AGNOSTICISM IN HUXLEY'S HUME. 487 



]y to rob his master when he is assured that both he and his master are 

 mere throbs in the vibrations which constitute life ? Agnosticism 

 never can become the creed of the great body of any people ; but 

 should it be taught by the science and philosophy of the day, I fear 

 its influence on the youths who might be led, not to amuse themselves 

 with it, but by faith to receive it, would be that they would find some 

 of the hindrances to vice removed, and perhaps some of the incentives 

 to evil encouraged. 



2. Thus far as to the influence of the philosophy on common mo- 

 rality. It is allowed that the system undermines all belief in the super- 

 natural. All who know anything of it know this. But some do not 

 realize it. The creed destroys the foundation of all religions, even the 

 rationalistic, not only supernatural but natural theism, not only Chris- 

 tianity but every form of deism. Last century Franklin could say : 

 " Here is my creed : I believe in one God the Creator of the universe ; 

 that he governs it by his providence ; that he ought to be worshiped ; 

 that the most acceptable service we render him is doing good to his 

 other children ; that the soul of man is immortal, and will be treated 

 with justice in another world respecting its conduct in this. These I 

 take to be the fundamental points in all sound doctrine " (from letter 

 by Hon. J. Bigelow in " New York Observer," July 3, 1879). But the 

 superstition which clung to Franklin in the eighteenth century is all 

 dissipated by the philosophy of this century. 



Shrewd men have long seen and often said that, if Christianity be 

 set aside, deism will soon follow. We see this already realized. Ag- 

 nostics feel an avowed pleasure in pointing out the positive contradic- 

 tions involved in every form of natural religion. All who adopt the 

 system should know that they must be prepared to part with all the 

 consolation that can be derived from religion, natural or revealed, and 

 from all the restraints which it lays on evil conduct. Some may be 

 rejoicing in agnosticism because it relieves them from all ghostly ter- 

 rors ; but it does not therefore follow that their happiness will be 

 increased. I am aware that speculative beliefs do not always lead to 

 corresponding practice ; but their tendency is to do so, and when they 

 do not it is because they are counteracted by opposing principles good 

 or evil. I am sure that agnosticism, when it has time to work, will be 

 followed by important consequences. I am not to be charged with 

 the fallacy of arguing that, because a system is charged with bad 

 results, it must therefore be false. I am showing that the system is 

 false, and thus leads to prejudicial consequences false to our nature, 

 false to the ends of our being. 



