CHANCE, THEISM AND A NATIONAL CHURCH 67 



replies, agreeing with the suggestion that a paragraph or two 

 should be added with ' the two chief objections made formerly 

 and now to Darwin the one that it is introducing " chance " 

 as a factor in nature, and the other that it is atheistic.' 



You must deal with the ' Chance ' objection, and that 

 involves the atheistic ; but this you can do better than any 

 one, briefly and effectively. 



The haziness of ordinary people's minds in regard to 

 both Theism and Atheism, and the idea that either can be 

 supported or negatived by reasoning e.g. from little fishes 

 is wonderful. 



As you say, Theism and Atheism are just where they 

 were in the days of Job and his comforters. 



The other is apropos of the first volume of the ' Collected 

 Essays ' which Huxley had just sent to him. (October 8, 

 1893.) 



The ' Inequality of Man ' is thoroughly well dealt with. 

 and leaves nothing to be desired. There is much that merits 

 consideration (would that it could be action) in the conception 

 of a National Church at p. 284. Something is wanted in 

 the present day, that would systematically foster, in the 

 young especially, a spirit of reverence for the higher aims 

 and aspirations of the best men towards the attainment of 

 knowledge, truth and pure living. My old friend W. R. Greg 

 used to discuss this with me, and would have had me proceed 

 on these lines ! 



A thousand thanks for the coming volume. 



As Sir William Hooker advanced in years, the possibilities 

 that would open out at his death inevitably presented them- 

 selves both to himself and to his son. To the latter the thought 

 was odious. If he should be compelled to shoulder the burden 

 of continuing his beloved father's work alone, it would of 

 course have to be done ; but he would gladly have renounced 

 an official position for quiet research. Administrative work 

 with its official shackles and its shadow of official honours 

 made little appeal to him : much less the open lionising of 

 science, or its exploitation as a stepping-stone to knighthoods 

 and the like. Thus when in 1863 the Indian Government 



