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AD.DEE88
\ I
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Delivered at a Conversazione of the Progressive
Society of Ottawa, held on the 2^th December,
18t7.
I do not know how I can more fitly occupy the time
that has been placed at my disposal this evening, than
by relating briefly, for the information of those in the
audience to whom the facts may not be fully known,
how this Society came into existence, and by defining,
as I understand them, the objects which it strives to
accomplish and the position which it aims at occupying.
I do not stand here as an authoritative exponent of the
views or feelings of the members of the Society ; and
yet, I am not without hope, that what I have to say will
command their assent and their sympathy ; and that my
task of definition will be regarded and accepted as a
contribution towards the evolution of the true ideal of
the organization we all prize so much.
Some years have now passed since a few scattered
individuals in the City of Ottawa and its neighbourhood,
became aware that they agreed in dissenting from the
views entertained by the mass of the community in:
regard to theological matters. Something more than
mere agreement in dissent drew these persons together ;
their desires and aims were^-in a great measure concor-
dant ; and naturally they " spake often one to another,"
sometimes enquiring when the opportunity would arise
2
of enjoying the benefit of regular intercourse. They
were sensible of the vast advantages resulting from
association, and often wished' that their number might
some day be such as to make it possible for them to hold
regular meetings for purposes of mutual instruction and
edification. In addition to those to whom I now more
especially refer, there were othere of similar views, but
less favorably situated, as being more isolated, and
scarcely in communication with any one to whom they
could look for sympathy or even unreservedly express
their opinions. I need hardly say, that there is no one
who needs sympathy more than the Freethinker. Broadly
speaking, he has the world against him, he has the
whole force of tradition against him ; he has against him
to some extent his own organization, moulded as it has
been by the institutions and creeds of the past. On
the other hand, of course, he can take himself to witness,
in the fine language of Matthew Arnold, that he has
(( *
* Loved no darkness
Sophisticated no truth,
Nursed no delusion
Allowed no fear."*
Still he cannot thoroughly enjoy his liberty alone;
and when he sees a hostile world, he wants to know and
to feel that some one stands abreast of him, — that he is
not all alone. Cut a man ofi" from all congenial com-
panionship, make no demands upon his social faculties,
and there is much danger that his moral nature will
either wither or harden, that everything will fall away
frc A him, but the impenetrable little nucleus of self.
We all need the discipline of common work carried on,
not in the spirit of com pe^ion, but in fche simple spirit
* " Empedocies on Etna."
-"--••i*^
of good-fellowship. This alone will place us in right
relations with our fellow-men, this alone will enable
us to regard the world with all its varied activities in a
spirit of broad humanity. Do you say that, in the very
act of associating upon special lines, we form ourselves
into a set apart from the rest of society? I answer,
yes ; but by partaking, ourselves, of the benefits of
association, we learn to respect more or less every institu-
tion, every influence, that binds men in the bonds of
good-fellowship, and educates them in the science of
society. We shake off our individualism, and learn
that men were made for one another, and that the
highest happiness any man can realise is that which
comes from social harmony. To have felt this even
once, is to have been a man in the highest sense of the
world ; to have felt it never is to have missed the chief
glory of life and of humanity.
At length to those who were waiting and hoping an
opportunity such as they desired presented itself. An
attempt which was made to establish a Unitarian Society
in this city, brought them together. Some were at first
disposed to assist the Unitarian scheme ; but after a free
interchange of views, it became apparent that a freer and
less formal organization was what they really desired.
A very informal meeting of half a dozen persons was held
in the street after one of the Unitarian meetings, «nd it
was then and there determined to organize a Liberal
Society. What precise shape it would take, no one then
knew ; but every member of that little assembly knew that
something was wanted ; and all seemed to think that they
were agreed as to what that sgniething was. Well, that was
eight months ago, and the result of the brief conference then
held was the organization of the Progressive Society.
There are several questions concerning our organization
which might be asked by some who are present this
evening. The first would natnrally be, What is your
bond of union or what beliefs or disbeliefs do you pro-
fess 1 To this the answer would be, that we have, as
a society, no syst-m either of beliefs or disbeliefs, and
that our only bond of union is a promise which we make
to one another, that we shall " pursue truth in the spirit
of charity." Can such a bond as this keep us together]
It has done so up to the present, and has enabled us to
considerably increase our numbers. There are no signs
as yet of any weakening of our organization : all the
signs indeed point the othei- way. Those who attend
church — it matters little what church — know how com-
mon it is to hear ministers complaining of the lukewarm-
ness and indifference of their congregations ; and not
unfrequently the congregations have complaints not very
dissimilar to make of their })astor8. With us, I may say
without boasting, the case has, up to the present, been
very different. We are all ministers to one another —
each man f according to his several ability ;" and, what-
ever we may lack in wisdom or learning, there is no
lack of earnestness or interest. We do not delegate to
one man the task of teaching us, and throw upon his
shoulders the whole responsibility of our spiritual educa-
tion, sitting mute while, entrenched in his creeds, and
safe from all contradiction, he feeds us with such food
as he judges convenient for us — and for himself. No,
we mutually teach and learn. One ministers some
original remarks, another a selected essay, another a
piece of poetry, another some strains of music, another
a friendly criticism upon what some one else has advanced ;
and the complaint is never heard that our meiBtings are
devoid of interest or unprofitable. We do not talk for
f
5
f
talking's sake : we talk for the sake of knowing and with
a view to working. We desire such an increase of our
knowledge, and such a correction of our thoughts, as
shall make us efficient servants of the truth, and of every
good cause which we may have it in our power to serve.
In regard to our bond of union, it may be remarked
that there is nothing in it to exclude any sincere seeker
after truth ; and if some of our orthodox friends, accept-
ing our pledge, were to seek to unite themselves with
us, they would receive a most hearty welcome. I can
think of friends of mine in the churches at this moment
whom I would earnestly desire to have in our Society,
and who, I feel persuaded, would find a great deal of
moral sympathy here. They would have to bear with
the free expression of opinions very different from their
own ; but, on the other hand, they would have every
opportunity of maintaining their own opinions, and why
should they not hope to do so with the very best
results ] An earnest believer should ask nothing better
than a fair field for advocating that which he holds to
be the truth.
While we have here no standards of belief, no doctrinal
tests whatever, it is true, in point of fact, that as the
Society is at present constituted, its members have all
seen reason to reject the current forms > religion.
Carlyle has described Socinian preachers in New England
as quitting their pulpits and saying : " Friends, this is
all gone to coloured cob- web, we regret to say.'' So to
us, things that once seemed very grave realities have
turned to little better than coloured cob-web ; yet is life
none the less real, and truth none the less sure. What-
ever was valuable in our former beliefs we can retain ;
I
%
but we retain it, not ii{)on authority, but from a percep-
tion and conviction of its truth. We try to look honestly
at every question that claims our attention ; we shirk
no issue, however momentous. We want to know the
truth ; and, failing that, the true state of our own minds,
the true order of our own thoughts, the true possibilities
of belief for us. We depart very far from what
some count saving truth, but we retain as the sheet
anchor of our minds, a settled conviction that our highest
duty lies in being true to ourselves. We have deter-
mined to make, once for all, our peace with Nature ;
and, from the widest and most candid study of what
is, try to discern what ought to be. All duties are
founded on relations ; the relations once truly uuder-
stood, the duties are easily deduced. Those who have
never exercised, or do not care to exercise their minds
in the discovery of truth will naturally have little faith
in the success of the attempt, — as little as he who hid
his talent in a napkin had in the results of honest
industry. We hold, however, that the blessing which
was pronounced upon those who hunger and thirst after
righteousness, might equally have been pronounced upon
those who hunger and thirst after truth : they shall be
filled; they may not escape all en-or, but they shall
escape the perversion oi mind that comes of error wil-
fully clung to, of light wilfully shunned.
But we shall, perhaps, be asked : Can any real con-
tentment of soul be found apart from some form of
wha,t is commonly called faith. To this I should be
inclined to answer, No; but then by faith, I do not
understand assent to a number of more or less unintelli-
gible doctrines. I wculd call faith the repose of the soul
in certain ascertained moral truths. " What a man
i
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soweth that shall ho, also reap" — there is a tiiith, I
should say, adapted to sustain any man who sincerely
desires to do his best in the world. Such a truth as
thi* does not produce contentment in the mind of one
•who wants to shirk his duty ; but then, he who wants
to shirk his duty should not be helped to contentment.
Nor V7ill it give much comfort to that large class of jjer-
Bons who want both to eat their cake and have it ; and
who value *' the gospel" chiefly because they thinkthey see
in it a means whereby this paradox may be realized. Any
system, however, which undertakes or promises to equalise
things for the wise and uuMdse, the reckless and the care-
ful, the wasteful and the provident, stands self-condem-
ned. The true worker trusts gladly to the constancy of
nature's laws : assure him that he shall reap as he sows,
that it shall be mesisured to him as he measures to
others, that the law of the conservation of energy applies
in the moral no less than in the physical sphere, and he
asks no more. He feels that he has Nature — "tue
Power that makes for righteousness" — on his side ; and
this suffices to give him all the confidence and tranquility
oi faith.
To conclude these remarks, I would just say that our
aim to-night is not to make proselytes, but to enjoy
social intercourse, and to become better acquainted with
one another. We are glad to have some with us on this
occasion, who are not with us ordinarily : and if any
should desire to know more of our principles, opinions oc
methods than they can gather this evening, we cordially
invite them to our Sunday meetings. We do not claim
to possess the truth : we hold all our opinions subject to
revision; we do not regard the leaders of modern thought
as one whit more infallible than the leaders of aRcient
#,
8
We sympathise with all, IhlZ^'t "«?* Principlel
similar oljeots at heart IZ 'f •?'""'>' '*'*''<> have
The time, we trust, Tr^t for I^ T ""■''■ -^^^l^'hy.
moral aim will attraot „ '''''®'' community of
theoretical difteren^ewmCelthr P"^^*"^ «'»
the Progressive SocietT or '^11 "" ^ """' "> that day,
will bo the st..„gest chtoh in Xt"L7"™'"'* *° '^
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