1863 THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNIVERSE 347 



masonry between us, at any rate on my side ; and if they 

 make you a bishop I advise you not to let your private 

 secretary open any letters with my name in the corner, 

 for they are as likely as not to contain matters which will 

 make the clerical hair stand on end. 



I am too much a believer in Butler and in the great 

 principle of the "Analogy" that "there is no absurdity 

 in theology so great that you cannot parallel it by a 

 greater absurdity of Nature " (it is not commonly stated 

 in this way), to have any difficulties about miracles. I 

 have never had the least sympathy with the a priori 

 reasons against orthodoxy, and I have by nature and 

 disposition the greatest possible antipathy to all the 

 atheistic and infidel school. 



Nevertheless, I know that I am, in spite of myself, 

 exactly what the Christian world call, and, so far as I 

 can see, are justified in calling, atheist and infidel. 1 I 

 cannot see one shadow or tittle of evidence that the great 

 unknown underlying the phenomena of the universe 

 stands to us in the relation of a Father loves us and 

 cares for us as Christianity asserts. On the contrary, 

 the whole teaching of experience seems to me to show 

 that while the governance (if I may use the term) of the 

 universe is rigorously just and substantially kind and 

 beneficent, th'ere is no more relation of aifection between 

 governor and governed than between me and the twelve 

 judges. I know the administrators of the law desire to 

 do their best for everybody, and that they would rather 

 not hurt me than otherwise, but I also know that under 

 certain circumstances they will most assuredly hang me ; 

 and that in any case it would be absurd to suppose them 

 guided by any particular affection for "me. 



This seems to me to be the relation which exists 

 between the cause of the phenomena of this universe and 

 myself. I submit to it with implicit obedience and 



1 But see vol. iii. chap. v. 



