Part 2 (2/2)
The members.h.i.+p sought may be granted, provided the actual knowledge of Secular principles be satisfactory, and evident earnestness to practise them be apparent. The purport of the whole of the questions is to enable a clear opinion to be formed as to what is to be expected of the new member--how far he is likely to be reliable--how long he is likely to remain with us--under what circ.u.mstances he is likely to fail us--what work may be a.s.signed him--what confidences he may be entrusted with, and in what terms he should be introduced to colleagues, and spoken of to others.
The Members.h.i.+p here described would and should be no restricted and exclusive society, where only one pattern of efficiency prevails; but a society where all diversities of capacity, energy, and worth, may be found, so far as it is honest and trustworthy. A Society, like the State, requires the existence of the people, as well as public officers--men who* can act, as well as men who can think and direct Many men who lack refinement, and even discretion, possess courage and energy, and will go out on the inevitable ”forlorn hopes” of progress; which the merely prudent avoid, and from which the cultivated too often shrink. Our work requires all orders of men, but efficiency requires that we know which is which that none may be employed in the dark.
In every public organization there are persons who promote and aid unconnected with the Society.
Active members are those who engage to perform specific duties; such as reporting lectures, sermons, and public meetings, so far as they refer to Secularism.*
* In reporting, each member should be careful to understate rather than overstate facts, distinguis.h.i.+ng carefully what is matter of knowledge from rumour, conjecture, or opinion.
To give notice of meetings and sermons about to be held or delivered for or against Secularism.
To note and report pa.s.sages in books, newspapers, magazines, and reviews referring to Secularism.
Each active member should possess some working efficiency, or be willing to acquire it. To be able to explain his views by tongue or pen with simple directness, to observe carefully, to report judiciously, to reason dispa.s.sionately, to put the best construction on every act that needs interpretation, are desirable accomplishments in a Propagandist.
In all public proceedings of the Society, written speeches should be preferred from the young, because such speeches admit of preconsidered brevity, consecutiveness, and purpose, and exist for reference. In the deliberations and discussions of any Society, it might usefully be deemed a qualification to make a contribution to the subject in speeches brief and direct.
Non-reliableness in discharge of duties, or moral disqualification, shall be a ground of annulling members.h.i.+p, which may be done after the member objected to has had a fair opportunity of defending himself from the specific disqualifications alleged against him and communicated to him, and has failed therein.
The duties a.s.signed to each member should be such as are within his means, as respects power and opportunity; such, indeed, as interfere neither with his social nor civil obligations; the intention being that the members.h.i.+p of the Society shall not as a rule be incompatible with the preservation of health, and the primary service due to family and the State.*
* As a general rule, it will be found that any one who sacrifices more than one-fifth of his time and means will become before long reactionary, and not only do nothing himself, but discourage others.
Any persons acquainted with the ”Principles of Secularism” here given, who shall generally agree therein, and a.s.sociate under any name to promote such objects, and to act in concert with all who seek similar objects, and will receive and take into official consideration the instructions of the Guild, and to make one subscription yearly among its members and friends on behalf of its Propagandist Funds, shall be recognized as a Branch of it.
CHAPTER VIII. THE PLACE OF SECULARISM
”We do not, however, deny that, false as the whole theory [of Secularism] appears to us, it is capable of attracting the belief of large numbers of people, and of exercising considerable influence over their conduct; and we should admit that the influence so exercised is considerably better than no influence at all.”--_Sat.u.r.day Review_, July 2, 1859.
THIS first step is to win, from public opinion, a standing place for Secularism. So long as people believe Secularism not to be wanted, indeed impossible to be wanted--that it is error, wickedness, and unmitigated evil, it will receive no attention, no respect, and make no way. But show that it occupies a vacant place, supplies a want, is a direction where no other party supplies any--and it at once appears indispensable. It is proved to be a service to somebody, and from that moment it is tolerated if not respected. It may be like war, or medicine, or work, or law, disagreeable or unpalatable, but when seen to be necessary, it will have recognition and support. We are sure this case can be made out for Secularism. It is not only true, but it is known; it is not only known, but it is notorious, that there are thousands and tens of thousands of persons in every district of this and most European countries, who are without the pale of Christianity. They reject it, they disprove it, they dislike it, or they do not understand it. Some have vices and pa.s.sions which Christianity, as preached around them, condemns. As Devils are said to do, they ”believe and tremble,”
and so disown what they have not the virtue to practise. Faith does not touch them, and reason is not tried--indeed reason is decried by the evangelically religious, so that not being converted in one way, no other way is open to them. Others are absorbed or insensate; they are busy, or stupid, or defiant, and regard Christianity as a waste of time, or as monotonous or offensive. It bores them or threatens them. They are already dull, therefore it does not attract them--they have some rude sense of independence and some feeling of courage, and they object either to be snubbed into conformity or kicked into heaven. Another and a yearly increasing portion of the people have, after patiently and painfully thinking over Christianity, come to believe it to be untrue; unfounded historically; wrong morally, and a discreditable imputation upon G.o.d. It outrages their affections, it baffles their understandings.
It is double tongued. Its expounders are always multiplying, and the more they increase the less they agree, and hence sceptics the more abound. Disbelievers therefore exist; they augment: they can neither be convinced, converted, nor conciliated, because they will yield no allegiance to a system which has no hold on their conscience. It is, we repeat, more than known, it is notorious that these persons live and die in scepticism. These facts are the cry of the pulpit, the theme of the platform, the burden of the religious tract. Now, is nothing to be done with these people? You cannot exterminate them, the Church cannot direct them. The Bible is no authority to them--the ”will of G.o.d,” as the clergy call it, in their eyes is mere arbitrary, capricious, dog-matical a.s.sumption; sometimes, indeed, wise precept, but oftener a cloak for knavery or a pretext for despotism. To open the eyes of such persons to the omnipresent teachings of Nature, to make reason an authority with them, to inspire them with precepts which experience can verify--to connect conscience with intelligence, right with interest, duty with self-respect, and goodness with love, must surely be useful. If Secularism accomplishes some such work, where Christianity confessedly accomplishes nothing, it certainly has a place of its own. It is no answer to it to claim that Christianity is higher, vnore complete, better. The advocates of every old religion, say the same. Christianity may be higher, more complete, better--for somebody else. But nothing can be high, complete, or good, for those who do not see it, accept it, want it, or act upon it. That is first which is fit--that is supreme which is most productive of practical virtue. No comparison (which would be as irrelevant as offensive) between Secularism and Christianity is set up here. The question is--is Secularism useful, or may it be useful to anybody? The question is not--does it contain _all_ truth? but does it contain as much as may be serviceable to many minds, otherwise uninfluenced for good? Arithmetic is useful though Algebra is more compendious. Mensuration performs good offices in hands ignorant of Euclid. There may be logic without Whately, and melody without Beethoven; and there may be Secular ethics which shall be useful without the pretension of Christianity.
CHAPTER IX. CHARACTERISTICS OF SECULARISM.
I.
SECULARISM means the moral duty of man in this life deduced from considerations which pertain to this life alone. Secular education is by some confounded with Secularism, whereas the distinction between them is very wide. Secular education simply means imparting Secular knowledge separately--by itself, without admixture of Theology with it. The advocate of Secular education may be, and generally is, also an advocate of religion; but he would teach religion at another time and treat it as a distinct subject, too sacred for coercive admixture into the hard and vexatious routine of a school. He would confine the inculcation of religion to fitting seasons and chosen instruments. He holds also that one subject at a time is mental economy in learning. Secular education is the policy of a school--Secularism is a policy of life to those who do not accept Theology. Secularity draws the line of separation between the things of time and the things of eternity. That is Secular which pertains to this world. The distinction may be seen in the fact that the cardinal propositions of Theology are provable only in the next life, and not in this. If I believe in a given creed it may turn out to be the true one; but one must die to find that out. On this side of the grave all is doubt; the truth of Biblical creeds is an affair of hope and anxiety, while the truth of things Secular becomes apparent in time.
The advantages arising from the practice of veracity, justice, and temperance can be ascertained from human experience. If we are told to ”fear G.o.d and keep His commandments,” lest His judgments overtake us, the indirect action of this doctrine on human character may make a vicious timid man better in this life, supposing the interpretation of the will of G.o.d, and the commandments selected to be enforced, are moral; but such teaching is not Secular, because its main object is to fit men for eternity. Pure Secular principles have for their object to fit men for time, making the fulfilment of human duty here the standard of fitness for any accruing future. _Secularism purposes to regulate human affairs by considerations purely human_. Its principles are founded upon Nature, and its object is to render man as perfect as possible in this life. Its problem is this: Supposing no other life to be before us, what is the wisest use of this? As the Rev. Thomas Binney puts it, ”I believe * * that even * * if there were really no G.o.d over him, no heaven above, or eternity in prospect, things are so const.i.tuted that man may turn the materials of his little life poem, if not always into a grand epic, mostly into something of interest and beauty; and it is worth his while doing so, even if there should be no sequel to the piece.” Chalmers, Archbishop Whately, and earlier distinguished divines of the Church of England, the most conspicuous of whom is Bishop Butler, have admitted the independent existence of morality, but we here cite Mr. Binney's words because among Dissenters this truth is less readily admitted. A true Secular life does not exclude any from supplementary speculations. Not until we have fulfilled our duty to man, as far as we can ascertain that duty, can we consistently pretend to comprehend the more difficult relations of man to G.o.d. Our duties to humanity, understood and discharged to the best of our ability, will in no way unfit us to ”reverently meditate on things far beyond us, on Power unlimited, on s.p.a.ce unfathomed, on time uncounted, on 'whence' we came, and 'whither' we go.”** The leading ideas of Secularism are humanism, moralism, materialism, utilitarian unity; Humanism, the physical perfection of this life--Moralism, founded on the laws of Nature, as the guidance of this life--Materialism, as the means of Nature for the Secular improvement of this life--Unity of thought and action upon these practical grounds. Secularism teaches that the good of the present life is the immediate concern of man, and that it should be his first endeavour to raise it. Secularism inculcates a Morality founded independently upon the laws of Nature. It seeks human improvement through purity and suitableness of material conditions as being a method at once moral, practical, universal, and sure.
* ”How to make the best of both worlds,” p. 11.
** F. W. Newman.
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