'The two great forming agencies in the world's history,' says a prominent political economist, 'have been the {244} religious and the economic.'[31] On the one hand the economic is required as the basis of civilisation, but on the other the supreme factor is religion. The commercial impulse, carried on independently of any higher motive than self-interest, has however not infrequently reacted favourably on the moral life of the race. Mutual understanding, the sense of a common humanity, the virtues of honesty, fairness, and confidence upon which all legitimate commerce is founded, have paved the way in no small degree for the message of brotherhood and mercy. The present hour is the Church's opportunity. Already the world has been opened up, the nations of the earth are awakening to the greatness of life's possibilities. The danger is that the Oriental peoples should become satisfied with the mere externals of civilisation, and miss that which will assure their complete emancipation. Christianity was born in the East, though it has become the inheritance of the West. It is adapted by its genius to all men. And undoubtedly the West has no better boon to confer on the East than that on which its own life and hope are founded--the religion of Jesus Christ. If we do not give that, we are unfaithful to our Master's call; we falsify our own history, and wholly miss the purpose for which we have been entrusted with divine enlightenment and power. [1] Lofthouse, _Ethics of the Family_, p. 77. [2] _Hist. of Human Marriage_, p. 538. [3] The literature on this subject is enormous. See specially works of Westermarck, M'Lennan, Frazer, Hobhouse, Andrew Lang, and Ihering. [4] See chap. vii. in Garvie's _Studies in Inner Life of Jesus_. [5] Matt. viii. 21, 22; Luke ix. 59-62. [6] Luke xiv. 26; Matt. x. 37. [7] Mark x. 29, 30. [8] Matt. xix. 12. [9] Matt. v. 32, xix. 3-10; Mark x. 11, 12. [10] See Forsyth, _Marriage: its Ethics and Religion_. [11] King, _Ethics of Jesus_, p. 69. [12] Stalker, _Ethics of Jesus_, p. 336. [13] Though Nietzsche does not use the word he may be regarded as the father of modern eugenics. [14] Cf. Ramsay Macdonald, _Socialism_. [15] Mark vii. 9-13. [16] Cf. King, _The Moral and Religious Challenge of our Times_, pp. 42 f. [17] Cf. W. Wallace, _Lects. and Addresses_, p. 114. [18] _Aus Leben und Wissenschaft_. [19] Matt. xii. 18-22; John xviii. 23, xix. 10 f. [20] Rom. xiii. [21] Sir H. Jones, _Idealism as a Practical Creed_, p. 123. [22] Some sentences are here borrowed from author's _Ethics of St. Paul_. [23] _E.g._ Eucken, Kindermann, Mallock, and earlier H. Spencer. [24] _Life's Ideal and Life's Basis_. [25] Eph. iv. 3. [26] Clarke, _Ideal of Jesus_, p. 258. [27] Watson, _Social Advance_. [28] _Die Soziallehren der Christlichen Kirchen und Gruppen_, a recent work on social ethics of great erudition and importance. [29] _Ethik_, vol. ii.