ell-practised eyes, and elastic enough to cheat us
with a false sense of freedom.

Yes, we must seek in religion the secret of all political tyranny and
social injustice. Not only does history show us the bearing of religion
on politics--we see it to-day wherever we cast our gaze. Party feeling
is so embittered in France because the sharp line of division in
politics corresponds with the sharp line of division in religion. On
the one side there is Freethought and Republicanism, and on the other
Catholicism and Monarchy. Even in England, which at present knows less
of the naked despotism of the Catholic Church than any other European
country, we are gradually approximating to a similar state of things.
Freethougnt is appearing upon the public stage, and will play its
peculiar part as naturally as religion does. Those who fancy that
theology and politics have no necessary relations, that you may operate
in the one without affecting the other, and that they can and should be
kept distinct, are grossly mistaken. Cardinal Newman has well shown how
it is the nature of ideas to assimilate to themselves whatever agrees
with them, and to destroy whatever disagrees. When once an idea enters
the human mind it acts according to the necessary laws of thought. It
changes to its own complexion all its mental surroundings, and through
every mental and moral channel influences the world of practice outside.
The real sovereigns of mankind, who sway its destinies with irresistible
power, are not the czars, emperors, kings and lords, nor even the
statesmen who enact laws when public sentiment is ripe; they are the
great thinkers who mould opinion, the discoverers and enunciators
of Truth, the men of genius who pour the leaven of their ideas and
enthusiasm into the sluggish brain of humanity.

Even in this crisis it is easy to see how Religion and Freethought are
at variance. The Liberal party is not pledged to the abolition of
the House of Lords, but the Radical party is. Orthodox Liberalism
is Christian, only a little less so than orthodox Conservatism; but
Radicalism is very largely sceptical. It would surprise the dullards
of both parties to learn how great a portion of the working energy of
Radicalism is supplied by Freethinkers. True, many of them are unavowed
Freethinkers, yet they are of our party although they do not wear our
colors. But setting all these aside, I assert that Radicalism would be
immensely weakened by the withdrawa