404 LESSONS FEOM NATUKE. [CHAP. XIII. 



and origin duty with pleasure and the social maxims which 

 may be put forward and defended are somewhat startling. 



I am myself acquainted with a gentleman of very high 

 culture and very advanced views, who deliberately main 

 tains (although his own life is like that of other Englishmen) 

 that it would be a great benefit to propagate in modern 

 society customs of Pagan Greece and Borne which are gene 

 rally looked upon as specially revolting, advocating them on 

 strictly utilitarian principles. 



The justice of such remarks as these is sometimes very irra- 

 cmduct m tionally disputed on account of the personal virtues 

 CSftacn- of men who may profess Anti-theistic views. But if 

 teacS. leaders or propagators of the Non-theistic philosophy 

 are men who lead a life materially moral, it is only so much 

 the worse. It is so much the worse, because such a life is the 

 means of giving far greater currency to dangerous views, the 

 very dangers of which such a life more or less disguises. Of 

 two men, one leading a life of this moral kind, but influ- 

 entially propagating the Agnostic philosophy, and another 

 simply leading a grossly sensual one, which does the most 

 harm to others ? There cannot be a moment s dispute about 

 it. The most profligate of men can by his personal conduct 

 corrupt but a few ; but the Agnostic who, by his publications, 

 tends to sap the basis of all morality spreads corruption far 

 and wide, not only in his own, but in succeeding generations 

 also. However warm may be our personal regard for such 

 an Agnostic, however much we may enjoy his society, or 

 appreciate his warm-heartedness, we must none the less con 

 fess that, absolutely and in fact, he is one of the worst 

 enemies of the human race. Begret it as we may, there is 

 no rational way of avoiding such a judgment. 



Again, let us suppose, for argument s sake, that Christianity 

 is true ; let it be granted for the same reason, per impossibile 

 or per absurdum, that there is a living personification of the 

 principle of evil. Would such a being for a moment allow 

 serious temptation to come in our Agnostic philosopher s 

 way? Would he not scrupulously guard him from any 



