New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-07-18
THE CREED OF THE AGNOSTiCS.
III A...oLcnIlIL IesIllLIlI


w. H. MoiIook in The Nineteenth Century
"To begin theD,p said Leigh looking down on
his manuscript. want first to ask you your hor -
teaching is not based on SCIENTIFIC method. anu II ~
does not accept and emphasize all the discoveries Vi
the great modern physicists
- IL does" said Mrs. Norman. .
consequently" said Leigh, " we have no lmmor-
tai souls We have no entity within us separaDle
from the body and capable Of surviving IT. otr 'ns
ward lives are nothing but successor ~ s'oo . "a
cOnscIOusucsS; and orr outward lives ho'n'"s ""V
"This is perfectly true" said Mrs Norham
Further" said Leigh, the old conception OF
free will is false one The creed of science is the
creed of determinisrD. We always act IN obedience
to the strongest motive. .. ..t,
motive Is inconceivable: and il Is surely mere
tauoogy to say that 1t is the strongest motive that
moves us. But don't think" she went on tnat
you can wugge out OF your moral responslDii-
Ity--"
Leigh, however, stopped her.
81 think that Of all human beings that ever
talked or thought about man, virtue amt duty, you
and your school the most utterly VAIN ana VIZ
onary. Ii is not that you have not got hold OF one
part of the truth but that you ntogethgr IOIses
so persistenty that you quite forget the selhsn
ones. You speak as though mans one need were 10
Justify his own virtuOus aspirations, and not also
to condemn his vicious ones. on forget tnai all
present experience all knowledge or history,
reveals tins human truth, that the human heart
is n battle-ground for contending impulses, ana
that the devils legOns are not annhlated because
n few excellent theories may ignore them. All the
meaning of life. aud all progress, you say, depends
on love. But how is this love to be iDereasedf III
exists in the world about us. That is true enough;
but does il exist militant or triumphant In tnou-
sands upn thousands of generations 10 has, accord
ing to your theory been struggling; and strug-
Cling and unvictOrIOus Ii stlll remains Wnat
one new aid have YOU aud yours to give 10 I'll 1Ou
compared the pursuit OF the puDlic good last night
to OX-hunt and you spoke OF all the seit-denais
and activity that hunting entails. Yes, but me Is
not like foX-hunt nor IS the desire Tor uselul ac-
tvty like the hunters eagerness. The central fact
of life tor the vast majority of mankind has not been
an eagerness, but perpleXiy-the perpeXlty OF an
eagerness vacatng between two counter-attrac-
lions The most self-indulgent men Will often get
no early to hunt but the duty OF Killing the 1oX
will not cOerce him into doing so II he wishes also
to remain at home ana make love 70 niS nelshoqrs
never really guided anyone, never really strength
cned anyone" . =,
sand others are living examples OF 1t; lt Is tins
that eustains and strengthens us, and makes our
lite full such infinite significance ana Joy TO u.s.
though we neither hope Tor heaven. nor have the
least fear OF hell. DO paint my pictures because
God will punish me il am idle, or stir the MINDS
of The wavering with my essays because my Chnrcn
teaches me to instruct the gnorant1 Not SO. w nat
sustalns me is the sense that am doing the great
work of the world In this paper, which goes forth
through the length aud breadth of England" she
said tapping The AgROstic -HOrdHSt, - ! have the
blessed CONSCIOUSNESS that my thought and labor are
working for good ard | know that during the next
few days shall be receiving glad and joyful letters
from the many that my words Will have helped,
In tins paper, too can show you list OF the pc
lures already sent by Inc TO tle schOO spoke OF,
wach will already, with form and color. be enlarg-
ing the taste and TIC capacities o1 tue youngest gen.
GRAFTON of cur poor
'Ah, said Leigh still sasnding and looking down
at his companion, rs she broke the paper wrapper
that was still around the journal, You little know
what manner of spirit you are OF. You think you
know the world; but every wort SAID. every view
expressed by you, shows me how small, now rag
meutary has been your experience OF II. Inc little
clique you haYe lived in, and from which all your
thoughts drawn, ~ but pool by tne side or the
great yer of life and 1t may well be that II Is full
of reflections; bat that Is because there cur
rent III #. What you mistake for the love OF hui
manty and the hope Of progress, is compound OF
two things-the rel gOus feeling that You were
ilnbued with in your YOUTH and your own pleasure
in the fancy that you personally are Il great force
in the world And what you mistake Tor humanity
is the handful of quiet industrious and INTENSITY
seli-satished people. only differ from yourself
in being less ingenious If You deSplSe me lt must
be SO ; cannot Justify myself. But am not care
less as YOU think | am; | am not altogether sell
fish, as you think | But / am 4 man
whose lot has fallen in the common world; and
nm too honest to that to be vlrtuOus aud 10 DE
unselfish would not be a struggle 10 me AMI that
| should not want to be sustained III 1t by some
strong vivid faith In the value of what struggled
for How this struggle Will end in my case know
not But this | do know, that your tcachlnH could
be never any help to me. | am like q man who is
lame IN both feet aud what tell me TO do Is to
nun with only one. DO not think that do not re-
spcct and appreciate YOU aud do not be angry with
ME for saving thus much to you. Surely, did YOU
ONLY know II, YOU, too. have your Weaknesses your
selfseeklngs, and personal vanitles. winch
not quito IN harmony with your social creed"