ng conflict which was necessary in order to re-
establish it, men consciously realize its value. Perhaps this conviction
will be strong enough to resist all conspiracies against liberty.
Meanwhile, nothing should be left undone to impress upon the young that
freedom of thought is an axiom of human progress. It may be feared,
however, that this is not likely to be done for a long time to come. For
our methods of early education are founded on authority. It is true that
children are sometimes exhorted to think for themselves. But the parent
or instructor who gives this excellent advice is confident that the
results of the child's thinking for

[252] himself will agree with the opinions which his elders consider
desirable. It is assumed that he will reason from principles which have
already been instilled into him by authority. But if his thinking for
himself takes the form of questioning these principles, whether moral or
religious, his parents and teachers, unless they are very exceptional
persons, will be extremely displeased, and will certainly discourage
him. It is, of course, only singularly promising children whose freedom
of thought will go so far. In this sense it might be said that "distrust
thy father and mother" is the first commandment with promise. It should
be a part of education to explain to children, as soon as they are old
enough to understand, when it is reasonable, and when it is not, to
accept what they are told, on authority.

[1] Blasphemy is an offence in Germany; but it must be proved that
offence has actually been given, and the penalty does not exceed
imprisonment for three days.

[2] The quotations are from Sir J. F. Stephen's article, "Blasphemy and
Blasphemous Libel," in the Fortnightly Review, March, 1884, pp. 289-318.

[253]

BIBLIOGRAPHY

General
Lecky, W. E. H., History of the Rise and Influence of the
Spirit of Rationalism in Europe, 2 vols. (originally published
in 1865). White, A. D., A History of the Warfare
of Science with Theology in Christendom, 2 vols., 1896.
Robertson, J. M., A Short History of Free-thought, Ancient
and Modern, 2 vols., 1906. [Comprehensive, but the
notices of the leading freethinkers are necessarily brief, as
the field covered is so large. The judgments are always
independent.] Benn, A. W., The History of English
Rationalism in the Nineteenth Century, 2 vols., 1906.
[Very full and valuable]