Youth and IMncation. 33 



English clergymen may feel it necessary to declare 

 when hard pushed by Professor Huxley) when belief 

 in the historical character of the " Gadarene pig- 

 bedevilment," or any other miracle in the four gos- 

 pels, was regarded by intelligent people as an important 

 part of one's Christian faith. It is fast becoming diffi- 

 cult to comprehend the state of mind which attached 

 the highest value to the most barren parts of the 

 Scriptures, and visited with condemnation all attempts 

 to use one's reason and common sense about that lit- 

 erature as about any other subject. One thing, how- 

 ever, is clear the struggle involved in gaining one's 

 intellectual freedom in those days afforded a most 

 valuable discipline for the mind and. character. 



Edward's freethinking did not make him unpopu- 

 lar. Unlike his father, whose plain speaking often 

 gave offense, Edward could maintain any opinion 

 without irritating his antagonists. Without being dis- 

 putatious, he was fond of argument, but there was 

 such disinterested search for truth in what he said, 

 such readiness to admit facts that told against him, 

 such utter absence of selfish desire to make a point, 

 such genuine respect for the individuality of other 

 persons, that he was the most genial controversialist 

 I ever knew. His powers of persuasion were of the 

 rarest order. Not long ago a younger brother, now 

 a man of sixty, remarked : " Edward always had his 

 way with me. I could not withstand him. If I knew 

 beforehand what he would be at, and were never so 

 certain that I could not agree with him, it was sure to 

 turn out in the end that I gave in with perfect concur- 

 rence of sentiment." With such qualities Edward 

 was always the leader among his comrades, and was a 

 favourite with all. 



