Evolution of Societi/. Til 



preacht'cl to them a sermon on Mars Hill, in which he 

 sought to check their superstition by presenting to them 

 his Meta-gnostic God as the Christian substitute for their 

 Agnostic deit}-. In the ])reaehing and teaching of Christ 

 himself, meta-gnosticism is everywhere associated with the 

 coming of the kingdom of heaven, as a necessary prepara- 

 tion therefor, and the pivotal turning-point of its inaugura- 

 tion. 



No advance in knowledge can be made unless the human 

 mind penetrates beyond the phenomena presented by the 

 senses. So far the brutes themselves may go. Meta-noeti(;s 

 relates to this "knowledge beyond," or, literally, beyond- 

 knowledge. This beyond-knowledge is the special domain 

 of Evolution — the domain which it is exploiting and is to 

 exploit. The senses tell us that the sun rises in the east. 

 Beyond-knowledge, or meta-noetics, corrects the senses in 

 this instance, as it does, or will do, in all other cases when 

 it is permitted. For those, then, who would study sociolog- 

 ical evolution, at least the essayist would substitute the 

 title of Meta-gnostics instead of Agnostics, as more truly 

 and accurately descriptive, and also as tending to bring all 

 of them into harmony with that wonderful ]\ran who, not- 

 withstanding the falsification of his language and thought 

 by those assuming its protection, has yet been such a power 

 in the world for good. 



The members of this Association have sometimes been 

 called "godless Spencerians." When it is discovered that 

 Evolution is in harmony with true Christianity, the oppor- 

 tunity may come of raising the question as to who is really 

 "godless" — if it is worth while. However that maybe, 

 those who study Sociology by the aid of Evolution, earnest- 

 ly seeking to know and apply the truth, cannot go far 

 astray. 



