Excerpt from Principia: A Series of Essays on the Principles of Evil, Manifesting Themselves in These Last Times in Religion, Philosophy, and Politics Nothing is more difficult than to determine whether Society is advancing or retrograding: in another view, whether there is more good or evil in the world which of them is increasing the most rapidly, and which is predominating. Perhaps this is a question which it is beyond the province of sound wisdom to endeavour to decide. It may be wiser to leave all comparisons, and to combat evil and promote good simply, wherever the opportunity may be found. It is also most difficult to compare past time with the present, and to resolve, upon the whole balance sheet of failings and improve ments, whether the present times are worse or better than those which have last, or long before, preceded them. Say not, Why were the former days better than these for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.