"Only by varied iteration can alien conceptions be forced on
reluctant minds."
--Herbert Spencer.
IN 1853 the Six-Night Discussion took place in Cowper Street School
Rooms, London, with the Rev. Brewin Grant, B. A. A report was published
by Partridge and Oakley at 2s. 6d, of which 45,900 were sold, which
widely diffused a knowledge of Secularistic views.
Our adversary had been appointed with clerical ceremony, on a "Three
years' mission" against us. He had wit, readiness, and an electric
velocity of speech, boasting that he could speak three times faster than
any one else. But he proved to be of use to us without intending it,
"His acrid words
Turned the sweet milk of kindness into curds."
whereby he set many against the cause he represented. He had the
cleverness to see that there ought to be a "Christian Secularism," which
raised Secularism to the level of Christian curiosity. In Glasgow, in
1854, I met Mr. Grant again during several nights' discussion in the
City Hall. This debate also was published, as was one of three nights
with the Rev. J. H. Rutherford (afterwards Dr. Rutherford) in Newcastle
on Tyne, who aimed to prove that Christianity contained the better
Secularism. Thus that new form of free thought came to have public
recognition.
The lease of a house, 147 Fleet Street, was bought (1852), where was
established a Secular Institute, connected with printing, book-selling,
and liberal publishing. Further conferences were held in July, 1854, one
at Stockport. At an adjourned conference Mr. Joseph Barker (whom we had
converted) presided.* We had a London Secular Society which met at the
Hall of Science, City Road, and held its Council meetings in Mr. Le
Blond's handsome house in London Wall. This work, and much more, was
done before and while Mr. Bradlaugh (who afterwards was conspicuously
identified with the movement) was in the army.
* Reasoner, No. 428, Vol. XVII.. p. 87.
It was in 1854 that I published the first pamphlet on _Secularism
the Practical Philosophy of the People_. It commenced by showing the
necessity of independent, self-helping, self-extricating opinions. Its
opening passage was as follows:
"In a state of society in which every inch of land, every blade of
grass, every spray of water, every bird and flower has an owner,
what has the poor man to do with orthodox religion which begins by
proclaiming him a miserable sinner, and ends by leaving him a miserable
slave, as far as unrequited toil goes?
"The poor man finds himself in an _armed_ world where might is God,
and poverty is fettered. Abroad the hired soldier blocks up the path
of freedom, and the priest the path of progress. Every penniless man,
woman, and child is virtually the property of the capitalist, no less
in England than is the slave in New Orleans.* Society blockades poverty,
leaving it scarce escape. The artisan is engaged in an imminent struggle
against wrong and injustice; then what has he the struggler, to do with
doctrines which brand him with inherited guilt, which paralyse him by an
arbitrary faith, which deny saving power to good works, which menace him
with eternal perdition?"
The two first works of importance, controverting Secularist principles,
were by the Rev. Joseph Parker and Dr. J. A. Langford; Dr. Parker was
ingenious, Dr. Langford eloquent. I had discussed with Dr. Parker in
Banbury. In his _Six Chapters on Secularism_** which was the title of
his book, he makes pleasant references to that debate. The _Christian
Weekly News_ of that day said: "These Six Chapters have been written
by a young provincial minister of great power and promise, of whom the
world has not yet heard, but of whom it will hear pleasing things some
day."
* Not entirely so. The English slave can run away--at his
own peril.
** Published by my, then, neighbour, William Freeman, of 69
Fleet Street, himself an energetic, pleasant-minded
Christian.
This prediction has come true. I had told Mr. Freeman that the "young
preacher" had given me that impression in the discussion with him. Dr.
Parker said in his first Chapter that, "If the New Testament teachings
oppose our own consciousness, violate our moral sense, lead us out of
sympathy with humanity, then we shall abandon them." This was exactly
the case of Secularism which he undertook to confute. Dr. Langford held
a more rational religion than Dr. Parker. His _Answer_, which reached
a second thousand, had passages of courtesy and friendship, yet he
contended with graceful vigor against opinions--three-fourths of which
justified his own.
In an address delivered Sept. 29, 1851, I had said that, "There were
three classes of persons opposed to Christianity:--
"1. The dissolute.
"2. The indifferent.
"3. The intellectually independent.
"The dissolute are against Christianity because they regard it as a foe
to sensuality. The indifferent reject it through being ignorant of it,
or not having time to attend to it, or not caring to attend to it, or
not being able to attend to it, through constitutional insensibility
to its appeals. The intellectually independent avoid it as opposed to
freedom, morality and progress." It was to these classes, and not to
Christians, that Secularism was addressed. Neither Dr. Parker nor Dr.
Langford took notice that it was intended to furnish ethical guidance
where Christianity, whatever might be its quality, or pretensions, or
merit, was inoperative.*
* In 1857 Dr. Joseph Parker published a maturer and more
important volume, Helps to Truth Seekers, or, Christianity
and Scepticism, containing "The Secularist Theory--A
Critique." At a distance of more than thirty-five years it
seems to me an abler book, from the Christian point of view,
than I thought it on its appearance.
The new form of free thought under the title of the "Principles of
Secularism" was submitted to John Stuart Mill, to whose friendship and
criticism I had often been indebted, and he approved the statement as
one likely to be useful to those outside the pale of Christianity.
A remarkable thing occurred in 1854. A prize of L100 was offered by
the Evangelical Alliance for the best book on the "Aspects, Causes, and
Agencies" of what they called by the odious apostolic defamatory name
of "Infidelity."* The Rev. Thomas Pearson of Eyemouth won the prize by
a brilliant book, which I praised for its many relevant quotations, its
instruction and fairness, but I represented that its price (10s. 6d.)
prevented numerous humble readers from possessing it. The Evangelical
Alliance inferred that the "relevancy" was on their side, altogether,
whereas I meant relevant to the argument and to those supposed to be
confuted by it. They resolved to issue twenty-thousand copies at
one shilling a volume. The most eminent Evangelical ministers and
congregations of the day subscribed to the project. Four persons put
down their names for one thousand copies each, and a strong list of
subscribers was sent out. Unfortunately I published another article
intending to induce readers of the _Reasoner_ to procure copies, as they
would find in its candid pages a wealth of quotations of free-thought
opinion with which very few were acquainted. The number of eminent
writers, dissentients from Christianity, and the force and felicity
of their objections to it, as cited by Mr. Pearson, would astonish
and instruct Christians who were quite unfamiliar with the historic
literature of heretical thought. This unwise article stopped the
project. The "Shilling Edition" never appeared, and the public lost the
most useful and informing book written against us in my time. The Rev.
Mr. Pearson died not long after; all too soon, for he was a minister who
commanded respect. He had research, good faith, candor, and courtesy,
qualities rare in his day.
* A term of intentional offence as here used. Infidelity
meant treachery to the truth, whereas the heretic has often
sacrificed his life from fidelity to it.