IX AGNOSTICISM AND CHRISTIANITY 363 



of theological science, was merely showing his 

 ignorance ; and as if a charge of inconsistency 

 could be based on the fact that he himself often 

 disagrees with what they say. I have never 

 lent a shadow of foundation to the assumption 

 that I am a follower of either Strauss, or Baur, or 

 Reuss, or Volkmar, or Renan ; my debt to these 

 eminent men so far my superiors in theological 

 knowledge is, indeed, great ; yet it is not for 

 their opinions, but for those I have been able to 

 form for myself, by their help. 



In Agnosticism: a Rejoinder (p. 266), I have 

 referred to the difficulties under which those pro- 

 fessors of the science of theology, whose tenure of 

 their posts depends on the results of their investi- 

 gations, must labour ; and, in a note, I add 



Imagine that all our chairs of Astronomy had been founded 

 in the fourteenth century, and that their incumbents were 

 bound to sign Ptolemaic articles. In that case, with every 

 respect for the efforts of persons thus hampered to attain and 

 expound the truth, I think men of common sense would go 

 elsewhere to learn astronomy. 



I did not write this paragraph without a know- 

 ledge that its sense would be open to the kind of 

 perversion which it has suffered ; but, if that was 

 clear, the necessity for the statement was still 

 clearer. It is my deliberate opinion : I reiterate 

 it ; and I say that, in my judgment, it is extremely 

 inexpedient that any subject which calls itself a 

 science should be entrusted to teachers who are 



