40 HUXLEY MEMORIAL LECTURES 



the teaching of the Church? If they found that 

 it did conflict, would not they also then join in 

 denouncing it? He had no doubt but what they 

 would. He was convinced that the antagonism 

 was a fundamental one. It was one moreover 

 which he seemed to meet with everywhere. 



I had set out [says he] on a journey with no other pur- 

 pose than that of exploring- a certain province of natural 

 knowledge ; I strayed no hair's breadth from the course 

 which it was my right and my duty to pursue ; and yet I 

 found that, whatever route I took, before long I came to 

 a tall and formidable-looking fence. . . . The only alter- 

 natives were either to give up my journey which I was 

 not minded to do or to break the fence down and go 

 through it.* 



And especially during the latter years of his life 

 he set himself vigorously to the task of breaking 

 down fences. 



The Church, he said to himself, whenever it 

 sees fit, opposes natural knowledge; in the ser- 

 vice of my sovereign lord, natural knowledge, it 

 is my duty to oppose the Church. I am not going 

 out of my way in doing this ; it lies straight before 

 me in my path. He went on the way which he 

 had set before him, well knowing that in so doing 

 he gave great offence. To many a quiet Christian 

 heart he brought much pain, handling, as he did, 

 themes which to them were indissolubly joined to 

 their inmost feelings of reverence, with the free 

 manner of a fighter who flashes in his sword 

 wherever he sees an opening to do his 



* Collected Essays, V., Pref. p. vii. 



