The Evolution of Morals, 261 



offence. They do not commonly disparage moral 

 lessons drawn from nature. The testimony of nature 

 to the spiritual and moral law of God, is a favourite 

 topic with apologists. To discover a fundamental 

 antagonism between scientific, or natural, and super- 

 natural, or revealed, morality, would be fatal to the 

 doctrine of a divine revelation ; for if natural morality 

 were opposed to revealed morality, the claims of 

 revelation to be from God could not be maintained : 

 conscience would be bound to reject as false ethical 

 teaching in conflict with the first principles of morals. 

 But it is fair and right to point out that a system of 

 ethics derived exclusively from natural law is inade- 

 quate ; that something more, something higher, is 

 requisite for the guidance of human life. Still more 

 needful is it to examine the ethical teaching of a 

 philosophy which claims to embody all truth. So far 

 as the merit of Mr. Spencer's doctrine is concerned, the 

 question is not whether an ethical code can be framed 

 apart from revelation ; but whether the evolution 

 hypothesis can, consistently with its principles, provide 

 it. Religion has heretofore been the most important 

 source of moral impulse, and the chief light for its 

 guidance. The Church of God is the great school of 

 ethics. A high standard has been set before mankind 

 a standard approached in but few instances. Yet 

 there have never been wanting in the Christian 

 society some who have ^exemplified in a high degree 

 the noblest qualities devotion, self-sacrifice, patience,. 



