60e COSMIC PHILOSOPEY. [pt. iil 



supplanting it by a new system of conceptions equally 

 adapted to furnish general principles of action, would be to 

 leave men trivial-minded and irreligious, with no rational 

 motive but self-interest, no clearly-conceived end save the 

 jleasure of the moment. The evolutionist, therefore, be- 

 lieving that faith in some controlling ideal is essential to 

 right living, and that even an unscientific faith is infinitely 

 better than aimless scepticism, does not go about pointing 

 out to the orthodox the inconsistencies which he discerns in 

 their system of beliefs. And while assured that the dean- 

 thropomorphizing process will continue to go on as it has 

 gone on since the dawn of history, under the slow but un- 

 ceasing stimulus of scientific generalization, he at the same 

 time rejoices that a violent destruction of anthropomorphic 

 conceptions is impossible. Eefraining, therefore, from barren 

 theologic controversy, his aim is to carry scientific methods 

 and scientific interpretations into all departments of inquiry, 

 in accordance with the profound aphorism of Dr. Newman : 

 " False ideas may be refuted by argument, but only by true 

 ideas can they be expelled." Have we not seen that our 

 beliefs are in a measure wrought into the very substance 

 of our brains, so that the process of eradicating them must 

 be a process of substitution which, as involving structural 

 changes, must needs be gradual ? 



But secondly, the evolutionist must recognize that, even 

 were it possible to effect a sudden conversion of mankind to 

 a faith based upon scientific knowledge, such a conversion 

 would not bring about the desired result of inaugurating a 

 liigher and better state of society. Kot by a change of 

 opinion, but by a change of heart, is the grand desideratum 

 to be obtained. It is not by accepting all the theorems 

 comprised in the Doctrine of Evolution, or in any other 

 doctrine whatever, that men are to obey the dictates of 

 selfishness less and the dictates of sympathy more. Yet 

 this is the transfer of allegiance upon which, as we have 



