KIRTLEY F. MATHER 17 



to live in harmony with them, and thus he may long 

 delay the achievement of those purposes which char- 

 acterize the local scene. 



The laws of nature are not chains which shackle 

 man, nor goads which drive him down any pre- 

 determined alley. They are tools which strengthen 

 his hands and Increase his efficiency; implements which 

 have waited long for his master mind to make them 

 useful. As science discovers the modes of operation 

 of the manifold processes of nature, It provides the 

 ways and means by which the world may be shaped 

 nearer to the desire of human hearts. But it is the 

 dual prerogative of religion to paint the picture of 

 the world that ought to be, and to Inspire men with 

 zeal adequate for its realization. 



Most unscientific of all the popular slogans which 

 unwittingly sap the very foundations of religion is the 

 statement that "human nature cannot be changed." 

 Not only Is It true that every product of natural proc- 

 esses is undergoing change, it Is also true that man Is 

 one of the most plastic of all animals. His ways are 

 not yet fixed; his nature not yet determined. One of 

 the newest of the newcomers In the drama of life, his 

 future Is practically certain to be many times as long 

 as his past. Still In the vigor of youth, this species 

 of featherless biped possesses potentialities for modi- 

 fication far greater than most people think. Whether 

 the changes In human nature, bound to occur in the 

 next few thousand years, will be for better or for 

 worse will largely be determined by the Individuals 

 who compose each successive generation. 



Modern science does not sanction a religion which 



