In fact, we find Mr. Spencer, like Faust as described by Marguerite, saying much the same thing as the priests, but not quite in the same way.  Of course, I allow for a much larger ‘germ of truth’ in the origin of the ghost theory than Mr. Spencer does.  But we can both say ’the ultimate form of the religious consciousness is’ (will be?) ’the final development of a consciousness which at the outset contained a germ of truth obscured by multitudinous errors.’[8]

  ’One God, one law, one element,
  And one far-off divine event,
  To which the whole creation moves.’

Coming at last to Mr. Tylor, we find that he begins by dismissing the idea that any known race of men is devoid of religious conceptions.  He disproves, out of their own mouths, the allegations of several writers who have made this exploded assertion about ‘godless tribes.’  He says:  ’The thoughts and principles of modern Christianity are attached to intellectual clues which run back through far pre-Christian ages to the very origin of human civilisation, perhaps even of human existence.’[9] So far we abound in Mr. Tylor’s sense.  ’As a minimum definition of religion’ he gives ‘the belief in spiritual beings,’ which appears ’among all low races with whom we have attained to thoroughly intimate relations.’  The existence of this belief at present does not prove that no races were ever, at any time, destitute of all belief.  But it prevents us from positing the existence of such creedless races, in any age, as a demonstrated fact.  We have thus, in short, no opportunity of observing, historically, man’s development from blank unbelief into even the minimum or most rudimentary form of belief.  We can only theorise and make more or less plausible conjectures as to the first rudiments of human faith in God and in spiritual beings.  We find no race whose mind, as to faith, is a tabula rasa.

To the earliest faith Mr. Tylor gives the name of Animism, a term not wholly free from objection, though ‘Spiritualism’ is still less desirable, having been usurped by a form of modern superstitiousness.  This Animism, ’in its full development, includes the belief in souls and in a future state, in controlling deities and subordinate spirits.’  In Mr. Tylor’s opinion, as in Mr. Huxley’s, Animism, in its lower (and earlier) forms, has scarcely any connection with ethics.  Its ‘spirits’ do not ’make for righteousness.’  This is a side issue to be examined later, but we may provisionally observe, in passing, that the ethical ideas, such as they are, even of Australian blacks are reported to be inculcated at the religious mysteries (Bora) of the tribes, which were instituted by and are performed in honour of the gods of their native belief.  But this topic must be reserved for our closing chapters.