RETROGRESSIVE RELIGION. 463 



in the prescribed worship of objects, animate and inanimate. In 

 " Table A, System of Sociolatry," there are times named for the " Festi- 

 val of the Animals," " Festival of Fire," " Festival of the Sun," " Fes- 

 tival of Iron," etc. 



But now, passing over M. Comte's eccentricities and inconsisten- 

 cies, let us consider on its merits the creed he enunciated. In addition 

 to private worship of guardian angels or household gods, there is to be 

 a public worship of the " Great Being Humanity." How are we to con- 

 ceive this Great Being ? Various conceptions of it are possible ; and 

 more or less unlike conceptions are at one time or other presented to 

 us. Let us look at them in succession. 



By M. Comte himself, at page 74 of the " Catechism of Positive Re- 

 ligion," we are told that we must — 



define Humanity as the whole of human beings, past, present, and future. The 

 word whole points out clearly that you must not take in all men, but those only 

 who are really capable of assimilation, in virtue of a real co-operation on their 

 part in furthering the common good. 



On which the first comment suggesting itself is that the word " whole 

 points out clearly " not limitation, but absence of limitation. Passing 

 over this, however, and agreeing to exclude, as is intended, criminals, pau- 

 pers, beggars, and all who " remain in the parasitic state," it seems that 

 we are to include in the aggregate object of our worship, all who have 

 aided, now aid, and will hereafter aid, social growth and development. 

 Though elsewhere * it is limited to those who " co-operate willingly," 

 yet since " the animals which voluntarily aid man " are recognized as 

 " integral portions of the Great Being," and since the co-operation of 

 slaves is as " voluntary " as that of horses, we seem compelled to include, 

 not the superior men and classes only, but even those who, under a co- 

 ercion such as is used to domestic animals, have helped to subdue the 

 Earth and further the material progress of Humanity. And since the 

 progress of Humanity has been largely aided by the spread of the 

 higher races and accompanying extermination of the lower races, we 

 must comprehend in our conception of this worshipful Great Being all 

 those who, from the earliest savage times, have, as leading warriors 

 and common soldiers, helped by their victories to replace inferior socie- 

 ties by superior ones ; not only bloodthirsty conquerors like Sesostris 

 (who is duly sanctified in the calendar) but even such cannibals as the 

 Aztecs, who laid the basis of the Mexican civilization. 



So far from seeing in the " Great Being Humanity," as thus defined, 

 anything worshipful, it seems to me that contemplation of it is calcu- 

 lated to excite feelings which it is best to keep out of consciousness. 



But now, not to take the doctrine at a disadvantage, let us con- 

 ceive the object of the Positivist's adoration under a better aspect. 



* " Catechism," p. 427. 



