322 ORGANIC EVOLUTION CONSIDERED 



however vague. And we shall not err in doing this 

 so long as we treat every notion we thus frame as 

 merely a symbol, utterly without resemblance to that 

 for which it stands."* 



From this it would seem that he thinks that the 

 constitution of the human mind is such that it must 

 represent the Ultimate Existence as being like things 

 that are known, and that this is very good mental 

 exercise, and innocent if we only remember that there 

 can be no truth in what we think. But how can h« 

 know that our symbol is "utterly without resemblance 

 to that for which it stands?" 



The most that Agnosticism would be justified in 

 affirming is not lack of resemblance, but that we can 

 not know that there is any resemblance between our 

 symbols and the Ultimate Existence. 



But Mr. Spencer admits that his creed is adapted 

 only to man in a highly developed condition, and that 

 the religions of the world have served and are still 

 serving a good purpose. 



He says that the imperfections of religion " have 

 been imperfections only as measured by an absolute 

 standard, and not as measured by a relative one. 

 Speaking generally, the religion current in each age 

 and among each people has been as near an approxi- 

 mation to the truth as it was then and there possible 

 for men to receive." 



I think that this last statement is incorrect. Accord- 

 ing to this the various savage tribes scattered over the 

 earth at present have religions which embody as 

 much truth as they are capable of receiving. The 

 fact is, however, that the lowest tribes of men are 

 sufficiently developed to receive the Christian relig- 

 ion; and there is nothing more remarkable in history 

 than the changes wrought by Christianity among such 

 jDeople. 



* Synthetic Philosophy, First Principles, p. 113. 



