1 86 Spiritual Evolution of Society 



The lesson of history demonstrated the phenomena 

 of our Western civilisation to be the improved social 

 condition of the people as the result of an ethical 

 evolution, which had progressively extended its in- 

 fluence upon mankind ever since the dawn of the 

 Christian era, and the permeation of men's minds with 

 a sense of duty in the direction of securing the welfare 

 of humanity as a whole. And the progress of this 

 spiritual evolution has been demonstrated to be a new 

 thing in the world's history, and can be shown to be in 

 abeyance in the non-Christian peoples of to-day. And 

 there is the further fact that it is only the nations who 

 have given full play to this ethical principle who can 

 claim to be first-class powers in the van of civilisation 

 and world policy, and who are showing that capacity 

 for endurance and permanence which the ancient, 

 military, material empires of Greece and Rome were 

 unable to secure. 



And this progressive spiritual evolution is leading us 

 slowly but surely towards the final goal as far as this 

 world is concerned — the " Ideal State," with which we 

 shall shortly deal. The cynic and the scoffer no doubt 

 can be heard railing against interference with 



" The good old rule, the simple plan, 

 That they should take who have the power, 

 And they should keep who can." 



The vast majority know that this is the rule by 

 which we are governed now ; the rights of property are 

 too secure to allow of any sudden change in method, 

 but much has been done which could not have been 

 done if such an evolution were non-existent. As we 

 have pointed out already, we have abolished slavery, 

 given free education, regulated the hours of labour in 

 such occupations as mines and factories, improved 

 conditions of work, of housing, of pay, established a 

 system of poor law which ere long will be greatly 



