CHAP. XIII.] CONSEQUENCES. 399 



secution of religious opinions by no less a &quot; liberal &quot; than 

 Professor Huxley, whose reprobation of the very same views 

 as expressed by Comte we have just quoted. Indeed, he has 

 repudiated that reprobation and distinctly contradicted his 

 previously expressed views, in his address to the Midland 

 Institute, wherein he has quoted both Comte and Plato 

 approvingly, and speaks with scorn of that &quot;pet doctrine of 

 modern liberalism,&quot; that &quot; toleration &quot; is &quot; a good thing in 

 itself, and ought to be reckoned among the cardinal virtues.&quot;* 

 He has added the remarkable words : &quot; I do not see how any 

 limit whatever can be laid clown as to the extent to which, 

 under some circumstances, the action of government may be 

 rightfully carried ; &quot; and has asked the question : &quot; Are we 

 not bound to admit, with Locke, that it [i.e. the State] may 

 have right to interfere with popery and atheism, if it be 

 really true that the practical consequences of such beliefs 

 can be proved to be injurious to civil society?&quot; f 



A deprecation of any opposition to this intolerance on the 

 ground that the suppression of only that which is &quot; demon- 

 strably &quot; injurious is thereby justified cannot be admitted. It 

 cannot be admitted, because the mere fact of theological 



7 O 



opinions being opposed to the Professor s own may be quite 

 enough to render them, in his eyes, &quot; demonstrably inju 

 rious,&quot; and thus justify their forcible repression. In principle 

 this carries equally with it the right of the State to persecute 

 Theists. 



We have seen that, according to the teaching Professor 

 Huxley favours, all religious speculation and action is but 

 waste of thought and effort. It cannot be for the advantage 

 of the State that time and endeavour should be thrown away 

 in a manner worthy only of lunatics ; consequently all who 

 would promote such loss should be discouraged and put down. 

 &quot; The logical, practical result &quot; (to quote Professor Huxley s 

 words respecting Auguste Comte) &quot;of this part of the doctrine 

 would be &quot; what he invidiously calls, &quot; the establishment of 



* See Fortnightly Review, for November 1871, p. 532. 

 f Ibid. p. 538. 



