210 AGNOSTICISM VII 



propose to show cause for my belief that all three 

 must be seriously questioned by any one who 

 employs the term " agnostic " in the sense in 

 which it was originally used. The learned 

 Principal of King's College, who brought the 

 topic of Agnosticism before the Church Congress, 

 took a short and easy way of settling the 

 business : 



But if this be so, for a man to urge, as an escape from this 

 article of belief, that he has no means of a scientific knowledge 

 of the unseen world, or of the future, is irrelevant. His differ- 

 ence from Christians lies not in the fact that he has no know- 

 ledge of these things, but that he does not believe the authority 

 on which they are stated. He may prefer to call himself an 

 Agnostic ; but his real name is an older one he is an infidel ; 

 that is to say, an unbeliever. The word infidel, perhaps, carries 

 an unpleasant significance. Perhaps it is right that it should. 

 It is, and it ought to be, an unpleasant thing for a man to have to 

 say plainly that he does not believe in Jesus Christ. 1 



So much of Dr. Wace's address either explicitly 

 or implicitly concerns me, that I take upon 

 myself to deal with it ; but, in so doing, it must 

 be understood that I speak for myself alone. I 

 am not aware that there is any sect of Agnostics ; 



1 [In this place and in the eleventh essay, there are references 

 to the late Archbishop of York which are of no importance to 

 my main argument, and which I have expunged because I desire 

 to obliterate the traces of a temporary misunderstanding with a 

 man of rare ability, candour, and wit, for whom I entertained a 

 great liking and no less respect. I rejoice to think now of 

 the (then) Bishop's cordial hail the first time we met after our 

 little skirmish, "Well, is it to be peace or war ?" I replied, 

 " A little of both." But there was only peace when we parted, 

 and ever after.] 



