PROGRESS OF MAN. 177 



never be replaced. Too often they endeavour 

 to dig up everything by the foundations, to 

 rear a flimsy structure on the bare ground 

 in its place. Nor, unfortunately, do missionaries 

 always confine themselves to rooting out what 

 is indubitably evil. In the South Sea Islands 

 they frequently denounce and discourage 

 many of the most harmless or even civilising 

 customs of the natives, such as their love of 

 flowers, thus roughly tearing up the young 

 wheat along with the tares by the handful. 

 Far more serious charges have been brought 

 against some of the missionaries in Africa. 



But it may be asked, Why did not God give 

 the " heathens " a true religion ? The answer 

 again involves the whole question of Evolution 

 and Special Creation. Their religion is true 

 for them for it is the spontaneous outgrowth 

 of their national life. To ask why they have no 

 higher religion is to ask why it is necessary 

 for the blade of corn to grow before the ear 

 is perfected, or why the plants of Europe, 

 which flourish so well in Australia or America 

 when introduced, are not indigenous in the 

 latter countries. And who dares affirm that 

 his own religion is perfect? Even supposing 



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