96 THE CREED OF SCIENCE, RELIGIOUS AND MORAL. 



the claims of self and others, namely, by the abolition of the 

 antagonism by the distinct evolution in the individual 

 breast, in the very theatre of self, of the social impulses 

 of benevolence, sympathy, and pity, which powerfully urge 

 their plea in behalf of others, compel us to regard the 

 pleasure, happiness, and satisfaction of others as a part 

 of our own, and which even make us pursue others' 

 happiness as a considerable contribution to our own. 



This fact, the evolution of benevolence or love for 

 others, may fairly be regarded as the happiest feat of 

 evolution. Amongst all the new phenomena which it 

 has turned up, there is none so important as this one, 

 and none promises more in the future to mankind. 

 What may have been the first origin of this feeling of 

 love for others, of this wonderful guest within the rude 

 primitive breast, it is difficult to say, as the first appear- 

 ance of every pleasurable fact of consciousness the 

 feeling of beauty and the gratification from it, the feeling 

 of curiosity and the pleasure from knowledge is 

 involved in mystery. They came we know not whence 

 or why. They did not appear in the plants, or stones, or 

 lower animals, at least not in the latter in high degree ; 

 they appeared in the theatre of man's consciousness, and 

 he found them pleasant, and was thus encouraged to 

 develop them more. But although the first cause of the 

 fact and feeling of love or sympathy is a mystery, there 

 is no doubt of the immense importance of the new feeling 

 for the future of the species, nor of the further historical 

 fact that it owed much of its development to the teaching 

 of the great founders of religions to Buddha and above 

 all to Christ. Love for man was taught by the former, 

 but it was inculcated with new and more intense emphasis 

 by Jesus five hundred years later. It was the "new 

 commandment " for men, and by his teaching and great 



