XXll PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. 



state has now at last begun in earnest the "struggle 

 for culture." In this spiritual warfare, which now moves 

 all thinking humanity, and which prepares the way for a 

 future existence more worthy of man, spiritual freedom 

 and truth, reason and culture, evolution and progress 

 stand on the one side, marshalled under the bright banner 

 of science ; on the other side, marshalled under the black 

 flag of hierarchy, stand spiritual servitude and falsehood, 

 want of reason and barbarism, superstition and retrogres- 

 sion. The trumpet of this gigantic spiritual warfare 

 marks the dawn of a new day and the end of the long 

 darkness of the Middle Ages. For modern civiHzation, in 

 spite of the progress of culture, lies bound in the fetters 

 of the hierarchy of the Middle Ages ; and social and civil 

 life is ruled, not by the science of truth, but by the faith 

 of the church. We need but mention the mighty influence 

 which irrational dogmas still exercise on the elementary 

 education of our youth; we need but mention that the 

 state yet permits the existence of cloisters and of celibacy, 

 the most immoral and baneful ordinances of the " only- 

 saving " church ; we need but mention that the civilized 

 state yet divides the most important parts of the civil 

 year in accordance with church festivals ; that in many 

 countries it allows public order to be disturbed by church 

 processions, and so on. We do indeed now enjoy the 

 unusual pleasure of seeing *' most Christian bishops " and 

 Jesuits exiled and imprisoned for their disobedience to the 

 laws of the state. But this same state, till very recently, 

 harboured and cherished these most dangerous enemies of 

 reason. 



In this mighty '' war of culture," affecting as it does 



