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]

        Greek Thought
Gomperz, Th., Greek Thinkers (English translation), 4 vols.
   (1901-12).

English Deists
Stephen, Leslie, History of English Thought in the Eighteenth
Century, vol. i, 1881.

French Freethinkers of Eighteenth Century
Morley, J., Voltaire; Diderot and the Encyclopaedists;
Rousseau (see above, Chapter VI).

Rationalistic Criticism of the Bible
(Nineteenth Century)
Articles in Encyclopoedia Biblica, 4 vols.  Duff, A., History of
Old Testament Criticism, 1910.  Conybeare, F. C., History
of New Testament Criticism, 1910.