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Show Evil Is Purely Itclatl ye. It Is only after long ages of snclnl discipline dis-cipline frauuht with cruel afflict Ions nnd grinding misery, says John Fisko In the April Atlantic, that tho moral law becomes dominant nnd rollglous wsplratlon Intense and abiding In the soul. When such a stago Is reached, wo hnvo at length lu man a crunture different In kind from his predecessors, and fit for an everlasting llfo of pro-gress, pro-gress, for 11 closer nnd closer communion commun-ion with God lu bu.tuiitudo that shall endure forever. As we sjrvey the courso of this wonderful won-derful evolution, It begins to bueomu manifest Mint the moral ovll Is simply thu fharactcrlst lo of the lower state of living ns looked at from the hlghor state. ItH exlstonco is purely relative, yet It Is profoundly real, ami lu a pro. cess or perpetual spiritual evolution its proseuccof some hideous form through-nut through-nut along series of upward stages is Indispensable. Its absence would moan stagnation, quiescence, nnprogresslro-ness. nnprogresslro-ness. For tli moment wo exerclso conscious con-scious choice between ono courso of net on nnd another, wo recognize the dllTeienco between better and worse, wo foreshadow tho whole grand contrast con-trast between good nnd bad. In the process of spiritual nynlutlon, there-tore, there-tore, evil must needs be present. Hut tho natuio of evolution also requires Bssssssslis that it should ho ovaoesc- nl In thn higher stages that which Is worse than the best need no lonecr he positively bad. After (ho nature of that which the upwaid-siilvlng soul abbots has been torev-r Impressed ii'ioii H, iimld the hum vicl.-slludeg of Its pilgrimage llimuuh the dark reit ins of -in nnd X pla'lon. It U at longih equipped for lis llonl sojourn lu the 'drst kingdoms of m"ek joy nn'' love. From Hie gem Ml nnnloales toui'slo d 10 the process of i vooloti wo mi' entitled en-titled lu hope thai, ns It approaches i g'tal nut! man come nearer to ( d. ihe 'ad of evil will 'apse Into a mere memory. In which the sl'inl'wi"t pu.i .hall serve ns a buck ground lor the realized glory of toe piesetit.- John Fiske, in April Atlaiiilo. |