IX AGNOSTICISM AND CHRISTIANITY 327 



said, and are, in ecclesiastical terminology, " Infi- 

 dels" just as much as those who deny the 

 spirituality of God. This is as plain as anything 

 can well be, and the dilemma for my opponent 

 was either to assert that the Gadarene pig-bedevil- 

 ment actually occurred, or to write himself down 

 an " Infidel." As was to be expected, he chose 

 the former alternative ; and I may express my 

 great satisfaction at finding that there is one spot 

 of common ground on which both he and I stand. 

 So far as I can judge, we are agreed to state one 

 of the broad issues between the consequences of 

 agnostic principles (as I draw them), and the con- 

 sequences of ecclesiastical dogmatism (as he ac- 

 cepts it), as follows. 



Ecclesiasticism says: The demonology of the 

 Gospels is an essential part of that account of 

 that spiritual world, the truth of which it de- 

 clares to be certified by Jesus. 



Agnosticism (mejudicc) says : There is no good 

 evidence of the existence of a demoniac spiritual 

 world, and much reason for doubting it. 



Hereupon the ecclesiastic may observe : Your 

 doubt means that you disbelieve Jesus ; therefore 

 you are an " Infidel " instead of an " Agnostic." 

 To which the agnostic may reply : No ; for two 

 reasons : first, because your evidence that Jesus 

 said what you say he said is worth very little ; 

 and secondly, because a man may be an agnostic, 

 in the sense of admitting he has no positive 



