2 i8 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



true meaning of the word used by Paul, but first used by the one 

 whom he preached and followed, as the central and supreme word 

 in his system of salvation for the world and for mankind ; or, co- 

 operatively with science and philosophy, for the purpose of secur- 

 ing their powerful aid for its work in the world ? 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



New York, November 20, 1889. 



Herbert Spencer, Esq. 



Dear Sir : I beg the privilege of presenting hereby, for your 

 consideration and determination, a question of seemingly uni- 

 versal importance, that has arisen in the course of our work in 

 the Brooklyn Ethical Association. 



As far as possible I have sought to so present it as to limit 

 your labors therein to yea, yea, or nay, nay. 



The question relates to the selection and adoption of words for 

 general use in the new philosophy, and as substitutes for the 

 words agnostic and agnosticism, to express the affirmative side of 

 the agnostic conception. 



As a result of our experience of nearly two years in attempt- 

 ing to popularize evolution views, we find that just there our 

 greatest obstacle is to be found, and our time and labor are most 

 occupied and consumed, and increasingly so as we approach the 

 popular mass. 



The object of this communication is to propose as such affirma- 

 tive substitutes the words metagnosticism and metagnostic, or 

 metanosticism and metanostic, and to ask therefor your own ap- 

 proval and also that of Prof. Huxley — in concert, if possible. 



My own view is that the new or substitute words involve no 

 surrender or concession, but, on the contrary, if adopted would 

 mark an advance in the nomenclature of the agnostic phi- 

 losophy. 



The accompanying statement was made by me as part of the 

 discussion following the reading of the essay of Dr. Lewis G. 

 Janes, on The Scope and Principles of the Evolution Philosophy, 

 the first of the current series of the Brooklyn Ethical Associa- 

 tion, on the evening of October 13, 1889, and it will explain itself. 



I also hand you herewith a list of words and their definitions, 

 derived or derivable from the Greek verbs gignoslcein and noein, 

 in composition with the preposition meta, the imperative form of 

 which was used, according to the Greek Testament, by John the 

 Baptist and Jesus Christ, in that passage in which they are made 

 in the Douay Bible to say, "Do penance, for the kingdom of 

 heaven is at hand," following the Latin Yulgate ; and in King 

 James's and later English versions, " Eepent, for the kingdom of 

 heaven is at hand." 



