| Show 1111 TIATIMONY IIP ill Tiufiy Th Evolution or the Idea or God Is I the title of a volume hy Grant Allen In which the author cndea > om to give It lentlnc explanation ot tile origin and growth of man conception oC tile Deity It Is I stated that he has spent tll tul > cars In gathering materials for this hook and part of ten years In writ Ing It Mr Allen fallen the view that the basis of all religion U I ancestor worship Ir the deference paid by tile living to the dead From the worship of mum mits anti ghtelfA there Nos only one step to the practice of worshiping at their tombs shrines nnd temples coverIng cover-Ing their graves and paying homage to tombstones Ining anti talurs representing tho dead 111 this way he thinks the Idea of a multitude ot originated lot how did mankind pnps from polytheism to monotheism Mr Allen does not attempt to reply to tills lineation but denies the fact that Abraham was a monotheist and also the supposition that this form of religious relig-ious belief was due to the labors of the great laugh r Moes lie rather think that the Deity whose snored nom no devout Jew dares to mention for fear of profaning It at first Was u tribal ancestortrod represented perhaps i per-haps by a sacred pillar and that this rude Ida finally expanded until Je hoh becAme a pouer eternal omnl tclent almighty holy tile most ethereal ethe-real the nlot sublime the most superhuman super-human deity that the train of nan has ever conceit And this concluslnn that the Idea ot God Is I etolved from the practice ol I paying respect to dead ancestors I the t result of ieocaled sclentlfc r < match Irresistibly It recalls the observation obser-vation or the ancient age Th rool says In his heart There Is no God The theory reot holly upon Ih 0 umltlon that men commenced 111A career upon the earth In I a state nol different from the animals and that every form ard tell is I the result or do vlovment from Internal causes It takes for granted that the dllltrnt stages In which the various branches or the human family at present lire found with respect to arts sciences morals and soon Is I to be 1 > accounted I for on the ground ot difference In the speed with which the forward movement has been carried 011 But these assumptions seem to be entirely unfounded I The history of nations rather favor the old view that all civilization Is I due to external causes to Instruction training lei knowledge Imparted by fomcone ou perior l In this respect What riM Is I the teaching of the history of Japan and China and of the Islands of tho sea where comparatively a short lime ago cannibalism and Idolatr prevailed The evidence is I all In favor of the view that hy no process or evolution can a nu lion fenced In from communication with those In a higher stage of civilization civili-zation attain I a more elevated standard stand-ard stagnation and even trogrealon I It the rule until Ihe barriers ot separation are broken down and then n File rt generation Is I sometimes enough lo lift a race up to the most elevated level obtained liy man It these observations obser-vations are correct the conclusion Is Inevitable that the Idea of a Co < l came from without and In the case of the first man as with many After him by revelation As far as the evidence of history goes everything points toward revelation its the first source of all knowledge chllUatlon Itself Writers on the history of religions will hate to count with the wonderful phenomena encountered on title continent conti-nent It Is I now nn Indisputable fact that a civilization ot a high Older lourlxhcd here In the past i alien Struct tires the elual oC whth are not known to hate existed In Egypt or Persia ee once reared here enlth wn nc cumulated symbolical signs and elaborate elab-orate Inscriptions indicate the position posi-tion of the Inhabitants In philosophy end religion BY what process 1 ot evil often we may well ask did this continent conti-nent become the grate of all this chit zatlon and Itn Inhabitants the sal remnant or a one mighty race Will not the history or this continent com Pet science to recognize the fact eo often lost sight of that by Internal lower alone no Progress can ba madMan mad-Man needs Providence to Instruct guide and protect Outside that protecting pro-tecting care Is barbarism deca I < death The ups and down ot civilization demonstrate the existence of a buptem Being |
