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ast important part； of religion。
Further； and the fact is important； this DOGMA； thus supposed to be the essential content of the 〃true〃 religion； was a teleological scheme complete and unalterable； which had been revealed to man once and for all by a highly anthropomorphic God； whose existence was assumed。 The duty of man towards this revelation was to accept its doctrines and obey its precepts。 The notion that this revelation had grown bit by bit out of man's consciousness and that his business was to better it would have seemed rank blasphemy。 Religion； so conceived； left no place for development。 〃The Truth〃 might be learnt； but never critically examined； being thus avowedly complete and final； it was doomed to stagnation。
The details of this supposed revelation seem almost too naive for enumeration。 As Hume observed； 〃popular theology has a positive appetite for absurdity。〃 It is sufficient to recall that 〃revelation〃 included such items as the Creation （It is interesting to note that the very word 〃Creator〃 has nowadays almost passed into the region of mythology。 Instead we have 〃L'Evolution Creatrice〃。） of the world out of nothing in six days； the making of Eve from one of Adam's ribs； the Temptation by a talking snake； the confusion of tongues at the tower of Babel； the doctrine of Original Sin； a scheme of salvation which demanded the Virgin Birth； Vicarious Atonement； and the Resurrection of the material body。 The scheme was unfolded in an infallible Book； or； for one section of Christians； guarded by the tradition of an infallible Church； and on the acceptance or refusal of this scheme depended an eternity of weal or woe。 There is not one of these doctrines that has not now been recast； softened down； mysticised； allegorised into something more conformable with modern thinking。 It is hard for the present generation； unless their breeding has been singularly archaic； to realise that these amazing doctrines were literally held and believed to constitute the very essence of religion； to doubt them was a moral delinquency。
It had not； however； escaped the notice of travellers and missionaries that savages carried on some sort of practices that seemed to be religious； and believed in some sort of spirits or demons。 Hence； beyond the confines illuminated by revealed truth； a vague region was assigned to NATURAL Religion。 The original revelation had been kept intact only by one chosen people； the Jews； by them to be handed on to Christianity。 Outside the borders of this Goshen the world had sunk into the darkness of Egypt。 Where analogies between savage cults and the Christian religions were observed； they were explained as degradations； the heathen had somehow wilfully 〃lost the light。〃 Our business was not to study but； exclusively； to convert them； to root out superstition and carry the torch of revelation to 〃Souls in heathen darkness lying。〃 To us nowadays it is a commonplace of anthropological research that we must seek for the beginnings of religion in the religions of primitive peoples； but in the last century the orthodox mind was convinced that it possessed a complete and luminous ready…made revelation； the study of what was held to be a mere degradation seemed idle and superfluous。
But； it may be asked； if； to the orthodox； revealed religion was sacrosanct and savage religion a thing beneath consideration； why did not the sceptics show a more liberal spirit； and pursue to their logical issue the conjectures they had individually hazarded？ The reason is simple and significant。 The sceptics too had not worked free from the presupposition that the essence of religion is dogma。 Their intellectualism； expressive of the whole eighteenth century； was probably in England strengthened by the Protestant doctrine of an infallible Book。 Hume undoubtedly confused religion with dogmatic theology。 The attention of orthodox and sceptics alike was focussed on the truth or falsity of certain propositions。 Only a few minds of rare quality were able dimly to conceive that religion might be a necessary step in the evolution of human thought。
It is not a little interesting to note that Darwin； who was leader and intellectual king of his generation； was also in this matter to some extent its child。 His attitude towards religion is stated clearly； in Chapter VIII。 of the 〃Life and Letters〃。 （Vol。 I。 page 304。 For Darwin's religious views see also 〃Descent of Man〃； 1871； Vol。 I。 page 65； 2nd edition。 Vol。 I。 page 142。） On board the 〃Beagle〃 he was simply orthodox and was laughed at by several of the officers for quoting the Bible as an unanswerable authority on some point of morality。 By 1839 he had come to see that the Old Testament was no more to be trusted than the sacred books of the Hindoos。 Next went the belief in miracles； and next Paley's 〃argument from design〃 broke down before the law of natural selection； the suffering so manifest in nature is seen to be compatible rather with Natural Selection than with the goodness and omnipotence of God。 Darwin felt to the full all the ignorance that lay hidden under specious phrases like 〃the plan of creation〃 and 〃Unity of design。〃 Finally； he tells us 〃the mystery of the beginning of all things is insoluble by us； and I for one must be content to remain an Agnostic。〃
The word Agnostic is significant not only of the humility of the man himself but also of the attitude of his age。 Religion； it is clear； is still conceived as something to be KNOWN； a matter of true or false OPINION。 Orthodox religion was to Darwin a series of erroneous hypotheses to be bit by bit discarded when shown to be untenable。 The ACTS of religion which may result from such convictions； i。e。 devotion in all its forms； prayer； praise； sacraments； are left unmentioned。 It is clear that they are not； as now to us； sociological survivals of great interest and importance； but rather matters too private； too personal； for discussion。
Huxley； writing in the 〃Contemporary Review〃 （1871。）； says； 〃In a dozen years 〃The Origin of Species〃 has worked as complete a revolution in biological science as the 〃Principia〃 did in astronomy。〃 It has done so because； in the words of Helmholtz； it contained 〃an essentially new creative thought；〃 that of the continuity of life； the absence of breaks。 In the two most conservative subjects； Religion and Classics； this creative ferment was slow indeed to work。 Darwin himself felt strongly 〃that a man should not publish on a subject to which he has not given special and continuous thought；〃 and hence wrote little on religion and with manifest reluctance； though； as already seen； in answer to pertinacious inquiry he gave an outline of his own views。 But none the less he foresaw that his doctrine must have； for the history of man's mental evolution； issues wider than those with which he was prepared personally to deal。 He writes； in 〃The Origin of Species〃 （6th edition； page 428。）； 〃In the future I see open fields for far more important researches。 Psychology will be securely based on the foundation already well laid by Mr Herbert Spencer； that of the necessary acquirement of each mental power and capacity by gradation。〃
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