EXCURSIONS OF AN EVOLUTIONIST 



eral purposes of his theory to maintain that this 

 progress has been due entirely to increase in 

 knowledge, and not at all to improvement in 

 ethical feeling. His principal argument in sup- 

 port of this thesis is taken from the history of 

 persecution. He calls attention to the curious 

 circumstance that, in the early struggle between 

 Christianity and Paganism, it was not the in- 

 famous Commodus and Elagabalus, but the 

 pure and upright Marcus and Julian who per- 

 secuted the new religion. And so, in modern 

 times, many of the extremest bigots have been 

 distinguished for integrity of character and ele- 

 vation of purpose, as St. Dominic, Isabella 

 of Castile, Carlo Borromeo, Calvin, and CarafFa. 

 Mr. Buckle accordingly argues that religious 

 persecution has been the product of some of 

 the best impulses of human nature when guided 

 by an erroneous theory of duty. The wretched 

 Commodus cared nothing for religion or for 

 anything else save his sensual pleasures ; and 

 so Christian and Pagan were all one to him. 

 But his noble father, Marcus, had the interests 

 of religion uppermost in his heart ; and so, in 

 spite of his humane disposition, he felt it neces- 

 sary to use violent means in putting down such 

 an aggressive heresy as Christianity was then 

 regarded. So, in later times, when persecution 

 was prevalent among Christian sects, the gen- 

 eral rule was that those who believed in the 

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