idea that true ethics would show that whatever tended toward the
advancement of the soul was "good," and whatever retarded its
advancement was "bad," in spite of any arbitrary standard of right or
wrong erected by man during the ages, and which standard has constantly
changed from time to time, is changing now, and always will change.

But the Hindu mind, especially, soon enlarged upon this original idea of
Karma, and the priests of India soon had the idea of Karma working as a
great rewarder of "good," and a great punisher of "evil." Corresponding
to the rewards and punishments in the future life, as taught by
Christian preachers, the Hindu priests held over the sinner the terrors
of Karma; and the rewards promised the good people from the same source
served to spur on the worshiper to actions in accordance with the ethics
of the particular church preaching the doctrine. It was taught that the
man's future state, in the next incarnation, and perhaps for many
others, depended upon his state of "goodness," in accordance with the
laws of the church and priestly teaching--surely as powerful an argument
and as terrifying a threat as the orthodox "bribe of heaven, and threat
of hell" of the Western world. The effect of this teaching is seen among
the masses of the but slightly educated Hindu classes of today, who are
very desirous of acquiring "merit" by performing some "good" deed, such
as bestowing alms upon the wandering religious mendicant; making
contributions to the temples, etc., as well as performing the acts of
ordinary good will toward men; and who are as equally anxious to avoid
acquiring "demerit" from the lack of proper observances, and the
performance of improper actions. While the general effect of this may be
in the direction of holding the ignorant masses in the ethical road most
conducive to the public weal, it also has a tendency to foster
credulity, superstition and imposition, just as do similar teachings in
any land, time, under the cover of any religion. There is a strong
family resemblance between these teachings among all the religions, and
there are many men who hold that this "crack of the theological whip" is
most necessary for the keeping of the masses of the people in the strait
road of morality, they being held incapable of the practice of "doing
good for good's sake, and avoiding evil because it is evil." We shall
not discuss this question--decide it for yourself.

One of the strongest applica