ADDRESS

ON FREE INQUIRY.

If we cast our eyes around us in search of the features which characterize our nature and the world we inhabit, we shall distinguish among the most marked of these the principle of progressive improvement.

We may say what we will of the good old times, and may rail, not without reason, at the degeneracy of modern days-still man's course is onward, from darkness and ignorance to comparative intelligence and light. The partial and momentary checks which history records, are but as the backward ripple in the advancing tide. The ocean of knowledge rises from year to year, from generation to generation; and its waters, unlike the waters of earth, ebb not again. Experience, that undying teacher, who can gather the pleasant fruit of wisdom even from the blighted tree of misfortune-experience is ever at hand, to deduce, from the faults and the follies of the past, hope and counsel for the future.

Thus is man led forward; ever imperfect, indeed, but ever improving; erring and sinning again and again, yet finding even in his sins and errors a monitor and a guide. Behind him is the twilight of inexperience where he groped, in the world's infancy, in search of truth and knowledge, a prey to idle fears, the sport of untutored feelings; sometimes the slave, sometimes the tyrant; one day the inflictor of intolerant persecution, the next its victim; now peopling from a fertile imagination the fields of paradise, and now grovelling in the dust of selfishness, or consumed in the fire of angry passion. Before him is the promise of a better day, when the accumulating knowledge of mankind shall dawn through the clouds that shadowed man's early history-a moral sun, diffusing light and warmth over an awakening world.

It boots not curiously to inquire when and how man first sprung into being, or why he is destined thus painfully and gradually to emerge from the night of error and ignorance; enough that he now exists-enough that, while he looks back through the

vista of departed ages to primitive days of rude suffering and often of ruder crime, until the dark landscape is bounded by a veil of mystery, he can also look forward through coming years of matured intelligence, nor find aught so grand, so noble, so exalted, to which increasing knowledge and growing experience may not conduct him at the last.

Wise it is at times to consider the nature we possess-to examine its character and its capabilities; wise and fitting to inquire whether existing usages and opinions are in accordance with that character, and calculated to develope those capabilities.

Let us then cast aside, for one short hour, the anxious cares and petty solicitudes that too often fill up the measure of human life, and let us together review our common nature and common prospects.

To the nature of such a being as man, a state of progressive improvement-that state in which a comparison between the past and the present results in favour of what we now possess and enjoyin which the wonder of yesterday becomes a matter of common occurrence to day, while there is still something left of new, of fresh, of superior, to hope and to struggle for to-morrow-to the aspiring nature of man such a state of things is perfectly suitable. In the gradual transition from darkness to light he finds his hope and happiness. It satisfies his desire of novelty; it gratifies his love of excellence; it furnishes an object at once, and a continued reward to his exertions.

But has man wisely seconded the efforts of his nature? Are the laws that govern, and the opinions that regulate his conduct, such as befit a being of imperfect but progressive powers? Does he sanction and favour free, unfettered inquiry on all subjects, that so the errors of the past may gradually be detected and avoided in the future? Does he patiently, earnestly, fearlessly prove all things, that he may retain that only which just and good? Does he submit all doctrines and all principles to the test of reason and experience, that so the increasing light of the present day may correct the crude views of past times? Knowing how often one generation detects the errors of its predecessors, is he modest, diffident, charitable, even in the expression of the most popular, and (for the present) most orthodox doctrines? Does he guard the right of free discussion as he would a jewel of great price? Does he perceive that to fetter inquiry is an act of treason to the cause of human improvement?

Alas! and must I say no to questions like these? Must I remind you how often authority is preferred to reason, conformity to conviction, credulity to inquiry? Yes! it is fitting we should remind each other of the course we are pursuing, and the goal to which it leads. It is fitting we should pause to scan our conduct and examine its results.

There exists amongst us as a people a love of liberty. The national bias at this moment is towards liberality. The national feeling disapproves of bigotry, and favours mental freedom. Now then at last may man consult the mental wants of his nature—that nature which is ever learning, yet ever ignorant-and may suffer himself to think and to speak without imagining sincere thought a crime, or interpreting its expression into a cause of offence. Now at last truth may claim the open support of her best ally-free, honest, fearless inquiry.

But if inquiry is to profit us it must be honest! The loaves and the fishes must not weigh against conviction; nor must our foot be staid because we may chance to find truth unpopular. If our judgment say no, we must not suffer our interest to say yea; no, not though that interest be treasure promised in heaven, a guerdon to the submissive and unquestioning believer.

And it must be fearless. The disciple of free inquiry works not out his salvation in fear and trembling, but in boldness and selfpossession. Fear may be the friend of orthodoxy; it is the foe of truth. Before the throne of heaven we may kneel, our eyes closed and our reason prostrated; before the throne of truth we must stand erect, our eyes open and our judgment awake. As believers, we may tremble and submit; as inquirers, we must arise and examine.

Temporal and spiritual shepherds have busied themselves to imagine what their flocks may venture to investigate. With curious precision they have sought to determine the length of leadingstring which they may safely allow to human reason. They have laid down the legal boundaries of thought, and chalked out the established confines of inquiry. This they tell us is too sacred to be touched, that too mysterious to be examined; here we approach a consecrated veil, there our footsteps trespass upon holy ground.

The freedom of thought and speech which public opinion allows us in this age and this country, reminds me of the political liberty of France as formerly defined and permitted by her Bourbon rulers. "There shall be"-so these legislators decreed-" there shall be full, unshackled liberty of the press in France. It is understood of course that no one shall so far forget himself as to remark upon the conduct of the king, his ministers, or nobles; or to criticise the measures he or they may propose; or to intermeddle in state questions; or to review the established laws; or to advert to the holy doctrines of religion; or to offer remarks on the actions and intentions of the reverend clergy; or to mention the rights of man; or stir up inquiry among the people: or, in short, to broach any subject whose discussion might tend to disturb the legal tranquillity of the realm. With these trifling restrictions, there shall be complete, unrestrained liberty of the press."

This decree, I say, strongly reminds me of our freedom of

speech, even at this day. Inquiry is made a thing of rule and measurement. We are told what it is proper to believe, and what it is impious to doubt. We have a long list of doctrines and ceremonies submitted to us, not to examine their worth or test their consistency, but to sanction and subscribe to them, at the risk of being regarded as heathen men and publicans. And then we are informed that, so we let these alone, we may inquire and examine on all other subjects as freely as we please.

I never liked the system of exceptions and monopolies and reservations. It is a suspicious system. It suits not this age of improvement. It suits not the nature of human beings.

Free inquiry was made for man. It is his life, his safety, his guardian angel. To forbid it is to place the soul under arrest, to put the energies of the mind in chains, to rivet the iron fetter of authority on the free-born thought. It is an endeavour to take from man the distinguishing feature and most ennobling characteristic of his nature, his thirst after excellence. It is to proclaim a fallible creature's errors irretrievable, to stamp immortality on prejudice, and issue a decree of attainder against experience. It is to proclaim infancy wiser than age, and the crude imaginations of youth more trustworthy than the matured judgment of manhood.

If there were question of some perfect spirits to whom experience were useless because error unknown, the attempt to limit inquiry were of less fatal influence. Happy in the perfection of their nature, secure in their infallibility, examination and inquiry could be to them occupations but of secondary importance, mere matters of curiosity. To us erring, fallible men, who decide and repent our decisions, who decree and repeal our decrees, who blunder on through ages of ignorance, asserting, correcting, altering, amending, and yet still find more prejudices to abandon, more errors to confess, more blunders to remedy--to us imperfect beings the privilege of free, unrestrained inquiry into all subjects, sacred and secular, holy and profane, is a matter of first necessity, -as essential to our mental health, as is the free air we breathe to our corporeal existence. To deny to us such liberty is to rob the soldier of his sword and buckler, to take from the mariner his magnetic needle, to snatch from the bewildered traveller his directing chart. It is to leave us without defence against error, and without guide towards truth.

Will you still tell me that I combat a shadow? Will you remind me that freedom of thought and speech is permitted in these latter days? To a certain extent it is. The dissenter from established creeds speaks not now with his life in his hand. Honesty is no longer a capital offence. A man may be a heretic, yet be suffered to live; he may even publicly disclose his heresy and be allowed to survive the disclosure. This is something; aye,