38 THE THRESHOLD OF EVOLUTION 



learning to sin, by likewise becoming a murderer ; so has ever 

 since been his boon companion. These are the factors that 

 made the ape men fight harder for mastery than any other 

 animal, and that enabled them to surpass them all. And as to 

 attain virtue each species must first evolve the extremes of 

 vice, and then learn to control these vices,, it takes a saint to 

 make a perfect devil, and a devil to make a perfect saint. 



Thus man, from having become the most perfect animal 

 (that is the most perfect angel), in the biblical description, 

 that is, Lucifer, the highest angel, becomes the biggest devil. 

 For in this instance the word angel must be read as the 

 animals who were superior in development to man. So Lucifer, 

 in the Bible, is meant to be significant of the races of apes who 

 became men by surpassing all the rest of creation, and becoming 

 the most cruel, brutal and cannibalistic and savage fighters 

 of all animals, and, like dogs and wolves (who evidently in 

 this respect attain the greatest equality to man), he became a 

 sinner by killing for the love of killing. 



This is still a mark of his past nature, for his 

 greatest pleasure to-day is to kill for sport, the remnant of his 

 love of animal murder. Yet this love of sport has produced all 

 his highest qualities of honour, justice, mercy, and has per- 

 fected his energies and will, besides having made him the 

 most perfect beast or devil. Thus having learnt to sin (which 

 the animals who were his superiors in development failed 

 to do) he became capable of developing his human will (for 

 Power in God is will in man, and infinite power is to will, to 

 act, and to perform ; but even a perfect finite will can only 

 will to act and do the best it can to perform). Man's will made 

 him the most perfect beast or devil, and his ferocity, as already 

 shown, made him persevere till he was able permanently to 

 stand upright ; and so come into contact with the electrical cur- 

 rents that travel from earth to heaven ; which are the currents of 

 Soul, whereas the currents of Power and Will travel horizon- 

 tally round the earth, like wind and storm. 



As it is for fighting that most animals keep on their 

 hind legs, so it was man's indomitable love of fighting, 

 and his swing from bough to bough which combined 

 to perfect his bodily shape, and this, with his love of murder 

 (for to kill for revenge is murder amongst animals, 

 who, with the exception of man and the dog tribe, do not kill 



