THE LESSON OF EVOLUTION 45 



of morals. Ethical evolution founded on free-will, 

 which changed the human mind into the human soul 

 is the highest and last form of evolution possible 

 on the earth, and consequently, so far as terrestrial 

 evolution is concerned, the development of the human 

 soul must be the object for which we are seeking ; and, 

 if this is so, there ought to be no difficulty in believing 

 that everything which, either directly or indirectly, 

 has been instrumental in this development was designed 

 for that purpose. 



But, if all has been planned for the development of 

 the human soul, there must have been some reason for 

 planning it. There must be some further purpose 

 which is hidden from us. We cannot believe that the 

 ultimate object was the happiness of man on the earth, 

 for there is no evidence that psychological evolution 

 has increased his happiness. It is not the pursuit 

 of pleasure, but the feeling that duty comes be- 

 fore pleasure, which is the moving force in ethical 

 evolution. 



So we come to recognise that the ultimate purpose 

 of evolution cannot be fulfilled on the earth ; and we 

 are thus led to believe that our spirit will not perish 

 with the body, but will, in some way or other, lead a 

 new existence. And, as we know that on the earth 

 better has constantly succeeded better, so we may 

 hope it will be in the spiritual world. 



Such seems to me to be the teaching of the modern 

 doctrine of evolution. It is a philosophy which does 

 not come to a close on this earth, but points forward 

 and dimly shows us, from a study of the past, what 

 we may expect in the future. Without any doubt it 

 teaches us that man has been introduced on to the 



