26o LIFE OF PROFESSOR HUXLEY chap, xvii 



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 justi- 

 fied in calling, atheist and infidel. I cannot see one shadow or 

 tittle of evidence that the great unknown underlying the phe- 

 nomena of the universe stands to us in the relation of a Father 

 — loves us and cares for us as Christianity asserts. On the con- 

 trary, the whole teaching of experience seems to me to show 

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

 verse is rigorously just and substantially kind and beneficent, 

 there is no more relation of affection between governor and 

 governed than between me and the twelve judges. I know the 

 administrators of the law desire to do their best for every- 

 body, and that they would rather not hurt me than other- 

 wise, 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 perfect cheerfulness, and the 

 more because my small intelligence does not see how any other 

 arrangement could possibly be got to work as the world is con- 

 stituted. 



But this is what the Christian world calls atheism, and be- 

 cause all my toil and pains does not enable me to see my way 

 to any other conclusion than this, a Christian judge would (if 

 he knew it) refuse to take my evidence in a court of justice 

 against that of a Christian ticket-of-leave man. 



So with regard to the other great Christian dogmas, the im- 

 mortality of the soul, and the future state of rewards and punish- 

 ments, what possible objection a priori can I — who am com- 

 pelled perforce to believe in the immortality of what we call 

 Matter and Force and in a very unmistakable present state of 

 rewards and punishments for all our deeds — ^have to these doc- 

 trines ? Give me a scintilla of evidence, and I am ready to jump 

 at them. 



But read Butler, and see to what drivel even his great mind 

 descends when he has to talk about the immortality of the soul ! 

 I have never seen an argument on that subject which from a 

 scientific point of view is worth the paper it is written upon. 

 All resolve themselves into this formula: — The doctrine of the 



