LATEST INTERESTS. 365 



of himself not in a connected form to be left as materials 1869. 

 for his Life, and from this book I have taken much of 

 the earlier part of this Memoir. He also rearranged and 

 added to his Budget of Paradoxes, which, however, was 

 not published till after his death. 



One of the last subjects which afforded him interest Free Chris- 

 tian Union. 



was the proposed formation of a society to be called the 

 Free Christian Union. The idea, a beautiful and attractive 

 one, was the formation of a union for the promotion of good 

 in various directions of men of all religious beliefs and 

 opinions, on the common ground of the Fatherhood of God 

 and the brotherhood of man. But there was some inaccuracy 

 in the designation, for under the simple, universal principle, 

 professed Jews, Hindoos, and other Easterns were eligible as 

 members ; indeed, my husband said Christ himself and the 

 Apostles might belong to the society, which they could not 

 perhaps have done to many associations taking the name 

 of Christian. Either the designation or the conditions of 

 membership must be abandoned ; and on the former pro- 

 posal, several persons of well-defined orthodox opinions 

 left it. Mr. De Morgan hesitated before giving his name, 

 feeling that in the present uncertain and unsettled state 

 of opinion among the best meaning persons a union based 

 upon anything but absolute and simple theism was im- 

 possible. This would exclude the use of the word Christian, 

 leaving a common basis of belief so broad as not to satisfy 

 men of deep religious thought, while it would not admit 

 Comtists and others whose philanthropic views and de- 

 sires to benefit mankind were as wide and earnest as 

 those of the founders themselves. 



He also desired to learn to what the designation 

 ' Christian ' applied what were the opinions of the 

 founders with reference to the work and mission of Christ. 

 The writings of some of these, friends whom he valued and 

 respected, had led him to suspect that in their view what 

 is called the supernatural element in the Gospels, the 

 account of the miracles and resurrection of Christ, were 



