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��in the scientific stage of culture the knowledge of good and evil will depend upon the knowledge of truth and error. Then conscience will be an infallible guide; thus conscience becomes the ultimate criterion. Ethical conduct is conduct sanctioned by conscience. The ideal of religion has ever been the control of conduct by that agency, although other sanctions have been employed. Conscience is the child of religion and evolves as religion evolves, and religion evolves as the intellect evolves.
Such are the characteristics of the religion or principles of ethics inherited by the moral teachers of modern times — teachers who flourish in the atmosphere of science. Among these there is a goodly number of moral reformers ; in fact, as a class they are all moral reformers, some preaching against this evil, some against that ; some exalting this virtue, others exalting that. The moral teachers of the times are more and more eschewing the ancient doctrines of theoretical ethics and devoting their energy to practical ethics. Theories of faith are held in abey- ance to theories of practice. It needs but a few generations to come and go before the new teaching of theory will be founded wholly on principles derived from practice. This will be the es- tablishment of scientific ethics.
The agencies of religion are multifarious; the teachers of religion are potent. The organization of institutions of religion are all progressive. They have not to be overthrown, but only to be perfected.
We have identified ethics with religion. The teachers of religion may have erred in theories of ethics, and they may have been instrumental in the enforcement of ethical doctrines by unwise agencies. Some of these agencies have been of a char- acter utterly revolting to modern concepts of good and evil conduct. Usually the religion taught has been the religion be- lieved, though hypocrites have often nestled in the fold. The claim for superior conduct and for the sanctities of its teachings has enticed bad men into the ecclesiastical ranks. Above all
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