Spiritual Evolution of Society 157 



the demands they make of their employers. We are not 

 condemning the action of the miners in demanding a 

 minimum wage for all workers in their own trade ; 

 it was a noble deed on the part of many who had to live 

 on union funds and give up good wages for the time 

 being ; but if they had shown that all-round fore- 

 thought and " sweet reasonableness " in regard to those 

 still lower among the wage-earners who were forced to 

 suffer in a way none of their own class did, the moral 

 force of their action would have been augmented a 

 thousandfold. This supplies a powerful illustration of 

 the ethical influence which is operating in society, and 

 it is only when we give it full play and yield to its 

 influence that we can help to bring about the better- 

 ment and increase the happiness of mankind. As long 

 as men are blinded by philosophies of the materialistic 

 school, such as Nietzsche, Marx, and Arsene Dumont, 

 or are tempted to join in the cry demanding the expul- 

 sion of " I'hyfothese Dieu " from human affairs, there 

 can be no advance whatever. The phrase " the great 

 European narcotic of Christianity " is an absolutely 

 false cry ; history has proved that by its influence alone 

 man has been aroused, trade and commerce stimu- 

 lated, the culture of the ages brought within the reach 

 of all, mechanical invention advanced and encouraged, 

 society generally ameliorated and put upon a perma- 

 nent basis, with advance all along the line. It has 

 brought about the ethical evolution which is saving 

 mankind, and will yet raise him to heights and possi- 

 bilities hitherto undreamt of. But for its advent 

 civilisation would have followed civilisation in a dreary 

 round, with no advance, no hope. " La miser e " would 

 have been the one certainty, and the only hope for 

 man the " friendly comet " of Huxley to blast the 

 scheme of things entire into nothingness. 



Fortunately we can await the future with confidence, 



