herr Julius Lippert, Der Seelencult in 

 seinen Eeziehungen zur alt-hebraischen Religion, and Die Reli- 

 gionen der europdischen Oulturvolker, both published in 1881. 

 I have found them full of valuable suggestions. 



