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http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924029003949

THE RELIGION OF HUMANITY.

THE

RELIGION OF HUMANITY

Delivered at the Church Congress,

Manchester, October 1888.

BY THE

Right Hon.

ARTHUR

Jf

BALFOUR,

LL.D., F.R.S.

EDINBURGH: DAVID DOUGLAS.

1888.

\_All

Rights reserved^

CORNELL
I

UMVERSITYJj
LIBRARY
'^^

THE

RELIGION OF HUMANITY.
B6:'t{rtAi>5.Mil

the

word

take

or

be used

to

mean

to

it

in a

wider sense.

that general habit

scheme of thought which, on

negative side, refuses

thing

laws

all

belief in any-

beyond phenomena
connecting

its

them,

and

the

and on

its

positive side attempts to find in the

*

worship of humanity,'

more soberly phrase

it,

as

or,

in the

'

some

service

of man,' a form of religion unpolluted

by any element of the supernatural.

Now

do not propose here

to

discuss the negative side of this creed.

Those who

confidently assert, as

the Positivists, that there

things which

not

one

set of

we can know and do

know, and another

we do

is

do

set of things

which

know and can never know,

evidently suppose themselves to be in

possession of

in

valid criterion of

H ow far this supposition

knowledge.
is

some

case

their

legitimate,

have

endeavoured elsewhere to discuss from

my own
title

point of view, in a book the

of which

has

interest than the contents.

mean

to

What

to

refer

the

to

have now to say

what may be

do not

subject

here.

relates solely

called the religious

element in Positivism, and

to

more

attracted

its

adequacy

meet the highest needs of beings

such as

we

are,

placed

in

a world

such as ours.

Some

will

deny

at the outset that

the term religion can ever be appropriately

used of a creed which has

nothing in
is

it

of the supernatural.

a question of words, and, like

It
all

questions

of

convenience.

-In

of

a question

words,

my judgment

the

convenience varies in this case with

we

the kind of investigation in which

happen

to

be engaged.

If

we

are

considering religions from their dog-

systems of beHef, to

matic side, as

be distinguished as such both from

ethics

and from

science,

would be absurd
tivism,

describe

which allows no

such as are either

as having

religion.

beliefs

But

it

Posi-

except

scientific or ethical,

any religious element

So considered

we

to

no doubt

at

a negation of

all.

all

it

is

if,

on the other hand,

are considering religion not merely

from the outside, as a system of propositions, stating

what can be known

of man's relations to

a supernatural

power, and the rules of conduct to be

framed thereon, but from the

inside,

as consisting of acts of belief penetrated with religious emotion, then I

think

it

would be unfair

to

deny that

some such emotion may

centre round

the object of Positivist

cult,

if it

does so

to describe

it is
it

that

inconvenient to refuse

as a religion.

It is doubtless

to dwell

and

upon

unnecessary for

this

me

double aspect of

every rehgion, and of every system of

belief

which aspires

for religion.

to

be a substitute

For many purposes

may be enough

it

to regard religion as

a mere collection of doctrines and

precepts.

It is often

we

are dealing

its

development

with
;

enough when
its

history,

or

with the criticism

the

or

of' documeifts

of

evidence

But when we are dealing

dogmas.

not merely with the evolution of

ligion or

among

its

truth,

but with

its

function

men here and now, we

as much concerned with

us

at least

re-

are

the

living emotions of the religious con-

sciousness as with the framework of

on which

doctrine,

depend

ultimately
sistency

Now,

no

doubt they
con-

their

for

and permanence.
as

it is

certain that there

may

be supernaturalism without religious

feeling,

there

so

we need not deny

may be something

of religious

feeling

naturalism.

The

that

of the nature

without

super-

Deists of the last

century accepted the argument from

design.

The

existence of the world

showed

in their

view

thaft

there

must

The

char-

have been a First Cause.

showed

acter of the world

First

that this

Cause was intelHgent and

nevolent.

They

selves with

be-

thus provided them-

the dogmatic basis of a

religion, which,

however inadequate,

nevertheless has been

religion to vast

and

still is

a real

But

numbers of men.

whom

to the thinkers of

speak

this

theory was never more than a speculative belief

The

effect required a

chain of cause and

beginning, and their

theory of a First Cause provided one.

The

idea of an infinitely complex but

orderly universe appeared by itself to

be unsatisfactory,
so

they rounded

if
it

not unintelligible,
off with a

Yet, while the savage

who

God.

adores a

stone, for

no better reason than that

it

has an odd shape, possesses a religion

though a wretched and degraded one,

the

Deists

whom

of

speak had

nothing more than a theology, though

of a

kind only possible in a com-

paratively advanced community.

While

there

may

thus be a specu-

lative belief in the supernatural,

which

through the absence of religious feeling

does not

in

word amount

the

full

sense

of the

to a religion, there

may

be religious feeling divorced from any

belief in the supernatural.

It is in-

deed obvious that such feeling must

To

be limited.
pass of the
it

can,

the variety

full religious

and com-

consciousness

from the very nature of the case,

never attain.

The

spectacle

of the

Starry

Heavens may

admir-

and awe, but cannot be

ation

way

except by
love

irifepire

said,

of metaphor, to inspire

Humanity may

and devotion.

love and devotion, but does

inspire

not, in ordinarily constituted

minds,

spire either admiration or awe.

If

in-

we

wish to find these and other religious

feelings concentrated

transfusing

precepts

and

on one

the

vivifying

bare

of morality, the combining

must be sought

power

object,

for

in

the

doctrines of Supernatural Religion.

It

might

be said

while

some of the

with

in

theology

doubtless absent from the

these

that

feelings associated

supernatural

humanity,'

reply,

are

religion of

have purpose

and

significance chiefly in relation to the

doctrine of a future
persons, therefore,

and

life,

who

to those

see no

ground
any

for believing in the possibility of

such
less

life,

or

seem

mischievous.

the point where

The

Here then

belief in a future state

important

I will

is

one of

not say the

between

differences

phenomenal and supernatural

It is

is

desire to join issue.

the most striking

most

meaning-

necessarily

religion.

one upon which no agreement

or compromise

is

of no gradations

possible.

of no

or

purpose

to contribute

is

is

admits

less or

It is true,

it

It

false.

more.

And my
one or two

observations towards a qualitative

esti-

mate of the immediate gain or

loss

to

some of the highest

interests

of

mankind, which would follow upon a

10

substltutiGn of the Positivlst for the

Christian theory on the subject.

I

say a quaHtative estimate, because

it is

not easy to argue about a quanti-

TlAtive estimate in default of a

experience in which

wholly

we

humanity, divorced

The

many

religion

of

from any other

religion, is professed

and, in

are at present

The

deficient.

kind of

by but a small

respects, a peculiar sect.

cultivation of emotions at high

tension towards humanity, deliberately

dissociated
religious

from

feeling

the

cultivation

God,

towards

of

has

never yet been practised on a large

scale.

We

have so

laboratory experiments.

far

had only

There has

been no attempt to manufacture

bulk.

And

even

if it
II

in

had been other-

wise, the conclusion to

be drawn" must

for a

long time have remained doubt-"

ful.

For

the success of such attempts

greatly depends

medium

the social
carried

on the character of

on

and

if,

in

which they are

as I should hope,

medium

the existing social

is

favour-

able to the growth of philanthropic

feelings,

the

to

remains

its

character

action
to

be

of

is

largely

due

Christianity.

It

proved whether,

if

Christianity were destroyed, a religion

*

of humanity' could long maintain for

itself
it

the atmosphere in which alone

could permanently flourish.

I

the

make no attempt then

to estimate

magnitude of the gain or

which the destruction of a

Providence and a future
12

loss

belief in

life

would

entail

upon mankind.

J*

merely en-

deavour to characterise one or two of

the elements
loss

of which that gain or

would be composed.

But

doing so

in

do not propose

to count, or at least to consider, the

feelings of satisfaction, or the reverse,

with which, according to their temper

or their creed, individuals

may

con-

template their personal destiny after

My

death.

present business

thoughts and
reference,

is

with

emotions of a wider

and among these

count

the effect which the belief that physical dissolution

is

not the destruction

of consciousness, that death

lets

down

the curtain at the end of the act, not

at the

end of the

mood

in

piece, has

upon the

which we survey the darker

>3

aspects

of

we

world in which

the

Hve.
I.*

To

say that the doctrine of Im-

mortality provides us with a ready-made

solution of the

problem of

course absurd.

If there be a problem,

it is

insoluble.

evil, is

of

Nevertheless there can

be no doubt that

may

it

profoundly

modify the whole attitude of mind in

which we are able

to face the insistent

facts of sin, suffering,

am

no pessimist.

and

miser}''.

do not profess

to

weigh against one another the sorrows

and the joys of humanity, and

to con-

had been better

for us

clude that

it

had we never been born.

Let any

one try to perform such a calculation

in his

be

own

case (about which he

presumed

have

to
14

'

may

exceptional

sources of information)

same

the

of

spirit

; let

him, in

unimpassioned

inquiry in which he would carry on any

other piece of scientific measurement,

how much of his

been above and how much

attempt to estimate
life

has

below that neutral

line

which repre-

sents the precise degree of well-being

at

which existence

is

neither a bless-

ing nor a curse, and he will henceforth

treat

with

derision

all

attempts

perform the same operation

human
But

to

for

the

yet

the

race.

though

this

be

so,

sense of misery unrelieved, of wrongs

unredressed, of griefs beyond remedy,
of failure without hope, of physical

pain so acute that

it

seems the one

overmastering reality |n a world of

s

shadows,

deadly that

it

welcomes physical pain

as a relief these,

itself

so

depression

mental

of

and

crookednesses

and

of

injustices

crooked and unjust world,

the

all

may

well

overload our spirits and shatter the

our energies,

of

springs

this

to

if

world only

we must

For thus

restricted

hopeless.

Let us dream what dreams

we

please about

paint
let

it

in

restrict

our gaze.

the problem

the

hues of our

future

let

is

us

own choosing

us fashion for ourselves a world in

which war has been abolished, disease

mitigated,

which

poverty

leave

In

life,

untouched

irremediable

out

In

and charity determine

justice

every relation
still

rooted

Ills

and we
a

shall

residue

of

separation, decay,

This distant and

weariness, death.

millennium

doubtful

shadows

doubtful

has

and then how

is

it

and

distant

The most

dark

its

intrepid

prophet dare hardly say with assur-

ance whether the gorgeous mountain

we

shapes to which

are drifting be

And

cloud or solid earth.

future happiness

sent misery

is

is

doubtful, the pre-

certain.

humanity can enjoy

make up
the past

for

are not the

suffered

what

for

one

Nothing

that

in the future will

has suffered in

it

those

same

while the

who

will

as those

set of persons

enjoy

who have
is

injured,

another set will receive compensation.

Now

do not wish

any exaggeration.

It

to

be guilty of

may

conceded that many persons

17

freely

be

exist to

whom

the knowledge that there are

wrongs
to

be remedied

to

is

remedying them, and

more

who can

a stimulus
is

nothing

minds

abstract their

from everything but the work in hand,

and remain,

like

an experienced doctor,

wholly undisturbed by the sufferings

of those

whom

But

to relieve.
this

class

good

the good

am

The

evils

that

common,

is

commoner.
social

they are endeavouring

is
it

is

not sure that

or

is

getting

sensitiveness

increasing,

and

it

should increase.
not unmixed.

to
is

But

In pro-

portion as the general sympathy gets

wider, as the social imagination gets

more comprehensive and more

sponsive, so will the

increase

who

number

re-

of those

according to their temper

fS

either rush frantically to

^e first quack

remedy

itself,

that presents

or,

too

clear-sighted to be sanguine, but not

callous

enough

to

be

indifferent, yield

themselves bondsmen to a sceptical

For

despair.

know

classes I

be

But

stupidity.

first

no

is

the

for

what we see

faith that

and a small
will

of

these

not that anything can

There

done.

which

the

part, of a

cure

second, the
is

but part,

general scheme

complete the destiny, not

merely of humanity, but (which

very different thing)

woman, and

born

child

consolation

is

of every man,

world, has supplied, and

supply,

for

and

into

may

the

again

encourage-

ment, energy and hope.

II.

It

is

true that
19

we

are

some

times

a system

told that

by which

rewards and punishments are annexed

in another world, to the practice

of

virtue or of vice in this one, appeals

to

And

human

baser side of

the

nature.

comparisons are drawn between

which appeal

religions
tions,

and

religions

to

former.

But

this opinion,

itself naturally to

treatment,
objection.

is

which do

not,

disadvantage of the

the

entirely

such sanc-

to

much

open

to

In the

which lends

easy rhetorical

more than one

first

place,

it

rnis-

takes the position which the doctrine

of future retribution holds in Christian

theology, a position which, though real

and important,
ordinate one

is

nevertheless a sub-

in the hierarchy of re-

ligious motives.

On
20

this

do not

further dwell, since

beyond the

limit of

But

ject.

in

the

seems altogether

of)viously falls

it

my

present sub-

second place,

it

to mistake the true

position of rational self-love

any

in

sound scheme of practical morality.

Conceive

for

infinitely better

would be

if

one moment what an

and happier world

every action

in

it

it

were

directed by a reasonable desire for the

happiness

agent's

kinds, drunkenness
ills,

would vanish

Excess

and

attendant

disease

would be

petty vexations

domestic

away;

life

the

would be
be rated

at

all

its

enormously mitigated
the

of

would

nine-tenths of

which
be

competition

embitter

smoothed
for

lessened, for wealth

wealth

would

no more than the quantity

of pleasure which

purchasing

for

its

capable

is

it

possessor

of

the

sympathetic emotions would be sedulously cultivated, as

among

subject to weariness

and

those least

satiety

while

would be practised

self-sacrifice itself

as the last refinement of a judicious

luxury.

Now, love of self thus understood,

we should be right in ranking infinitely lower among springs of action

God

than the love of

or the love of

man.

But we should assuredly be

utterly

wrong

in

confounding

self-indulgence, of

which

it

is

it

with

usually

the precise opposite, or in describing

it

as in any respect base

The
too

world

much

of

suffers not
it,

and degraded.
because

but because
22

it

it

has

has too

not because

little;

it

motives, but because

displaces higher
it is

itself habit-

But

ually displaced

by lower ones.

though

so, yet it

must some-

however

rarely,

be

this

times happen,

that

rational love of self conflicts with the

love of man,

disinterested
in

world

this

account.

It

alone be

only

is

if

if

results

taken

we

are

into"
jper-

mitted to assume another phase of

existence in direct moral relation with
this

one, that

tween

these

the

contradiction

guiding

principles

be-*

of

conduct can be solved certainly and

universally in a higher harmony.
It is true that

to us

that

hopes are held out

a judicious manipulation

of the latent forces of public opinion

may

supply us with a very

23

efficient

substitute for

may

Heaven and

and

Hell,

provide a method by which any

action disagreeable to the

community

be made so intolerable to

shall

its

perpetrator, that a perfect accord will

be produced between individual and

public

Now

interests.

am

far

indeed from asserting that this scheme

(which

enough

oddly

meets

who

especial favour from those

with
find

something unworthy of the highest

morality in the

ordinary doctrine of

future retribution)

The

effect

habitual

is

wholly chimerical.

which the opinion of

has

associates

ordinary man,

who

nor a scoundrel,

and though

is

is

upon

his

the

neither a hero

almost limitless

do not know

that their

approval has been able as yet to give

24

its

object a foretaste of

disapproval

may

But

its

victim with

sufficient anticipation of Hell.

this

is

man

their

without doubt be so

organized as to supply

a very

Heaven,

a power which any sober

desires

to

see

indefinitely in-

creased and placed in irresponsible

hands

bility

that

Is there the slightest possi-

limited

Would

to
it

its

operation

questions

would

be

morals

of

not inevitably trespass upon

individual freedom in neutral matters

Would
that

it

not crush out every

germ of

tendency to variation which

'

the very basis of development?

can we seriously regard

provement
universe
Infinite

in

that

the

it

is

and

as an im-

scheme

Infinite

of

Justice

the

and

Mercy should be dethroned

25

purpose of putting in their

the

for

place an apotheosised Mrs.

Dismissing then

this substitute for

remedy more

future retribution as a

dangerous than the

take stock of the

disease,

for

let

position in

practical morality is left

tion of a future

Grundy?

life.

by the

us

which
aboli^

have sketched

you what the world might be

if it

were governed solely by reasonable

self-love

this

it

and a comparison between

picture

satisfy

love

is

and the

should

reality

any one how feeble a motive

self-

compared with the work which

has to perform.

In this

lies

the

explanation of a fact which strangely

enough has been used as an argument

to

show the worthlessness of

tianity as

an instrument
26

Chris-*

for moralizing

the world.

How

comes*

say these

it,

when

objectors, that in the ages

(as

they read history) the sufferings and

joys

of eternity were

special

vividness

present with

Christendom, more

produced upon the

mind

the

to

was

effect

lives of

men

of

not
that

licentiousness

and devotion so often

went hand

hand

in

of Hell and

is,

that the terrors

the hopes of

were powerless
violence

to stay the

and oppression

Heaven
hand of

The answer

that then, as now, the conviction

that happiness lies along one road

misery along another,

is

and

seldom ade-

quate to determine the path of the

traveller.

He

way, knowing

will

choose the wrong

to

be the wrong way,

it

and well assured

in his
27

moments of

reflection that

he

what he knows

to

he knows

to

is

doing not merely

be wicked, but what

Surely,

be inexpedient.

however, this

is

to the facts of

not only conformable

human

nature, but to

If the

the doctrines of Christianity.

practice of the noblest
fruit

that

lightened

actions

happiness, then

desire for

all

ages

But

mistaken.

However

so.

is

can spring from the en-

have theologians in
notably

conduct

closely in

by

prescribed

it

been
not

is

theory the

may

self-love

agree with those prescribed by benevolence,

in

no man has ever succeeded

performing them from the former

motive alone.

No

conviction, for in-

stance, that unselfishness

ever

made any man

78

'

pays

habitually

'

has

and

successfully

To promote

unselfish.

the happiness of others

means

perfectly logical

but

beings

and

be,

and reasonable

are

capable

is,

policy,

human

not a policy which

is

it

may

own,

to our

solely as

pursuing

of

experience shows

and,

as

love

of self must be barren unless

merged

its

ated with

they

the love of God.

great

prescribe,

mate as

so

rarely

defy

but

them-

the

actions

often

analysis,
29

These

great,

gaining

combination
to

in

associ-

in

distinct

harmonious

from a

principles

co-equal,

selves,

unless

perfection

highest

not

of others,

the

love of others be found in

this

three

love

Church teach that

does the

can

the

in

that

strength

so

inti-

are

yet,

even in combination,

to

insufficient

control the inordinate ambitions, desires,

and passions over which they

are de jure, but seldom de facto, the

unquestioned
they

dealt

creed

by

with

The

How

rulers.

the

love of self

weakened as a motive

then are
Positivist
directly

is

by the

to virtue

abolition of supernatural sanctions in

another

life.

indirectly

The

love of others

weakened by the

of conflict between
self

The

it

suppressed.

possibility

and the love of

God

love of

summarily

is

Surely those

contemplate this

is

result

who can

with

equa-

nimity must either be very indifferent

to

the

triumph

ignorant of
,sanguine

of

human

about

the
30

morality,

nature,
issues

very

or very
of

the

struggle between the opposing forces

of good and

In considering, howeverj the

III.

effect of
it is

evil.

any creed on human

actions,

common

error to

a great though a

limit our

view to the bare substance of

thdmorality

it

advocates, or to the direct

method by which moral action

be produced.
is

the

is

to

Scarcely less important

manner

in

which

presents the

it

human effort to the imagination of men.

The question. Is life
worth living? when it is not a mere

results of

exclamation of weariness and

means or should mean,

satiety,

Is there

any

object worth striving for, not merely as

a matter of duty, but for

greatness
labours

of

its

intrinsic

Can we look at the

man from any point of
31

shall satisfy, not the con-

view which

science merely, but also the imagination

For

say of

if not, if
is

life

we can

the best

though somewhat

that,

lacking in meaning, yet where circumstances are propitious,

not other-

is

it

wise than agreeable, then assuredly in

our moments of reflection

not seem worth living

we contemplate
more we

raise

it

as

and the more

a whole, the

ourselves

above the

distractions of the passing

the less worth living will

This,

denied

it

moment,

seem.

apprehend, would not be

by

would claim
an ideal

would

it

any

but

Positivist,

for his creed that

object, vast

enough

it

he

had

to absorb

the whole energies of mankind, and

splendid enough to satisfy

32

its

highest

In the work of building

aspirations.

up a

perfected

may

bear a part.

do much, yet

During

humanity, every one

None
may do

all

brief

his

indeed can
something.

from

journey

nothingness to nothingness, each

may add

his

pebble to the

rising foundations of

an

man

slowly

ideal world,

content to pass into eternal darkness

if

he has hastened by a moment the

advent

of

though he

golden

the
will

age

not live to see

which,
it,

yet

must surely come.

Though

personally

prefer

we may share
millennium to which we are invited

system under which

the

to contribute,

should be the

last

to deny that conduct thus inspired

has

much

in

it

that appeals
33

to the

But though the

highest imagination.
ideal
I

grand,

is

is

it

also

positive'?

have never been able to discover

there

that

known

is

any foundation

laws of nature for these

tering anticipations, or for

fident

in the

expectation

that

be attainable

we

to attain

Consider

it.

if

flat-

any conperfection

are in the right

the complexity of

for a

human

way

moment

affairs

our

ignorance of the laws which govern

the growth

of

societies

the

utter

inadequacy of any power of calculation

that

we

possess to apply with con-

fidence our

(such as

knowledge of those laws

it is)

to the guidance of the

contending forces by which the social

organization

who would

moved.

The man

sacrifice the

good of the

is

34

next generation for th$ greater good

of the generation next but one

He

fool.

is

neglects an age of which

he may know a

for the

little,

sake of

an age respecting which he can know

nothing.

He

stumble

along

prefers to

might,
in

if

the

he pleased,
twilight

adventure himself in the

blackness of utter night.

Yet what

a generation in the history of

Nothing.

he

And

we,

who

is

man

cannot be

sure whether our efforts will benefit

or

injure

quietly to

way

our

assume

grandchildren,
that

we

are

are in the

to contribute to the fortunes of

the remotest representatives

human

the

race.
if

we

best, all these things shall

be

It will

do our

of

perhaps be said that

35

added

unto us

and

that

without

we

conscious contrivance on our part

shall

be gently led towards the

consummation by
dence

But

the
I

enough

modern
of

principle

have
to

that

final

Provi-

Evolution.

been fortunate

never

persuade

myself

that

a scientific

"evolution in so far as

it is

doctrine, promises

or any of these

good things,

all

am aware that occasion-

ally evolutionists also find

among
that

the prophets

and

themselves
I

take

it

some of these anticipations are con-

ceived in the spirit of prophecy rather

than in that of natural philosophy.

But what guidance

actually

in this matter

given us by science

is

We

are taught that the successive develop-

ments of species have not been along

36

one main channel, but

branching

streams,

those

that

some great

river.

like

intersect the delta of

countless

in

We also

point or

other

develop-

know that at some

on the way towards the

ment of a higher

intelligence all these

streams but one have been checked.

The
alone,

of man, and

progenitors

would seem

precise line of flow,

to

have

they

hit off the

which could pro-

But

duce an Aristotle or a Newton.

because man, more fortunate than his

cousins, has got thus

progress
differs

to

be indefinite

from the animals only

will not, his fate

in

far, is

degree also

point, if

his future
?

If

he

in degree,

only differ from theirs

He

too will reach a

he has not reached

beyond which no

it

already,

variation will bring

37

with

it

increased

of imagination,

increased vigour

creased moralization of
capacity for social

seem

to

me

There,

will,

Nor

life.

too,

does

results.

not been

progress has

and nations have

in turn

burden of advancing

Races

heavy

for

civilisation,

degenerated,
stationary,
loss to

and

them,

have

Many

wearily down.

many

and

am

of man.
38

too

it

laid

it

become

wholly at

the

and we

to escape the

borne

peoples have

have

know why we

Western nations
hope

taken up the

a certain space, found

for

it

that the study of history

along one line of descent.

it

in-

increased

more encouraging

leads us to

grasp,

intellectual

group of

alone,

common

may

destiny

we

If
in

regard the

which we have

web
for

then

to

Universe

Hve as a mere

of connected phenomena, created

no

stamped

pose,

by no pur-

object, informed

no

with

marks

of

design other than those which can be

imitated

by natural

ground

for the faith

effort will

selection, I see

that all

work together

no

honest

for the pro-

man and

duction of a regenerate

Such a conclusion

perfected society.

cannot be drawn from the notion of

God,

for

God.

It

by hypothesis there

is

no

cannot be drawn from any

general survey of the plan on which

the world

which
is

it is

framed

is

framed, or of the end for

constructed

on

no

for the

plan,

nor

world
is

constructed to carry out any end.

39

it

It

cannot be drawn from a consideration

of the histories of individual species
or

nations,

for

the inference

drawn from these

"set

that

is

to

Nature has

bounds beyond which no ahera-

tion brings with

provement.

It

any material im-

it

deduced

cannot be

from what we know of man,

have

knowledge

no

certain than that he

sciously to

interaction he

is

we

man more

powerless con-

ideal, forces

attain-

whose

powerless to calculate

To

or to comprehend.

seems that the

the world

is

of

for

bend towards the

ment of any remote

it

be

'

me, therefore,

positive

must needs end

in

'

view of
a chilling

scepticism concerning the final worth

of

human

to

freeze

effort,

which can hardly

fail

and paralyse the warmest

40

and

enthusiasm

the

fnost

zealous

energy.

IV. But

do not think

eftects In starving

be allowed
tion

'

end

what

that

its

may perhaps

to call the 'moral imagina-

here.

There

are

some who

hold that the wider range of vision

given to us by history and science has

diminished the credibility of a religion

which comparative theology

is

only one

among thousands

have flourished

astronomy
a.niong

through

own

tells

in a

limitless

is

it

space.

For my

Comte
when,
41

only one
scattered

part, the conclusion I

advised

that

millions

these undoubted facts

well

us

world of which

us that

indefinite

opposite one.

tells

is

draw from

precisely the

was,
in

his

think,
later

he

writings,
into

discouraged

remote

matters

human

interest,

such research

is

that

inimical to the profaith.

Positivism

but

obvious

on the ground

gress of the Positive

tianity,

from

research

Not

Chris-

shrinks

pales in the light of increasing

and

know-

For, while the Positive faith

ledge.

professes to base itself upon science,

its

emotions centre in humanity, and

we

are therefore treated to the singular

spectacle of a religion in which each

great advance in the doctrines which

support

dwarfs

it

still

further

dignity of the object for which

For what

is

it

th&

exists.

man, considered merely as

among other natural

Time was when the for-

a natural object
objects

tunes

of his

tribe
42

were enough

to

exhaust the energies and*to bound the

imagination

The

of

the

primitive

sage.

gods' pecuHar care, the central

object of an attendant universe, that

which the sun shone and the dew

for
fell,

to

which the

ministered

it

stars in their courses

drew

its

origin in the

and might

past from divine ancestors,

by divine favour be destined

existence

indefinite

triumph

of

in the future.

human

them

far

thought, but

devotion.

him

family,

Man,

then can

?
43

the

past,

future, lays claim to

What

left

no longer enough

to absorb our interests.

and

early stage

we have

The

behind.

tribe, the nation, are

present,

an

and

success

These ideas represent no

in

to

we

our

say of

so far as natural science by

Man,
itself is

the

able to teach us,

final

cause of the universe, the

heaven-descended heir of

His very existence

story a brief
in the

life

causes which

first

the

the ages.

an accident,

his

of one of the meanest of

Of

pieces

is

all

and discreditable episode

the planets.

or

no longer

is

the combination of

converted a piece

of unorganized

progenitors

living

science indeed, as yet,

jelly

into

of humanity,

knows

nothing.

It is

enough

ings

Famine, Disease, and Mutual

Slaughter,

fit

of creation,

that from such beginn-

nurses of the future lord

have gradually evolved,

after infinite travail, a race

science enough to

and

intelligence

know

enough
44

with con-

that
to

it is vile,

know

that

it

insignificant.

is

and see

past

blood and

that

W5

survey the

history

its

revolt,

of stupid acqui-

We

of empty aspirations.

escence,

sound the

future;

and learn

that after

a period, long compared with the

dividual

of

blunder-

tears, of helpless

ing, of wild

is

in-

but short indeed com-

life,

pared with the divisions of time open

to our investigation, the

our system

sun

will

tideless

be dimmed, and the

inert, will

ate the race

down
will

ness,

its

perish.

no longer

which has
solitude.

into the pit,

which

of

will decay, the glory of the

and

disturbed

energies

and

The

for a.

Man
all

earth,
toler-

moment
will

his thoughts

uneasy conscious-

in this obscure corner

for a brief space

go

has

broken the contented

45

silence of the Universe, will

Matter

know

will

Imperishable

at rest.

no longer.

itself

monuments

mortal deeds, death

be

and

itself,

im-

and love

stronger than death, will be as though

they had never been.

thing that

is

Nor

will any-

be better or be worse

for all that the labour, genius, devotion,

and

suffering

of

man have

striven through countless generations

to effect.

Now
like

this

Positivist

eschatology,

any other eschatology, need of

course have

little

obvious or direct

bearing on the great mass of ordinary

everyday interests and emotions.

It

need not overshadow every thought

and action of him who accepts

it,

any more than the knowledge that

46

may

death must come some time, and

come

thrusts itself obtrusively

soon,

and enjoyment of

into the business

the

average

not

mean

that

disregarded.
the

'

But

man.

One

of the objects of

religion of humanity,'

beyond

stimulate

the

all

But

of
in

and

praise,

imagination

lovingly embraces

tunes

it

is
till

the remotest

whole human

the

be

influence can

its

an object

does

this

proportion

as

this

is

to
it

for-

family.

end

is

successfully attained, in proportion as

we

are taught

by

this

or any other

religion to neglect the transient

the personal,

and

to

as labourers for that

count ourselves

which

is

universal

and abiding, so surely must the

creasing range which science
47

and

is

in-

giving

and spaces

to our vision over the times

of

the

material

decreasing importance

which man
strike coldly
if

is

and

universe,

of the

the

place

seen to occupy in

on our moral imagination,

so be that the material universe

all

we have

do

to

answer to say that

cannot

it,

with.

It

scientific

is

is

no

discovery

moral law, and that

alter the

so long as the moral law

is

unchanged

our conduct need be modified by no

opinions as to the future
this planet or its

destiny of

This

inhabitants.

contention,

whether true or

irrelevant.

All developed religions,

and

all

not,

is

philosophies which aspire to

take the place of religion, Lucretius

as well as St.

Paul,

give

theory as to the destiny of

48

us

some

man and his

relation to the

contention

is

sum

My

of *things.

that every such religion

and every such philosophy, so long as

it

insists

on regarding man as merely

a phenomenon

among phenomena,

natural

object

among

objects,

is

failure as

condemned by
an

it

may indeed
But

this is well.

poverishes the
effort, that

us

to

permits us to

pity,

it

so dwarfs

it

and

and im-

end of human

may encourage

with dignity,
live

high

and endur-

hardly

it

with hope.

have now endeavoured

science to

leave with us

ideal

though

die

natural

effective stimulus to

Love,

endeavour.

ance

other

briefly to

indicate certain salient points in which,

as

think.

Positivism

within the limits of

49

must,

mundane

even

experi-

prove inferior as a moralising

ence,

Of

agent to Christianity.

the inmost

essence of Christianity, of the doctrines

dealing with the personal relations be-

God and man,

tween

in

which

it

differs

not merely from Positivism, but from

all

other forms of religion,

For

little.

have said

Positivism, not Christian-

my subject, and

ity, is

over this region

of religious consciousness Positivism

no sway.

claims

have contented

myself with enquiring which of these

two

is

in. truth the better

humanity
fitted, in

;'

which

is

'religion of

the religion most

the face of advancing

know-

ledge, to concentrate in the service of

man

those

high emotions and

far-

reaching hopes from which the moral

law,

as

practical
5

system,

draws

nourishment and strength.

That such

a method of treatment

essentially

incomplete,

is

arbitrarily

Isolates,

deals

is

of course obvious.

and

It

exclusively

but a small fraction of

with,

the question at issue between super-

and

naturalism
leaves

out

phenomenalism.
account

of

namely,

question of

attention

only

proof,

and

directs

the

less

august

to

problem of comparative

Such a

advantage.

limitation of treatment

any

in

greatest

the question

all^

comparative

of

the

imposed

be

case

sure

that

cally useful.
I

is

it

not

the

am

intrinsi-

philosophy of

do not mean of

would

by

character of the occasion, but

not

It

belief,

religious belief ex-

clusively or even principally, but of all

SI

has yet to be constructed.

belief,

do not know
yet laid

by
it

that

foundations are

its

nor are they likely to be laid

on whose minds

Positivist thinkers,

does not for the most part seem

yet to have

dawned

osophy

in

is

that such a phil-

any

Until some progress

way
is

required.

made

in this

work

which

much

current controversy about

must adhere

to

an opinion

have elsewhere defended, that

of

possibility

miracles,

evidence for design,

the

about

the

about what

is

commonly, though very absurdly, described

as

science

and

the

at

attained

conflict

religion,'

only provisional.

comes

can

between
at best

be

But when the time

which mankind

shall

have

some coherent method

52

of

testing the validity of fliose opinions

respecting the natural and the spiritual

worlds

on

which

moments they
hazard

we

are

in

desire to act, then

the ,guess, since

present

at

best

their

to

guesses

confined,

that

moral wants and

adaptation

to

aspirations

of humanity will not be

the

regarded as wholly alien to the pro-

blems over which so many earnest

minds

are

at

present

disquieting

themselves in vain.

But even apart from the question

of relative

proof,

it

that the comparison

tianity

and

may be

between Chris-

Positivism

been

has

very incompletely worked out.

is

true,

but

let

incompleteness

said

This

be noted that the

it

of
53

treatment

is

un-

not

favourable,

We

to Christianity.

Positivism where

it

have compared

is

thought to be

strongest, with Christianity

thought

is
if

to

be

but

Positivism,

to

where

it

And

weakest.

the result of the comparison even

there has been unfavourable to Positivism,

how

will the

account stand

if

every element in Christianity be taken

into

consideration

of humanity

meet the

'

The

seems specially

'

religion
fitted to

tastes of that comparatively

small and prosperous class,

unwilling to

who

leave the dry bones of

Agnosticism wholly unclothed

any living

are

with

tissue of religious emotion,

and who are

at

the

same time

for-

tunate enough to be able to persuade

themselves that they are contributing.

S4-

or

may

contribute,

it

more obscure multitude

are absorbed,

whelmed,

Individual

But what has

mankind.

to say to the

who

tlteir

attainment of some great

efforts to the

ideal for

by

and well nigh over-

in the constant struggle

with

and narrow cares

who

daily needs

have but

little

leisure or inclination to

consider

the

precise

called

of

'

on

role

who might

humanity,' and

its

is

its

in

any

interest

Can it assure them

no human being so insig-

importance

that there

drama

to play in the great

case be puzzled to discover

or

they are

nificant as not to

in the eyes of

be of

infinite

Him who

worth

created the

Heavens, or so feeble but that his

action
finite

may have consequence

moment long
55

of

in-

after this material

system

nothingness
tion to those

who

those

Does

who

It

it

is

cannot

inmost

are weary

is

ordinary
ordinary

no

rival to

penetrate

of

life

ordinary

in

it

to
to

sinful,

and heavy
its

Christianity.

and

ordinary

vivify

the

humanity.

no nourishment

for

human souls, no comfort for

human sorrow, no help for
human weakness. Not less

than

the

leave

us

crudest

men

communion
face

who

the

to

If not, then, whatever be

There

hope

are in grief,

are bereaved, strength

rest to those

merits,

offer consola-

it

the weak, forgiveness

laden

into

crumbled

have

shall

with

irreligion

it

divorced

from

all

God,

face

to

with
the

does

unthinking

energies

of nature which gave us birth, and

56

into

which,

if

supernatural

religion

be indeed a dream, we must

a few

fruitless

struggles

be

resolved.

MORRISON AND GIBB, EDINBURGH,

PRINTERS TO HEK MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE.

after

again