254 The Ideal State 



intent to deceive, a cloak to entrap the unwary. It 

 ought to be insisted on that if the profession of religion 

 is not accompanied by complete evidence of conduct 

 as far as possible consonant with the altruism of Chris- 

 tianity it should meet with no attention or regard. If 

 religion is not conduct, it is only a mask, a hollow 

 mockery. And for anyone professing the religion of 

 Jesus to attempt to amass gold by means which 

 can only bring about the degradation of his fellow- 

 men physically, intellectually, and morally, is a self- 

 evident contradiction of such belief. One wonders 

 that the apparent contradiction has not become so 

 manifest that the hypocrisy of the whole situation, not 

 to mention the shame of it, would have forced other 

 methods in order to satisfy the prickings of conscience. 

 But no ! the lust of gold appeals with such force to the 

 natural man that it is only by Divine agency that 

 a revolution is being slowly wrought in human 

 society by the power of religion and gradual diffusion 

 of the altruistic spirit. The greatest wonder of the 

 world is now in operation, and is only dawning 

 upon the blind intelligence of mankind ; and that is the 

 very gradual overcoming and final conquest of the 

 strongest passion of the natural man — the love of 

 money — by the still small voice of conscience — the 

 God in man — guided by " the sweet reasonableness," 

 the love, and self-sacrifice of the gospel of Jesus. 

 Surely this is the greatest of all miracles ! "I have 

 overcome the world ! " He told His brethren while here 

 on earth, and only now, two thousand years thereafter, 

 do we begin to realise the truth of these words. By 

 dying on the cross, and showing forth the only way — 

 the path of self-sacrifice — the Pathway to Reality — 

 in other words, by dying that we might live, He became 

 indeed the Saviour of the world. And it is the only 

 way if we are ever to know happiness, for who can be 



