civilization has been declared to be-“a savour of death unto death" unto some; yet, on the whole, the increasing diversity of the population must have for the race at large, a tendency upwards, towards a higher moral as well as a higher intellectual level; the very "struggle for life and the survival of the fittest," will work in this direction, and may be regarded as good for this result. When starvation is staring men in the face, they will not be so indifferent as now, either to the crimes that take from them the means of living, or to the virtues that multiply that means and tend to secure its more equal distribution.

277. Approach towards social equality.

Even if

And I think, too, that this equality of pecuniary condition, or rather, the near approach to it-for equality is a limit which it can never reach-will tend to improve men and society, in other ways than the one I have more especially spoken of. It will, I think, make men all alike in one respect. they are not equal, they will all be obliged to work and earn a living. Hence, one of the greatest causes of the rivalries and jealousies, that have hitherto done so much to harden the hearts, and embitter the lives of mankind, will be done away, and replaced as we think, by a sympathy and fellow-feeling, that

is the parent and fruitful source of most of the domestic and social virtues, and without which, they cannot exist. "The love of money" is the root of evil only when it becomes the love of that portion, or amount of money, that may minister to vice, or enable one to lift himself above the common wants, and the common sympathies of his fellow-men, into that aristocratic and self-indulgent isolation, where some measure of indifference becomes indispensable to the maintenance of the "position," in which their money has placed them.

278. No over-population possible.

Hence, instead of expecting any "over-population," in the sense in which the words are ordinarily used by Political Economists, I regard the thing as impossible. On the contrary, I look upon the increasing density of population in the world, as one of the indispensable conditions of an advancing civilization, and as one of the most efficient means towards a greater freedom and equality, a higher morality, and a more enlightened humanity, than the world has ever yet seen.

But I expect nothing, however, from Political Economy, without Christianity. I believe in "original sin," an inherited depravity working inwardly to produce tendencies to evil which "remaineth even

in them that are regenerate," and which no mere education in the principles of science, no combination or force of external circumstances and conditions, can wholly eradicate; and certainly this will always produce evil men and evil deeds, unless, indeed, in some far off future, and some widely different circumstances of our race, the cleansing influences of the in-working Holy Spirit of God shall effect a renovation in the race at large, like that which has actually been wrought in rare instances in men from the days when first the Holy Ghost was poured on the believing few on that early Pentecost in the first century.

But we shall have, as I believe, in the future, constraint and pressure of outward circumstances conspiring with inward convictions and the influences of the Holy Spirit acting through the doctrines and institutions of Christianity, to bring in an ideal state of humanity, a golden age of perfected manhood. Then there will be none, as I think, so rich that they will not need to work, and none who will work, so poor that they will need be ignorant, vicious, or vile.

APPENDIX.

An Essay on "the Relations of Labor and Capital from a Christian point of View,"-Read before the First American Church Congress, New York, October 7, 1874, by the Rev. W. D. Wilson, D. D., LL. D., of the Cornell University.

[Reprinted from the Proceedings.]

The relation of labor to capital is one of the great problems of the age-of all ages. In the lowest stages of human society, capital does not exist. The labor, such as it is, is performed by each one, man and woman alike, for himself or for herself. But soon, at a stage above, this ceases. The strongest party shirk the work, devolving it on the women, and take to themselves the more lordly occupations of war and hunting. At the next stage we find the institution of slavery, and a servile class, without rights, without so much as the ownership of themselves, doomed to do the work, while the masters live at ease, and enjoy themselves on the proIceeds of the labor.

But as society advances, slavery is found to be both inhuman and uneconomical, and antislavery sentiment

arises. But, without this, it is much preferable in many respects that the master should cease to be a master and man-owner, and become only the capitalist, dealing with those who do the work, not as slaves, but rather as equals, laborers employed by contract and consent. And we have now society divided into capitalists and laborers —both free, both equal before the law-but very unequal in respect to culture, social position, and the means and opportunities for enjoyment. And even this state of society, which is usually regarded as civilization, as the two preceding stages have been respectively regarded as savagery and barbarism, tends and looks forward to another in which all shall be capitalists, and all be laborers; every man shall work for the living he has, and every one shall own the capital he needs wherewith to do his work; and culture will be universal, if not equal. Means and leisure for all reasonable enjoyment will be within the reach of all; and moral purity, a high state of integrity, and a benevolent regard by all persons for the welfare of all others will be the prevailing sentiment. Shall we call this the Christian stage-the millennium— the divine ideal fully realized?

Doubtless our blessed Lord saw these great problems, as he saw all others that have oppressed and embarrassed humanity. But in this, as in all other things, he gave no scientific or philosophic solution. He came not to teach a philosophy, but a religion. Not, as has been quaintly said, to teach us how the heavens go, but how we may go to heaven. Instead of solving the problem for the intellects of his disciples, he solved it practically for all those who, adhering to his method, would believe in order to know, and obey in order to understand.