33G THE FUTURE OF RELIGION AND MORALS. 



going far deeper into all possible existence than ours ? 

 Has there not, then, been at work throughout the process 

 of evolution, even on our earth, a mighty and mysterious- 

 something ? a something which, if we will speak at all 

 of it, we must Describe as a purpose, moving beneath and 

 irresistibly pushing its way, unfolding itself, ascending- 

 higher and higher ? And the deposition of the germs 

 which afterwards flowered so gloriously in religion, art, 

 morality, even science itself, can this be said to be 

 within the power of matter alone ? Have we not here 

 creation after all ? At one time and at one moment there 

 did not exist in the universe certain things which have 

 since appeared life, consciousness, human affection; at 

 one moment they were not, afterwards they were. Is- 

 this evolution or creation? Indeed, the name is in- 

 different ; but nevertheless, this fact of evolution or 

 creation, call it which you please, still is and you allow 

 it the very life and essence of the world. This is the 

 one process for ever going on, and now more prodigiously 

 than ever. The birth and growth and life of every 

 insect, of every flower, of every man, are instances of it. 

 The universe is still a perpetual process of evolution or 

 creation. And what is the working power ? What 

 evolves all the stages of the process ? What transforms 

 all the energies ? Matter, the universal blind mother, 

 brings forth all from her dark womb ! and the energies 

 of matter transform themselves for ever and ever. To 

 state it thus is indeed to proclaim loudly the futility of 

 materialism, and yet this is all that materialists them- 

 selves give us for explanation. 



Further, in all this process of evolution, in all these 

 transformations of energy, where all is wonderful, there 

 is one thing, one evolution, one transformation, pre- 

 eminently wonderful. There is the evolution of conscious- 



