268 THE GOSPEL, AND THE SOCIAL CREED OF SCIENCE. 



from the certain social convulsion and chaos. Thus from 

 the point of view of science and evolution 



All things invite 



To peaceful counsels, and the settled state 

 Of order, how in safety best we may 

 Compose our present evils, with regard 

 Of what we are and were, dismissing quite 

 All thoughts of war. 



And with respect to the poverty of the masses, 

 pursues the disciple of Mr. Spencer, the real fact is that 

 it is produced, not by social arrangements or the im- 

 perfect constitution of society, but in great measure by 

 the individuals themselves ; by themselves directly and 

 largely, by their parents partly, or by the general im- 

 perfections of human nature, if you choose, but not by 

 society, nor could it be removed by any new constitution 

 of society of human device. 



The socialist reasons viciously when he contends that 

 poverty and crime necessarily follow with mathematical 

 rigour from our present social system. The true view 

 of the matter is quite different. It is not our social 

 system being given, our social evils necessarily follow ; 

 but, being given our present average human nature, with 

 its course of historical evolution behind it, then both our 

 present social system, and also our present social evils, 

 are necessary products of it and of its history. Our 

 social structure and concurrent social evils are common 

 effects of the same set of causes ; the one is not the 

 cause of the other. Criminals are thus not " society's 

 failures," for society did not make the inherited evil 

 disposition to crime. Society is not responsible for the 

 mass of pauperism. Existing society, at least, is largely 

 guiltless of both. Our widespread pauperism and crime, 

 in a word, are directly the results of our evil or imperfect 

 human nature and human passions ; and these last being 



