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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 42

First Part

First Part.

"Wisdom and Truth are the offspring of Heaven—are immortal; but Cunning and Deception are meteors of the earth, which, after glittering a moment, must pass away."

Robeut Hall.

We live in an age when every man is at liberty to express his opinions freely. Diversity of opinion is the life of literature and the stimulation of research. He who recently shone with the full radiance of our Attorney-General has contributed his quota to this incitement, having mounted the pedestal of Theology, from whence he has taken the opportunity to formulate a definition of the principles of the Freethought Association of Dunedin. From this we learn that "They search for the true, and the true alone;" yet the declared method forces the opinion that they search all the time, with the conviction that they have already got "the true"—each man for himself, and only for himself. While each man is "the true" to himself, he may be "the false" to every other. "The true" is not without, but within the individual searching for it. Strange, too, is their doctrine of the freedom of private judgment: "We believe, and so we act;" "We recognise no authority as competent to dictate to us;" "We care not whether some of our fellow-citizens are angry with us, or shocked at our actions." It must be observed that these maxims are in no way qualified, and therefore must be understood to refer to all phases of life—moral, social, political. Moreover, the matter goes further than mere forms of belief or conviction; for the same authority—we must acknowledge Mr Stout an authority on this special subject—has declared "that if religious or quasi-religious and political associations unite to deprive us of our rights as citizens, we will be found defending our position." This is a resolve of stern action; and when it borne in mind that on only one thing is there an agreement amongst the members of this Society, and that that agreement is "the right of every man to examine every subject for himself and to think freely, and to speak freely what he may think," and that the practical outcome of this is, that as each individual thinks so he acts, and that no authority is re- page 6 cognised as "competent to dictate to him," the most obtuse must see the state of anarchy into which society would be thrown by such precepts put into practice.

According to his argument, it follows that each man is to himself the "first care." There is a complete absence of the Divine preeept "Love thy neighbour as thyself." The new motto should be, if the promulgators of this new theory had the "courage of their opinions," "Love thyself, and ignore thy neighbour;" and the creed of this party, who are neither religious nor political in their tenets, and who are emphatically non-social in their professions, should be "I believe in myself." This would embrace all the affirmative doctrines they avow; but as their theory is almost purely one of negation, and as they have such a contempt for old creeds, perhaps it would be a novelty if they were to strike out in a new line and, discarding all affirmations, formulate a Non Creedo. Out of this they could make a tolerably imposing document, for though brevity is the soul of wit, quantity is frequently preferred to quality. How commanding would a Non Creedo of twenty or thirty clauses be with each sentence commencing "I don't believe in, &c."

I may suggest a few minor paragraphs—
1.I don't believe in the Bible.
2.I don't believe in priests.
3.I don't believe in a code of moral laws.
4.I don't believe in religion.
5.I don't believe in human authority.
6.I don't believe in politics.
7.I don't believe in monarchs.
8.I don't believe in governments.
9.I don't believe in penal laws.
10.I don't believe in society controlling me.

These might be extended ad infinitum, and, of course, any member would be at liberty to add to the non creedo whatever he desired, such as, for instance, "I don't believe in marriage," or "I don't believe in filial regard," or some more bold than the rest might get a tolerably complete list and write at the foot "I don't believe in anything." Some, of course, would have to strike out clauses occasionally. Such as No. 6 would not do in the non-belief of a man who sought political honours, and when a portfolio was within his grasp, with £1500 a year and perquisites, No. 8 would have to go as well as No. 6. When another had a chance of securing the honourable appendage to his name which the mysterious letters J.P. indicate, No. 5 would require to go to Eribus, carrying with it also Nos. 3 and 9; and so on, as "sell" became greater the "non-belief" would grow smaller in exact proportion. If this chopping and changing should appear inconsistent to any of their fellow citizens, and they indulge in ridicule, it is but worthy of contempt, and the advanced disciple of Freethought lets it pass off as water passes off the back of a duck. He is perfectly indifferent, and thoroughly stoical. He sails on o'er the ocean of life in the calm serenity of a selfish conscience, heedless of the fools who deride him, but, oh! how complaisant to those who laud him and call him wise. The wise man of antiquity said, "Rebuke a wise man and he will love thee;" but our sages of page 7 modern times having come to scorn everything ancient, except so much as each thinks worthy of esteem, and having grown superior to all authority, and above all advice, declare that no man is wise enough to teach them. Each man is to himself the embodiment of wisdom, and needeth not that any man should instruct him. "The fool hateth reproof." "He that regardeth reproof is prudent," Perhaps it is also wise to take the advice of the same, though ancient, sage when he says, "Reprove not a scorner, lest he may hate thee." Still, it may be needful to "give instruction to the wise, for then they will increase in learning;" and I would desire to enlist the attention of some who are wise enough to distrust the arguments and non-beliefs which place a man's individual mind and will above all the world, even to the deposition of God from the moral, as well as the physical, management of the universe. I shall endeavour to make an analysis of the principles as above noted, and advanced by Mr Stout as those of the members of the Freethought Association.