THE STUDY OF SOCIOLOGY. 565 



occupies the place of honor. But the real homage is paid in large 

 measure, if not in the larger measure, to the religion of enmity. The 

 religion of enmity nearly all men actually believe. The religion of 

 amity most of them merely believe they believe. In some discussion, 

 say, about international affairs, remind them of certain precepts con- 

 tained in the creed they profess, and the most you get is a tepid assent. 

 Now, let the conversation turn on the " tunding" at Winchester, or on 

 the treatment of Indian mutineers, or on the Jamaica business ; and 

 you find that, while the precepts tepidly assented to were but nomi- 

 nally believed, quite opposite precepts are believed undoubtingly and 

 defended with fervor. 



Curiously enough, to maintain these antagonist religions, which in 

 our transitional state are both requisite, we have adopted from two 

 different races two different cults. From the books of the Jewish New 

 Testament we take our religion of amity. Greek and Latin epics and 

 histories serve as gospels for our religion of enmity. In the education 

 of our youth we devote a small portion of time to the one, and a large 

 portion of time to the other. And, as though to make the compromise 

 effectual, these two cults are carried on in the same places by the same 

 teachers. At our Public Schools, as also at many other schools, the 

 same men are priests of both religions. The nobility of self-sacrifice, 

 set forth in Scripture-lessons and dwelt on in sermons, is made con- 

 spicuous every seventh day ; while during the other six days the nobil- 

 ity of sacrificing others is exhibited in glowing words. The sacred 

 duty of blood-revenge, which, as existing savages show us, constitutes 

 the religion of enmity in its primitive form which, as shown us in 

 ancient literature, is enforced by divine sanction, or rather by divine 

 command, as well as by the opinion of men is the duty which during 

 the six days is deeply stamped on natures quite ready to receive it ; 

 and then something is done toward obliterating the stamp, when, on 

 the seventh day, vengeance is interdicted. 



A priori, it might be thought impossible that men should continue 

 through life holding two doctrines which are mutually destructive. 

 But their ability to compromise between conflicting beliefs is very re- 

 markable remarkable, at least, if we suppose them to put their con- 

 flicting beliefs side by side ; not so remarkable if we recognize the fact 

 that they do not put them side by side. A late distinguished physicist, 

 whose science and religion seemed to his friends irreconcilable, retained 

 both for the reason that he deliberately refused to compare the propo- 

 sitions of the one with those of the other. To speak in metaphor 

 when he entered his oratory he shut the door of his laboratory ; and 

 when he entered his laboratory he shut the door of his oratory. It is 

 because they habitually do something similar, that men live so con- 

 tentedly under this logically-indefensible compromise between their 

 two creeds. As the intelligent child, propounding to his seniors puz- 

 zling theological questions, and meeting many rebuffs, eventually ceases 



