between two things we lin ivity, we establish the relativ quence, or co-existence. T Time, and that of all co-ex separable from sequence, existence. Time is the meas 1 idea of successive existenc: e. Absolute time is considere es or their motions. Relati re of any portion of duration henomena. Time is measure udge those times to be eq ody, proceeding with a unifi paces. Space is the inter ore know it as an ability on considered in its own natur t may contain, or that mayb mains the same, is infinite, ar motion. reasoning; and the science Knowledge ed is LOGIC. or the great law of inference is that whatever is true of one term ich gives power is a partic "science"; and the univers enomena of the universe at: s, reasons, powers, and lawsek philos, loving; and soph near, and feel without rea but reason causes us to kno r, and feel occur; and log een the good reasoning whi soning which leads to error. d infer-or find out what w rue-by deduction. By indu of many different thingsnerals, and so try to discove ertain events happen. Scienc remains would now present appearances which agree with what is observed," and infer by deduction the truth of the fourth hypothesis. An inference is thus a truth or proposition, drawn from another which is admitted to be true, forming a premise or base of an argument from which a conclusion is formed. The unification or completion of a number of facts forming a whole is called a "synthesis." BELIEF is a decision formed on the support of some amount of evidence, though not sufficiently conclusive to constitute knowledge. Belief or disbelief, being the work of the judgment, and not of the will, is involuntary; and there is neither merit nor demerit in either. We believe only what seems to us to be true. We cannot believe more. FAITH is an assent of the mind to what is declared by another, supported on no evidence, or evidence so weak as to be unreliable. Faith in theology, therefore, can never be justifiable. The late Professor Huxley said: "Scepticism is the highest of duties, and blind faith the one unpardonable sin." To reject the truths acquired by scientific research, proved by reason and experience to be true, is to be guilty of wilful ignorance. But there is no obligation on anyone to believe anything on the mere word of another, without sufficient evidence forthcoming to support it; and to accept any statement, whether concerning religion or anything else, on blind faith is to be guilty of credulity. The confusion of the meaning of such words as knowledge, belief, and faith has led to very disastrous results; not only in social and domestic life, where serious injuries have been inflicted on individuals and their reputations, but in public life, where wholesale cruelty and persecution have taken place, and generally under the name of "religion." Dogmas concerning matters which are unknown and unknowable by any process as yet known to man have been forced upon people as truths, which were only pious beliefs. It is a universal law of science, and an Agnostic first principle, that we should accept no statement as true on the simple word of another, and without verification. earances which agree Heduction the truth of the ▪r proposition, drawn from true, forming a premise o a conclusion is formed a number of facts forming on the support of some sufficiently conclusive to isbelief, being the work of is involuntary; and ther We believe only either. cannot believe more. d to what is declared by or evidence so weak as to be efore, can never be justifisaid: "Scepticism is the he one unpardonable sin." cientific research, proved e, is to be guilty of wilful tion on anyone to believe mother, without sufficient it; and to accept any gion or anything else, on The confusion of lity. owledge, belief, and faith not only in social and have been inflicted on ut in public life, where have taken place, and Dogmas coneligion.' and unknowable by any been forced upon people fs. It is a universal law rinciple, that we should simple word of another. possessing as benevolence and malevolence, kindness and cruelty, pity and vindictiveness, love and hatred, etc.; wielding supernatural power, especially over the destiny of man; controlling the phenomena of the universe; assuming various forms and disguises at will; and, therefore, to be propitiated by sacrifice and worship. They are personifications of the natural powers of the universe, and vary in different countries and in different ages. The terms, however, must not be confused with the inscrutable power of the universe, to which they cannot be logically applied. CHANCE exists only subjectively, for it is a word which expresses a state of our mind. When occurrences take place not anticipated by us, we attribute them to chance; but, had our knowledge been more extensive, they would have been certainties. What may appear chance to one may be a certainty to another whose knowledge is more advanced. There is no chance in nature, any more than there is chaos; that which men call chance is only the effect of an unknown cause. Nor do we know of any such thing as "Providence," for nature proceeds under irresistible laws, and in this respect the universe is only a vast automatic engine. Every occurrence that takes place is a certainty. It may appear to us a chance whether in the tossing of a coin it "turns up heads or tails"; but, had the movement of the coin been so slow that the eye could have followed every turn, we should have said "the turn up" was a certainty. Whatever change, however, took place in our decision would be a subjective one, due to the change in our minds from ignorance to knowledge; not an objective one, due to any change in the coin. Luck and ill-luck, good and bad fortune, are events which are due to chance-i.e., accidental circumstances, over which man has no control. Accident took the late Colonel North to a part of the world where existed nitrate fields; accident also rendered those nitrates at that time valuable; with the result that, seizing his opportunity, he developed them, and amassed a large fortune. Had accident taken him to a part of the world where there were no board-500 or 600 people—were drowned. Superstitious people would be disposed to attribute such pieces of luck to an "Over-ruling Providence," not thinking of the infinite egotism of such a belief, where one person--an insignificant life compared to the other 500 or 600 fathers, mothers, and children who sailed and perished-detained by chance, has the conceit to imagine that he or she was the object of a special selection and preservation; and leaving out of the question the charge of cruelty and murder which must be brought against "Providence" for deliberately enticing a shipload of innocent people into danger with such wholesale slaughter. But, had this superstitious and egotistical person only possessed the necessary knowledge, he or she might have known that both these circumstances must have occurred, that the parcel by being sent off later than was anticipated must fail to reach its destination in time, and that the person was consequently detained, which saved him from being a passenger on the boat that was lost. Again, two vessels, which may be miles away from each other at starting, by travelling at a certain speed, and keeping a particular course, must come into collision at a certain point, though no human knowledge could foresee such an event. These very accidents, however, are subject to natural law. All nature acts in an invariable order and by an uniformity, which, in the order of cause and effect exhibited in a certain way under certain circumstances, will invariably manifest itself in the same way, so long as the conditions remain the same. RELIGION (re, back or together; ligo, to bind) is a subjective term, often erroneously made synonymous with "theology"; but the meanings of the two words differ considerably the former being a feeling and being subjective, while the latter is a system of knowledge and is objective. Religion is the feeling which has been evolved in man, as he acquired a knowledge of right and wrong. It is this feeling which prompts man to interest himself in the mysteries of phenomena and life; and by which many are led, instead of into the paths of science, into the realms of the el was wrecked e drowned. Superstitious -ibute such pieces of luck not thinking of the infinite ne person-an insignificant - 600 fathers, mothers, and -detained by chance, has or she was the object of a ; and leaving out of the nd murder which must be Tor deliberately enticing O danger with such whole perstitious and egotistical ary knowledge, he or she these circumstances must y being sent off later than h its destination in time. ently detained, which saved n the boat that was lost. De miles away from each at a certain speed, and t come into collision at a knowledge could foresee are subject to natural law. der and by an uniformity, effect exhibited in a certain ill invariably manifest itsel nditions remain the same ; ligo, to bind) is a sub made synonymous with the two words differ con ling and being subjective nowledge and is objective, as been evolved in man right and wrong. It is to interest himself in the ; and by which many are ence, into the realms of the being synonymous with "goodness." What is considered "religious" by one may be "irreligious" by another; the degree of religiousness being measured by the amount of outward support given to some particular form of theology; so that, to the adherents of a particular creed, one whose opinions would lead him to believe that all theological theories and systems are erroneous and misleading would be considered "irreligious." The word and its adjective have thus become intimately associated with theology; and, as suggestive of binding and fettering, are opposed to all ideas of freedom. It therefore finds no place in the economy of science. THEOLOGY (theos, god; logos, discourse), as we have seen, differs from "religion" in that it is a system, and not a feeling; is objective, and not subjective. It relates to ideas. and conceptions which man entertains respecting the deity he has conceived in his mind, generally a man-like (anthropomorphic) being, and to the system of dogmas built up around them, the adherence to which constitutes the sum of duty. The fear of, and reverence for, the deity thus acts as the principle of, or motive for, morality, in place of the pure and natural motive of social fellowship and co-operation-human love and sympathy. Theology is the modern representative of ancient astrology and magic, the prime motive of both being the same-viz., to hold communications with the supernatural. From the ancient arts of magic, divination, and incantation, have been evolved the modern mysteries, sacraments, and ritual; the ancient magi-a priestly caste-becoming the modern priests and ministers. ECCLESIASTICISM, or CLERICALISM as it is called on the Continent, is the pernicious system which places the aggrandisement of what is termed "the Church" and the priestly class before everything, including human welfare; in order to achieve which it champions that particular form of theology-the truth of which is accepted as a foregone conclusion, regardless of reason and evidence-which is most conducive to the furtherance of this aggrandisement. |