Ill SCIENCE AND PSEUDO-SCIENCE 91 



matter of the smallest consequence ; and I went 

 out of my way to absolve the learned divine to 

 whom the discourse was attributed, from .the 

 responsibility for statements which, for anything I 

 knew to the contrary, might contain imperfect, or 

 inaccurate, representations of his views. The 

 assertion that I had the wish, or was beset, by any 

 " temptation to attack ' Canon Liddon is simply 

 contrary to fact. 



But suppose that if, instead of sedulously 

 avoiding even the appearance of such attack, I 

 had thought fit to take a different course ; suppose 

 that, after satisfying myself that the eminent 

 clergyman whose name is paraded by the Duke of 

 Argyll had really uttered the words attributed to 

 him from the pulpit of St. Paul's, what right 

 would any one have to find fault with my action 

 on grounds either of justice, expediency, or good 

 taste ? 



Establishment has its duties as well as its 

 rights. The clergy of a State Church enjoy many 

 advantages over those of unprivileged and unen- 

 dowed religious persuasions ; but they lie under a 

 correlative responsibility to the State, and to 

 every member of the body politic. I am not 

 aware that any sacredness attaches to sermons. 

 If preachers stray beyond the doctrinal limits set 

 by lay lawyers, the Privy Council will see to it ; 

 and, if they think fit to use their pulpits for the 

 promulgation of literary, or historical, or scientific 



