40 
look at Christianity as embraced by the modem nations of Europe. There 
is no such tendency to decay in the civilisation of those nations, as was 
always found in the civilization of the ancient nations prior to the birth of 
Christianity. Take, as an example, the French nation. It has passed through 
a very long period of history, and through a very great degree of corruption ; 
so that we might almost compare it with the Roman empire. But when that 
corruption set in in the Roman empire it never stopped, but the empire sank 
lower and lower until it expired with its civilization. France has been subject 
to great reactions, and a terrific explosion took place in the French Revolution , 
but the principle of Christianity has been powerful enough to prevent the 
nation from expiring, and to set it going again with fresh national life. Loo 
at Germany, with a national life extending over 1,500 years ; but yet there 
is not the least tendency to retrogression. Christianity, as embraced y 
the great Germanic races and the other nations of Europe, has tended to 
counteract the tendency towards national decay. (Cheers.) 
The Chairman.— I have seldom listened to a paper with a stronger feeling 
of satisfaction and gratitude to- the author than I have experienced on the 
present occasion. (Hear.) The paper is so unassailable m its general course 
of reasoning, and so complete in its general argument, that there is very 
little to oppose in it, and scarcely anything to add. Sir John Lubbock s 
arguments have been excellently met by Mr. Reddie to-night, and perhaps 
it may not be improper to mention that they have elsewhere been admirably 
met, so far as their general tendency is concerned, by the Duke of Argyll m 
his excellent book on Primeval Man, which contains a mine of searching 
thought and philosophical suggestion. There is only one thing in this paper 
in regard to which it appears to me that there is some room for doubt, 
if I rightly apprehend Mr. Reddie’s argument. I have not been able to 
conclude that even savage races are utterly without the power of limite 
advancement ; but I believe that the range within which advancement is 
possible for them is exceedingly limited. I can hardly believe that any race 
of men could be so completely unmanned as to lose all power of combina- 
tion for improvement, not in respect of moral or spiritual civilization but 
in respect of a certain low-class material civilization ; I believe it will be 
found by a careful examination of the records and traditions of such materia 
civilization as we ourselves have had access to, that there may be certain 
steps of progress for these races within certain very narrow limits. At the 
same time I cannot imagine that there can be anything whatever m this . ad- 
mission which is really in favour of Sir John Lubbock’s argument for I think 
the limits of that improvement are very small and very rigidly defined , 
that just for the want of a moral inspiration and of a spiritual nobi ity ; just 
for the want of a revelation of light from without, a race has fallen down 
to the natural level of what we may call a mere animal, so far as man can 
ever become a mere animal ; and having fallen down to that level, t ey 
can just creep on and advance within very narrow limits up to a certain 
point, but they can never get beyond that point. I think that just thus 
far some modification may be necessary of the statement that all bar- 
