Biosophy 
tion of scientific methods of investigation to all the prob- 
lems of life to the best of my ability, in the conviction 
which has grown with my growth and strengthened with 
my strength, that there is no alleviation for the suffer- 
ings of mankind except veracity of thought and of action, 
and the resolute facing of the world as it is when the 
garment of make-belief by which pious hands have hid- 
den its uglier features is stripped off.” 
166. “It is with this intent that I haye subordinated 
any reasonable, or unreasonable, ambition for scientific 
fame, which I may have permitted myself to entertain, 
to other ends; to the popularisation of science; to the 
development and organisation of scientific education; to 
the endless series of battles. and skirmishes over evolu- 
tion; and to untiring opposition to that ecclesiastical 
spirit, that clericalism, which in England, as everywhere 
else, and to whatever denomination it may belong, is 
the deadly enemy of science.” 
167. “In striving for the attainment of these objects, 
I have been but one among many, and I shall be weli 
content to be remembered, or even not remembered, as 
such. Circumstances, among which I am proud to reckon 
the devoted kindness of many friends, have led to my 
occupation of various prominent positions, among which 
the Presidency of the Royal Society is the highest. — It 
would be mock modesty on my part, with these and 
other scientific honors which have been bestowed upon 
me, to pretend that Γ have not succeeded in the career 
which I have followed, rather because I was driven into 
it than of my own free will; but I am afraid I should 
noL count even these things as marks of success if I 
could not hope that I had somewhat helped that move- 
ment of opinion which has been called the New Refor- 
mation." 
BIOSOPHY AND THE CHURCHES. 
168. Biosophy is the only practicable religion for 
humanity:—not, of course, Biosophy as I am writing 
it, but as it should be and will be written and carried 
out, if life is to be worth living. 
on “Rationalism,” but it has a wider scope because it 
accepts Art and appreciation of Beauty as equally im- 
portant with Science and appreciation of Truth, and on 
these: twin foundations it seeks to erect an ever-growing 
edifice of the highest happiness for man. As regards 
its foundations the great enemy of Biosophy is to be 
found in the Churches, and as regards its superstructure 
the great enemy is in Politics (which latter I am not 
now considering except in so far as Church and State * 
are interwoven). 
169. The Churches are essentially and without ex- 
ception living lies. 
points in them, just as I admit that a surgeon can see 
a cancer as beautiful—a fine specimen for the museum , 
or laboratory. So far as dogma. is concerned, a Church 
nowadays may mean anything or nothing. Side by 
side, and all sheltered under the wing of Christianity, 
some churchmen preach the grossest superstitions as to 
It is in part founded ; 
I admit that some can see good, 
62 
heaven and hell and the sacrificial *blood of the lamb,” 
others visionary and irresponsible doctrines of spiritual 
existence and hierarchies of angels, whilst still others 
have thrown over in succession chapter after chapter 
of the fundamental teachings of their historic Church 
until it is dificult to know if they have any creed left 
at all. ; 
170. To churchmen of the last group Biosophy is 
a definite challenge, If they find they are in truth 
Biosophers and not Christians let them come out in the 
open and admit the fact. If they assert the right to 
select passages from the bible which they approve and 
reject those they disapprove, to throw revelation over- 
board and accept the conclusions of science, to modify 
their ethical code in accordance with the evolution of 
society and to deny any supernatural character to Jesus, 
then they are definitely not Christians but Humanists, 
who incorporate what is good in Christianity with what 
is good in other spheres of knowledge or conduct. If, 
besides this, their mind is open as to the question of a 
future life and they concentrate their efforts to making 
the best of the life we know, then they are definitely 
Biosophers, and cannot with honesty retain a common 
label identifying them with the devotees of superstition 
and falsehood, who are their and the Biosophers’ worst 
enemies. f 
171. As regards congregations, I do not think that 
nowadays Christianity as a creed has very much hold 
on them. Church attendance is largely a matter of 
“esprit de corps,” certain individuals or families have 
been in the habit of attending the services of a certain 
denomination, meeting their friends there, going to 
socials and picnics, working-bees and the like; they are 
friendly with the parson, and, to avoid "letting him 
down," turn up at church more or less frequently. 
Church gives a sort of insurance in the shape of christen- 
ings and confirmations, people don’t really think the 
kiddies are any the safer for these, “still you never 
know, and it costs so little that you may as well be on 
the right side"; it also gives a little social eclat to 
weddings, “here comes the bride, all dressed in white” 
(“Lohengrin,” via Zazu Pitts) is a very human touch, 
and the bridesmaids are lovely; a funeral service may 
be a pathetic tragedy or a melodramatic farce according 
so circumstances, in either case more or less understand- 
able, though it was a parson and not a Biosopher who 
wrote those memorable lines: “Go, pop Sir Thomas 
again in the pond. Poor dear! he'll catch us some 
more.” t : 
172. Congregations nowadays do not total a. very 
targe percentage of the population, and yet census 
statistics still show an unexpectedly large proportion 
of adherenis of the various denominations. The officer 
in charge of census, collections is not very partial to 
Biosophers; he puts it to one that one is more or less 
expected to belong to a Christian denomination and gives 
one plenty of these to choose from; he generally gives 
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