himself,--and his first gropings for truth led him to evolve
desperate notions of something more cruel, more relentless, and more
wicked than himself, rather than ideals of something more beautiful,
more just, more faithful and more loving than he could be. The dawn
of Christianity brought the first glimmering suggestion that a
gospel of love and pity might be more serviceable in the end to the
needs of the world, than a ruthless code of slaughter and vengeance-
-though history shows us that the annals of Christianity itself are
stained with crime and shamed by the shedding of innocent blood.
Only in these latter days has the world become faintly conscious of
the real Force working behind and through all things--the soul of
the Divine, or the Psychic element, animating and inspiring all
visible and invisible Nature. This soul of the Divine--this Psychic
element, however, is almost entirely absent from the teaching of the
Christian creed to-day, with the result that the creed itself is
losing its power. I venture to say that a very small majority of the
millions of persons worshipping in the various forms of the
Christian Church really and truly believe what they publicly
profess. Clergy and laity alike are tainted with this worst of all
hypocrisies--that of calling God to witness their faith when they
know they are faithless. It may be asked how I dare to make such an
assertion? I dare, because I know! It would be impossible to the
people of this or any other country to honestly believe the
Christian creed, and yet continue to live as they do. Their lives
give the lie to their avowed religion, and it is this daily
spectacle of the daily life of governments, trades, professions and
society which causes me to feel that the general aspect of
Christendom at the present day, with all its Churches and solemn
observances, is one of the most painful and profound hypocrisy. You
who read this page,--(possibly with indignation) you call yourself a