verge freely and without wasteful friction towards a common
end. What are the instruments for securing the preponderance of
Altruism? Clearly they must work from the strongest element in human
nature, and this element is Feeling or the Heart. Under the Catholic
system the supremacy of Feeling was abused, and the Intellect was made
its slave. Then followed a revolt of Intellect against Sentiment. The
business of the new system will be to bring back the Intellect into a
condition, not of slavery, but of willing ministry to the Feelings. The
subordination never was, and never will be, effected except by means of
a religion, and a religion, to be final, must include a harmonious
synthesis of all our conceptions of the external order of the universe.
The characteristic basis of a religion is the existence of a Power
without us, so superior to ourselves as to command the complete
submission of our whole life. This basis is to be found in the Positive
stage, in Humanity, past, present and to come, conceived as the Great
Being.

"A deeper study of the great universal order reveals to us at length
the ruling power within it of the true Great Being, whose destiny it
is to bring that order continually to perfection by constantly
conforming to its laws, and which thus best represents to us that
system as a whole. This undeniable Providence, the supreme dispenser
of our destinies, becomes in the natural course the common centre of
our affections, our thoughts, and our actions. Although this Great
Being evidently exceeds the utmost strength of any, even of any
collective, human force, its necessary constitution and its peculiar
function endow it with the truest sympathy towards all its servants.
The least amongst us can and ought constantly to aspire to maintain
and even to improve this Being. This natural object of all our
activity, both public and private, determines the true general
character of the rest of our existence, whether in feeling or in
thought; which must be devoted to love, and to know, in order rightly
to serve, our Providence, by a wise use of all the means which it
furnishes to us. Reciprocally this continued service, whilst
strengthening our true unity, renders us at once both happier and
better."

Remarks on the religion.

The exaltation of Humanity into the throne occupied by the Supreme Being
under monotheistic systems made all the rest of Comte's construction
easy e