It is impossible for me to present the whole of my case in the space at
my command; I can only give an outline. Neither can I do it as well as
it ought to be done, but only as well as I am able.
To make up for my shortcomings, and to fortify my case with fuller
evidence, I must refer the reader to books written by men better
equipped for the work than I.
To do justice to so vast a theme would need a large book where I can
only spare a short chapter, and each large book should be written by a
specialist.
For the reader's own satisfaction, then, and for the sake of justice to
my cause, I shall venture to suggest a list of books whose contents will
atone for all my failures and omissions. And I am justified, I think, in
saying that no reader who has not read the books I recommend, or others
of like scope and value, can fairly claim to sit on the jury to try this
case.
And of these books I shall, first of all, heartily recommend the series
of cheap sixpenny reprints now published by the Rationalist Press
Association, Johnson's Court, London, E.C.
R.P.A. REPRINTS
Huxley's _Lectures and Essays._
Tyndall's _Lectures and Essays._
Laing's _Human Origins._
Laing's _Modern Science and Modern Thought._
Clodd's _Pioneers of Evolution._
Matthew Arnold's _Literature and Dogma._
Haeckel's _Riddle of the Universe._
Grant Allen's _Evolution of the Idea of God._
Cotter Morrison's _Service of Man._
Herbert Spencer's _Education._
Some Apologists have, I am sorry to say, attempted to disparage those
excellent books by alluding to them as "Sixpenny Science" and "Cheap
Science." The same method of attack will not be available against most
of the books in my next list:
_The Golden Bough_, Frazer. Macmillan, 36s.
_The Legend of Perseus_, Hartland. D. Nutt, 25s.
_Christianity and Mythology_, Robertson. Watts, 8s.
_Pagan Christs_, Robertson. Watts, 8s.
_Supernatural Religion_, Cassels. Watts, 6s.
_The Martyrdom of Man_, Winwood Reade. Kegan Paul, 6s.
_Mutual Aid_, Kropotkin. Heinemann, 7s. 6d.
_The Story of Creation_, Clodd. Longmans, 3s. 6d.
_Buddha and Buddhism_, Lillie. Clark, 3s. 6d.
_Shall We Understand the Bible?_ Williams. Black, 1s.
_What is Religion?_ Tolstoy. Free Age Press, 6d.
_What I Believe_, Tolstoy. Free Age Press, 6d.
_The Life of Christ_, Renan. Scott, 1s. 6d.
I also recommend Herbert Spencer's _Principles of Sociology_ and Lecky's
_History of European Morals_. Of pamphlets there are hundreds. Readers
will get full information from Watts & Co., 17 Johnson's Court, London,
E.C.
I can warmly recommend _The Miracles of Christian Belief_ and _The
Claims of Christianity_, by Charles Watts, and _Christianity and
Progress_, a penny pamphlet, by G. W. Foote (The Freethought Publishing
Company).
I should also like to mention _An Easy Outline of Evolution_, by Dennis
Hird (Watts & Co., 2s. 6d.). This book will be of great help to those
who want to scrape acquaintance with the theory of evolution.
Finally, let me ask the general reader to put aside all prejudice, and
give both sides a fair hearing. Most of the books I have mentioned above
are of more actual value to the public of to-day than many standard
works which hold world-wide reputations.
No man should regard the subject of religion as decided for him until
he has read _The Golden Bough_. _The Golden Bough_ is one of those books
that _unmake_ history.