264 THE THRESHOLD OF EVOLUTION 



hypothesis is correct, Christ came not to bring but to intro- 

 duce " peace to all men of good will." But the making of 

 men of good will was not the duty or work of Christ but of 

 mankind themselves ; but now God the Holy Ghost is about 

 to grant wisdom to and disperse it through the minds of man- 

 kind, which is to come about by the Holy Ghost descending, 

 not in tongues of fire, as he is reputed to have done in the 

 case of the Apostles, but by the light of science, and to enter 

 the souls of men, to enable him not only to see as in the past, 

 but to understand and know and evolve out of his own brain 

 and experiences better habits of self-control, wisdom and elo- 

 quence than even those Christ taught. Higher principle 

 and maxim for his direction and guidance are to be added to 

 those taught by Buddha, not to destroy them, for true revela- 

 tion, like the laws of Medes and Persians, cannot be altered, 

 but only added to by more serviceable ones. 



With the march of science, mankind is to learn that 

 such things as national armies are not to be dreamt 

 of in the sense of the past as a means of evolving nations, 

 and of acquiring territory, and increasing commerce, 

 but that the march of commerce will be belter accelerated by 

 the barter and sale of territory. But as crime only is to 

 cease to exist, and sin is to be everlasting, and the " best 

 plans of mice and men gang agley," it is improbable that we 

 will ever be entirely able to do without civil war, or war as a 

 means of punishment for riot or crime, or as God's scourge 

 for national folly and abuse. The most probable result of the 

 present European War will be some compromise that will in 

 the future lead to some such treaty as this : that first, declara- 

 tion of war by any one of the nations signing the com- 

 pact of peace shall be considered as a declaration against all 

 the other nations signing, should any start war without 

 first submitting the causes to arbitration. I feel sure 

 this will do much to stop war in the future. Secondly, 

 I feel sure that the poverty of this war will produce in the 

 coming century ; as it becomes felt and understood ; will do 

 much to make all nations prefer arbitration to war. So that 

 some form of sale and barter of territory will be arranged 

 thereafter. But the main safeguard of peace must be the 

 purchase and sale of territory. 3rd. That any nation 

 having what has hitherto been considered a " Causa Belli " 



