RELIGION. 



275 



He naturally shrank from wounding the sensibilities of 

 others in religious matters, and he was also influenced by the 

 consciousness that a man ought not to publish on a subject 

 to which he has not given special and continuous thought. 

 That he felt this caution to apply to himself in the matter of 

 religion is shown in a letter to Dr. F. E. Abbott, of Cam- 

 bridge, U. S. (Sept. 6, 187 1). After explaining that the 

 weakness arising from his bad health prevented him from 

 feeling "equal to deep reflection, on the deepest subject 

 which can fill a man's mind," he goes on to say: "With 

 respect to my former notes to you, I quite forget their con- 

 tents. I have to write many letters, and can reflect but little 

 on what I write ; but I fully believe and hope that I have 

 never written a word, which at the time I did not think ; but 

 I think you will agree with me, that anything which is to be 

 given to the public ought to be maturely weighed and cau- 

 tiously put. It never occurred to me that you would wish to 

 print any extract from my notes : if it had, I would have kept 

 a copy. I put ' private ' from habit, only as yet partially ac- 

 quired, from some hasty notes of mine having been printed, 

 which were not in the least degree worth printing, though 

 otherwise unobjectionable. It is simply ridiculous to suppose 

 that my former note to you would be worth sending to me, 

 with any part marked which you desire to print ; but if you 

 like to do so, I will at once say whether I should have any 

 objection. I feel in some degree unwilling to express myself 

 publicly on religious subjects, as I do not feel that I have 

 thought deeply enough to justify any publicity." 



I may also quote from another letter to Dr. Abbott (Nov. 

 16, 187 1), in which my father gives more fully his reasons for 

 not feeling competent to write on religious and moral sub- 

 jects : — 



" I can say with entire truth that I feel honoured by your 

 request that I should become a contributor to the Index^ and 

 am much obliged for the draft. I fully, also, subscribe to 

 the proposition that it is the duty of every one to spread 

 what he believes to be the truth ; and I honour you for doing 



