social development, a stage at which the conditions of his life will
be still far from satisfactory, and beyond which he will find it
impossible to progress. This is a question of fact which no willing
on man's part can alter. It is a question bearing on the mystery of
life.

Enough has been said to show that the Progress of humanity belongs
to the same order of ideas as Providence or personal immortality. It
is true or it is false, and like them it cannot be proved either
true or false. Belief in it is an act of faith.

The idea of human Progress then is a theory which involves a
synthesis of the past and a prophecy of the future. It is based on
an interpretation of history which regards men as slowly advancing--
pedetemtim progredientes--in a definite and desirable direction, and
infers that this progress will continue indefinitely. And it implies
that, as


The issue of the earth's great business,


a condition of general happiness will ultimately be enjoyed, which
will justify the whole process of civilisation; for otherwise the
direction would not be desirable. There is also a further
implication. The process must be the necessary outcome of the
psychical and social nature of man; it must not be at the mercy of
any external will; otherwise there would be no guarantee of its
continuance and its issue, and the idea of Progress would lapse into
the idea of Providence.