schools and colleges, in that very proportion their old faith and their old creeds grow weak; in that very proportion all the old morality based upon their old creeds loses its binding force. So far as the spiritual and moral side of the young man's character is concerned, English education is absolutely and solely negative and destructive.' It is not contact with Christianity that destroys, but contact with civilization. But can civilization of itself rebuild the moral basis which it destroys or substitute another for it? Christianity can and does. It is no paradox to say that Christianity preserves whatever truth and worth there may be in native moral and religious systems from the destructive influence of civilization. Christian missions are now, at least, learning to commend their religion not by merely overthrowing others, but by liberating what is best in them, and claiming its true fulfilment in Christianity. At the very least they offer some religion and some morality to fill this blank created by the inevitable effects of civilization. The Church can build up just in that region of life where the Empire can only destroy.
4. Lastly, we may look to the Church to strengthen the political unity of the Empire by the spiritual unities which it creates. For the permanent incorporation of the native races, can there be any influence comparable to that of a common religion? Racial and social barriers cannot, indeed, be suddenly removed without the gravest danger. There was point as well as wit in the saying, 'I will accept the black as my brother when I can accept him as my brother-in-law.' But these inevitable divisions can be enormously mitigated by community of spiritual position. Long before common citizenship in the Empire may be either possible or desirable, there may be common citizenship in the Church. But it is as a unifying power within the English race throughout the Empire that the Church may play a specially valuable part. In the history of old England the unity of the Church in the midst of tribal divisions prepared the way for the unity of the nation.
