SECULARISM 



SECULARS 



297 



Hence the social aim of Secularism is to establish 

 those material conditions in which, as far as fore- 

 thought can compass them, it shall be impossible 

 for a man to be depraved or poor. Morality of 

 conduct the main tiling in this life is determined 

 by its conduciveness to the welfare of others as 

 well as ourselves. This utilitarian rule has this 

 advantage, that, while the strongest faith may co- 

 exist with the greatest ignorance, utilitarian 

 morality can only begin with intelligence, and the 

 morality will be on the whole the greater the wider 

 intelligence becomes. 



Since the Secularist's profession is that mankind 

 can be largely improved by well-devised material 

 means, it belongs to him to inculcate a sense of 

 responsibility for the condition of the world, so far 

 as nis exertions or influence can extend. The theo- 

 logical mind cares mainly for the souls and little 

 for the social welfare of others. The Secularist 

 holds that Truth and solicitude for the social welfare 

 of others are the proper concern of a soul worth 

 saving. Only minus with goodness in them have 

 the merit of future existence in them ; minds 

 without veracity and generosity die ; the element 

 of death is in them already. The majority of 

 people conduct life by believing what they wish, 

 not by conforming to what they know an easy, 

 loose, pleasant kind of faith which command* many 

 followers ; belief without inquiry and action with- 

 out the sense of social res|Kinsibility are always 

 popular. He who undertakes the duty of selecting 

 his principles protects himself from hereditary error. 

 Every step towards reasoned truth implies thought, 

 investigation, patience, courage, and account- 

 ability. 



But to acquire truth thought must be free, unin- 

 timidateil by any threat or penalty, legal, spiritual, 

 or social ; if inquiry must end in a prescribed con- 

 clusion or the inquirer perish everlastingly, no one 

 but a fool would inquire at all. Unless men 

 regard truth as higher than consequence thought 

 must be sterile. Even inquiry, with whatever 

 courage conducted, would be sterile without the 

 right of free publicity of the results ; the publica- 

 tion of new truth is the duty of the thinker, and 

 his silence or supineness is a social crime. The 

 free search, the free publicity, the free criticism, 

 and free action of opinion are necessary secular 

 conditions conditions which have never been in- 

 sisted upon as necessary to spiritual life. Though 

 these conditions are used by science they are not 

 claimed by it, being outside its province. Secular- 

 minded thinkers alone have formulated and vindi- 

 cated these conditions. 



A main object of Secularism is to establish 

 morality on grounds independent of Christianity, 

 for so long as morality is supposed to have but 

 that foundation it will not be influential on 

 those who reject or do not accept Christianity. 

 There is unquestionably a vast outlying class 

 in every European country, and still more in 

 India, who are without the pale of Christianity. 

 Secularism is intended for these, and for all who 

 deem theology indefinite, inadequate, undesirable, 

 or unreliable. The object of Secularism is to 

 afford these classes a knowledge of principles 

 addressed to their common reason and intelligence, 

 by an appeal to principles of a secular nature, 

 common to humanity in every state and clime. 

 The reality of Deity and a future state, being 

 indeterminable by the experience of this life, are 

 not secular questions ; Atheism and Theism are 

 alike without the means of demonstrating their 

 own truth, and, though they may be subjects of 

 personal lielief, cannot be secular tenets provable 

 by ex|rieiice. What is incapable of proof is 

 usually decided by desire, and is without the con- 

 ditions of uniformity or certitude. Morality, which 



fulfils the conditions of the highest religion, is 

 attainable irrespective of belief in things outside 

 this world. The uses of the universe are no more 

 dependent upon the knowledge of its origin than 

 the uses of a habitation are dependent on the 

 knowledge of its architect. 



Secularism does not ask to be esteemed a 

 Christian system as Christianity is commonly 

 accepted, but an ethical system. So far as 

 Christianity is moral Secularism has common 

 ground with it ; but its reasons for being moral are 

 not Christian reasons, but human considerations 

 alone. Christianity attaches salvation to l>elief; 

 Secularism seeks it in conduct. Christianity holds 

 that inquiry must end in faith. Secularism teaches 

 that regardless of consequences it should end in 

 truth, and maintains intelligent sincerity to be 

 sinless not errorless, but without guilt. The 

 doctrines of eternal perdition for honest dissent, of 

 the natural depravity of man, of the wilfulness of 

 an uncaused will, and of deliverance by prayers 

 are immoral, discouraging, and traitorous ; and 

 secular controversy on the moral tendencies of 

 these tenets is alone useful as advancing and vin- 

 dicating secular ideas. Upon questions of miracles, 

 prophecy, genuineness or inspiration of Scripture 

 Scc-ulansm troubles itself little. If miracles are 

 good it is a pity they have ceased ; morality needs 

 no inspiration. Precepts have no force unless cor- 

 roborated by experience, and it is ill with men 

 when they take authority for truth, instead of 

 truth for authority. 



Secularism does not say there is no light or 

 guidance elsewhere, but maintains that there i 

 light and guidance in secular truth, whose condi- 

 tions and sanctions exist independently, and act 

 independently. Secular knowledge is that kind of 

 knowledge which is founded in this life, which 

 relates to the conduct of this life, conduces to the 

 welfare of this life, and is capable of being tested 

 by the experience of this life. Mathematics, 

 liotany, chemistry, political economy are secular 

 subjects of instruction ; Secularism includes the 

 education of the conscience. If a sum in arith- 

 metic is wrong it can l>e proved by a new way of 

 working it ; if a medical recipe is wrong the effect 

 is discoverable on the health ; if a political law 

 is wrong this is sooner or later apparent in the 

 disaster it brings with it; but ii a theological 

 belief is wrong we must die to find it out. 



Secularism is separateuess and does not confuse 

 together distinct things. By repute there are two 

 worlds the unknown and known. The interpreter 

 of the unknown is theology; the interpreter of the 

 known is experience, which teaches the uses of 

 this world. Since mankind would perish if all 

 were called upon to agree upon the authorship of 

 the world before using it for the purposes of life, 

 the Secularist forbids no opinion and gives none 

 on a matter beyond his knowledge. He does no 1 , 

 undertake to say whether nature is the outcome 

 of intellect, or intellect the outcome of nature. 

 He believes that there is no religion higher than 

 truth, and that the reverence of that which 

 is honest, and just, and compassionate exalts 

 humanity ; that manliness is self-helping and not 

 mendicant, and vexes not the ears of the All-Wise 

 with capricious supplications. Secularism seeks 

 to create independent, thinkers in all parties, and 

 its adherents are content when their advocacy 

 induces others in religious, social, and political 

 movements to follow in the path of reason, experi- 

 ence, and material improvement. 



See the following works by the present writer : Prin- 

 ciple! of Seculariim (1855), Secular Review (1W6), 

 Preient Day (1880), Trial of Theism accuxtd of obitrue- 

 tiny Secular Progreii ( 1868 ). See iilso AGNOSTICISM. 



Seculars. See CLERGY. 



