244 THE THRESHOLD OF EVOLUTION 



the best possible use of it. So the devils of to-day are but 

 little advanced, except in knowledge, over the Lucifers of 

 three hundred thousand years ago. 



The first step towards correcting these evils must come 

 about by science and religion joining hands, not as in the past 

 to redeem the sinners or bring them to repentance, but by 

 teaching them that their lives are ruled by the fatality of 

 evolution, and that their first duty in life is to value and know 

 how to make the best use of their time and energy. To 

 learn not to waste or abuse these qualities that it has taken 

 mankind so many thousands of years to evolve, and to recog- 

 nize that their place in creation is decided by their inborn 

 fitness to fill the notches for which they are best suited. 

 That it is only by making the best use of their time, to increase 

 the comforts and content of their fellow-men and to utilise 

 their energies in the best manner and under the most favour- 

 able conditions, so as to make the best use of their time and 

 abilities in the way most suitable to different climates and 

 circumstances, and so produce the greatest power of sustaining 

 life that will make it possible to achieve advancement. There 

 is work for every one of us regardless of religion, creed, race 

 or colour, if we work together in harmony. But I think that 

 the curse of Ham is eternal, for the descendants of some of us 

 must for ever live as the servants of others, not only as re- 

 gards the black races, but also as regards the failures of 

 mankind. But the residents of tropical climes will most pro- 

 bably contribute the bulk of the unfit, from the mere fact that 

 the greater ease of maintaining life in a warm climate is detri- 

 mental to the continuity of their energy, ability and general 

 vitality, so they are ultimately to be replaced by the descen- 

 dants of those who are evolved under sterner conditions of 

 life and climate. 



The future duties of Religion will be to try to make man 

 first, charitable towards the sins of his fellow-men, condemn- 

 ing his unfitness, but forgiving his sin when not unduly 

 injurious to his neighbour ; second, to teach him his first duty 

 is to obey his fellow-men who are his superiors, and to culti- 

 vate the ambitions that made them his superiors ; third, to 

 make him realise that by the utmost use of his body and mind 

 and soul alone can he gain Heaven and Immortality, which 

 are to be the rewards of superiority. For, just as want of 



