Spiritual Evolution of Society 185 



reward in heaven. But I say unto you, love your 

 enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them 

 that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully 

 use you." ..." He that is without sin among you, 

 let him cast the first stone." 



Men ever since His time on earth have read and 

 repeated His sayings and teachings, and studied the 

 sweet beauty of His life, and aspired to reach the ideal 

 which He preached, through the practice of self-sacri- 

 fice and love of the brethren. Many died, as He did, 

 for the faith ; they died, as He did, that we might live ; 

 they pointed the way by the supremest of all sacrifices ; 

 they stimulated us by a noble example, which influences 

 our thoughts consciously and unconsciously, and is 

 bringing about the betterment of mankind through 

 the operation of the law of Love. Many and great 

 things require to be done ; the path is steep and the 

 burden heavy, but the end is assured ; history proves 

 it, and the spiritual evolution of man is at work 

 now, not only in the interests of those who bear the 

 burden and heat of the day at the present time, but in 

 that of the unborn generations yet to appear. Do we 

 not all derive joy and satisfaction in the thought that 

 things are always getting better and conditions 

 ameliorating for our sons and daughters, and that 

 the prospect is improving increasingly for the future 

 of mankind ? 



The lesson of history was a necessary study if the 

 argument was to have power with men, as the aim 

 of this volume is to demonstrate its truth as being 

 the only possible conclusion, after giving every 

 consideration to the observed phenomena of nature ; 

 and, in so far as we enter into the region of theory, that 

 this is the only logical sequence of the scientific pro- 

 cess of thought founded upon these and the lesson of 

 history. 



