140 THE THRESHOLD OF EVOLUTION 

 new ideas and lessons, and so to destroy the new principles that 

 He wishes to establish in their place, so He only leaves the 

 most important links in sufficient number to connect the whole. 



We find that in religion, past revelations are only left in 

 sufficient number to connect them with the new ones of His 

 reformations. But He leaves all the really important truths 

 bright enough to dimly shine through the dense mists of 

 superstition, bigotry and idolatry that gave them birth or pro- 

 duced their death. And in just the same way that religions 

 in the past have had to give place and make room for new 

 forms of government, new forms of government are built upon 

 or out of new religious beliefs and thoughts, and each in their 

 turn is supplanted by a newer and better form, more suited 

 to the form of rule, or more adapted to the requirements of the 

 coming age or time, if not always of a higher moral, social, 

 scientific or virtuous development. Fate has, therefore, in all 

 past ages of evolution contorted and disfigured all teachings, 

 both of religion and knowledge and revelation, so that it would 

 puzzle their founders, Mahomet excepted, were they to return 

 to life, to know to what religion they belonged. 



One reason" is that only those religions that lend themselves 

 and their teachings to alteration and tend to advance mankind 

 along the road of evolution, become permanent for any length 

 of time, whereas those that do not alter in moral development, 

 as the times alter, do not keep pace with the advancement of 

 man's mind and become obsolete, but even these, like all worn- 

 out evolutions, nevertheless perform their respective duties by 

 offering a means of government and control that is not too 

 high an ideal for the less enlightened mind to grasp, and so act 

 as links to bind together the past, present and the future tradi- 

 tions and teachings of revelation. For Confucius would not 

 recognise the modern forms of the Chinese religion, nor would 

 Buddha recognise modern Buddhism in the teachings of Moses, 

 any more than Abraham would recognise the Islamism of 

 Mahomet; and if Saint Peter could return to earth it would 

 puzzle him to know to which of the forms of modern Christi- 

 anity he belonged. A striking instance of this is that in India, 

 Persia and Palestine, the three countries that have done most 

 to build up religion, all monumental or historical records that 

 could enlighten mankind have been utterly destroyed by the 

 ruthless hand of Fate, until the last century, and it is to the 



