only looked upon as evils which
should not exist among Christians. Jesus laid down general principles,
and we are to apply these general principles to particular
circumstances.

The sum of all His teaching is that love is the most beautiful thing in
the world; that the Kingdom of Heaven is open to all who really and
truly love. The act of loving is the expression of a desire to make
others happy. All beings capable of experiencing pain, who have nervous
sensibilities similar to our own, are capable of experiencing the effect
of our love. The love which is unlimited, which is not confined merely
to wife and children, or blood relations and social companions, or one's
own nation, or even the entire human race, but is so comprehensive as to
include all life, human and sub-human; such love as this marks the
highest point in moral evolution that human intelligence can conceive of
or aspire to.

Eastern religions have been more explicit than Christianity about the
sin of killing animals for food.

In the _Laws of Manu_, it is written: 'The man who forsakes not the law,
and eats not flesh-meat like a bloodthirsty demon, shall attain
goodness in this world, and shall not be afflicted with maladies.'

'Unslaughter is the supreme virtue, supreme asceticism, golden truth,
from which springs up the germ of religion.' _The Mahabharata._

'_Non-killing_, truthfulness, non-stealing, continence, and
non-receiving, are called Yama.' _Patanjalis' Yoga Aphorisms._

'A Yogi must not think of injuring anyone, through thought, word or
deed, and this applies not only to man, but to all animals. Mercy shall
not be for men alone, but shall go beyond, and embrace the whole world.'
_Commentary of Vivekananda._

'Surely hell, fire, and repentance are in store for those who for their
pleasure and gratification cause the dumb animals to suffer pain.' _The
Zend Avesta._

Gautama, the Buddha, was most emphatic in discountenancing the killing
of animals for food, or for any other unnecessary purpose, and Zoroaster
and Confucius are said to have taught the same doctrine.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 2: See _Sartor Resartus_, Book I., chap. xi.: Book III., chap.
vii. Also an article by Prof. W. P. Montague, Ph.D.: 'The Evidence of
Design in the Elements and Structure of the Cosmos,' in the _Hibbert
Journal_, Jan., 1904.]

IV

THE AESTHETIC POINT OF VIEW

St. Paul tells us to think on whatsoever things are pure and lovely
(Phil. iv., 8