178 EVOLUTION AND NATURAL THEOLOGY. 



tli at Christianity is the only true religion, and 

 will ultimately prevail, will not the Christianity 

 of a few centuries hence be as far superior 

 to our own, as ours is superior to that of the 

 Middle Ages? Dare any thinking man assert 

 that he would be able to comprehend the 

 Unveiled Truth in its absolute perfection and 

 purity, even if it were possible for Omnipotence 

 Itself to reveal it to him ? 



If we would send out missionaries at all, we 

 are bound to select them according to their 

 fitness to teach those whom we wish to instruct. 

 The same man who would do great good among 

 ignorant savages, would be unable to produce 

 any impression at all upon an educated Hindoo 

 or Mohammadan ; and instead of propagating 

 his own views, would be liable only to disgust 

 or offend his intended proselyte. Conversely, a 

 man who is competent to argue with educated 

 men of another religion on their own ground, 

 and is able to cause them to respect his opinions 

 (whether he succeeds in convincing them of 

 the superiority of his views, or not), would be 

 thrown away upon the savages whom the other 

 was fitted to instruct. 



It was not the simple-minded and enthusiastic 



