102 THOMAS HENRY HUXLEY 



Huxley was undoubtedly a supporter of secular educa- 

 tion, defined as " education without theology," but there 

 were then as now secularists and secularists, and so far 

 from being the leader of those included in the first London 

 School Board, he was entirely opposed to their views, 

 quite as much as to those of the so-called " religious 

 party " : — 



" For, leaving aside the more far-seeing minority on each side, 

 what the ' religious ' party is crying for is mere theology, under 

 the name of religion ; while the ' secularists ' have unwisely 

 and wrongfully admitted the assumption of their opponents, and 

 demand the abolition of all ' religious ' teaching, when they only 

 want to be free of theology — burning your ship to get rid of the 

 cockroaches ! " 



And further : — 



" . . . If I were compelled to choose for one of my own 

 children, between a school in which real religious instruction is 

 given, and one without it, I should prefer the former, even 

 though the child might have to take a good deal of theology 

 with it." 



Huxley's eloquent plea for the use of the Bible in 

 schools, as the only practical measure by which " the 

 religious feeling, which is the essential basis of conduct," 

 can be kept up in this country, has often been quoted, but 

 will bear quoting again : — 



" Take the Bible as a whole ; make the severest deductions 

 which fair criticism can dictate for shortcomings and positive 

 errors ; eliminate, as a sensible lay-teacher would do, if left to 

 himself, all that it is not desirable for children to occupy them- 

 selves with ; and there still remains in this old literature a 

 vast residuum of moral beauty and grandeur. And then con- 

 sider the great historical fact that, for three centuries, this book 

 has been woven into the life of all that is best and noblest 

 in English history ; that it has become the national epic of Britain, 

 and is as familiar to noble and simple, from John o' Groats 



