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have attained forbids the progressive cultivation of literature； especially in
the two main divisions of fiction and history；… I shall have occasion to
show later。
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CHAPTER XIII。
This people have a religion； and； whatever may be said against it； at
least it has these strange peculiarities： firstly； that all believe in the creed
they profess； secondly； that they all practice the precepts which the creed
inculcates。 They unite in the worship of one divine Creator and Sustainer
of the universe。 They believe that it is one of the properties of the all…
permeating agency of vril； to transmit to the well…spring of life and
intelligence every thought that a living creature can conceive； and though
they do not contend that the idea of a Diety is innate； yet they say that the
An （man） is the only creature； so far as their observation of nature extends；
to whom 'the capacity of conceiving that idea；' with all the trains of
thought which open out from it； is vouchsafed。 They hold that this
capacity is a privilege that cannot have been given in vain； and hence that
prayer and thanksgiving are 55acceptable to the divine Creator； and
necessary to the complete development of the human creature。 They
offer their devotions both in private and public。 Not being considered
one of their species； I was not admitted into the building or temple in
which the public worship is rendered； but I am informed that the service is
exceedingly short； and unattended with any pomp of ceremony。 It is a
doctrine with the Vril…ya； that earnest devotion or complete abstraction
from the actual world cannot； with benefit to itself； be maintained long at a
stretch by the human mind； especially in public； and that all attempts to do
so either lead to fanaticism or to hypocrisy。 When they pray in private； it
is when they are alone or with their young children。
They say that in ancient times there was a great number of books
written upon speculations as to the nature of the Diety； and upon the forms
of belief or worship supposed to be most agreeable to Him。 But these
were found to lead to such heated and angry disputations as not only to
shake the peace of the community and divide families before the most
united； but in the course of discussing the attributes of the Diety； the
existence of the Diety Himself became argued away； or； what was worse；
became invested with the passions and infirmities of the human disputants。
〃For；〃 said my host； 〃since a finite being like an An cannot possibly define
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the Infinite； so； when he endeavours to realise an idea of the Divinity； he
only reduces the Divinity into an An like himself。〃 During the later ages；
therefore； all theological speculations； though not forbidden； have been so
discouraged as to have fallen utterly into disuse。 The Vril…ya unite in a
conviction of a future state； more felicitous and more perfect than the
present。 If they have very vague notions of the doctrine of rewards and
punishments； it is perhaps because they have no systems of rewards and
punishments among themselves； for there are no crimes to punish； and
their moral standard is so even that no An among 56them is； upon the
whole； considered more virtuous than another。 If one excels； perhaps in
one virtue； another equally excels in some other virtue； If one has his
prevalent fault or infirmity； so also another has his。 In fact； in their
extraordinary mode of life。 there are so few temptations to wrong； that
they are good （according to their notions of goodness） merely because
they live。 They have some fanciful notions upon the continuance of life；
when once bestowed； even in the vegetable world； as the reader will see in
the next chapter。
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CHAPTER XIV。
Though； as I have said； the Vril…ya discourage all speculations on the
nature of the Supreme Being； they appear to concur in a belief by which
they think to solve that great problem of the existence of evil which has so
perplexed the philosophy of the upper world。 They hold that wherever
He has once given life； with the perceptions of that life； however faint it be；
as in a plant； the life is never destroyed； it passes into new and improved
forms； though not in this planet （differing therein from the ordinary
doctrine of metempsychosis）； and that the living thing retains the sense of
identity； so that it connects its past life with its future； and is 'conscious' of
its progressive improvement in the scale of joy。 For they say that；
without this assumption； they cannot； according to the lights of human
reason vouchsafed to them； discover the perfect justice which must be a
constituent quality of the All…Wise and the All…Good。 Injustice； they say；
can only emanate from three causes： want of wisdom to perceive what is
just； want of benevolence to desire； want of power to fulfill it； and that
each of these three wants is incompatible in the All…Wise； the 57All…Good；
the All…Powerful。 But that； while even in this life； the wisdom； the
benevolence； and the power of the Supreme Being are sufficiently
apparent to compel our recognition； the justice necessarily resulting from
those attributes； absolutely requires another life； not for man only； but for
every living thing of the inferior orders。 That； alike in the animal and the
vegetable world； we see one individual rendered； by circumstances beyond
its control； exceedingly wretched compared to its neighbours… one only
exists as the prey of another… even a plant suffers from disease till it
perishes prematurely； while the plant next to it rejoices in its vitality and
lives out its happy life free from a pang。 That it is an erroneous analogy
from human infirmities to reply by saying that the Supreme Being only
acts by general laws； thereby making his own secondary causes so potent
as to mar the essential kindness of the First Cause； and a still meaner and
more ignorant conception of the All…Good； to dismiss with a brief
contempt all consideration of justice for the myriad forms into which He
has infused life； and assume that justice is only due to the single product
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of the An。 There is no small and no great in the eyes of the divine Life…
Giver。 But once grant that nothing； however humble； which feels that it
lives and suffers； can perish through the series of ages； that all its suffering
here； if continuous from the moment of its birth to that of its transfer to
another form of being； would be more brief compared with eternity than
the cry of the new…born is compared to the whole life of a man； and once
suppose that this living thing retains its sense of identity when so
transformed （for without that sense it could be aware of no future being）；
and though； indeed； the fulfilment of divine justice is removed from the
scope of our ken； yet we have a right to assume it to be uniform and
universal； and not varying and partial； as it would be if acting only upon
general and secondary laws； because such perfect justice flows of
necessity from perfectness of knowledge to conceive； perfectness of love
to will； and perfectness of power to complete it。 58 However fantastic this
belief of the Vril…ya may be； it tends perhaps to co