98 THE THRESHOLD OF EVOLUTION 



a book and as fast bolted and locked a door to the mind of man 

 as is and ever will be the character, mind and soul of woman 

 to the mind of man, or the wisdom, mind and character of man 

 to woman. Hence it is that when we study religion closely 

 we find all its teachings are the creations of the mind of man 

 to suit the requirements of the particular nation, class or society 

 that has given it birth, or that it is best calculated to govern 

 and control. But all revelation is eternal and divine, and is 

 made up of unalterable truths clothed, hidden and disguised 

 in pretty dresses of legends, fables and parables to suit each 

 religious teaching, and we must hunt for the truths not in any 

 one form of religion in particular, but throughout all and every 

 religion of the past, Christian and Heathen, checking them, 

 but with the greatest care and caution lest we destroy more 

 than we can rebuild, as the advance of science and knowledge 

 opens up new realms and visions of revelation to our view. 



All revelation being divine, it is above the control or 

 power of man, nature, or evolution ; hence the priest or parson 

 should be dominant as regards revelation, but he is no less 

 likely than science to err in his beliefs and the explanation of 

 their truths until God sees fit by the further evolution of 

 man's mind and soul to grant him the wisdom to understand 

 the true interpretation of the mysteries of creation, which He 

 has hitherto deemed it wisest to clothe in the teachings of 

 parable and fable lest their brilliancy and lustre might dazzle 

 the eyes of our but partially developed minds. For mankind 

 will not be perfectly evolved psychologically until he evolves 

 such perfect human wisdom and self-control that he will be able 

 to sin without offence or crime and live in peace, charity, and 

 content. Hence until he has evolved to this extent we must 

 not be surprised if his religions and laws err at times as reli- 

 gions, governments and societies alternately fight for the 

 power to rule mankind ; and in its desire to be paramount in 

 the direction of the mind and soul of mankind towards the 

 truths of revelation, it should occasionally, in its ardent fight 

 for superiority, distort its teachings through excessive emula- 

 tions to achieve laudable ends, and so pervert its good intents 

 to unwise subjugation of free right of individual thought, and 

 so in the past has created more evil than good. But this evil 

 will be reduced as wisdom and knowledge will during the 

 coming epoch of the evolution of the soul enable Right to 



