As these editors are not only honorable and Christian gentlemen, but among the most acute and profound metaphysicians in the world, it would be the height of ill manners to assume that, discerning any failures, they refused to specify them, either in private or in public, except for the reasons intimated. No editor whose periodical is supported by a sect for the express purpose of maintaining its distinctive peculiarities, could indorse that work as correct in its statements and arguments without giving up the basis on which the existence of that sect depends which supports his periodical. In these circumstances the editors of the Independent fairly and openly avowed that they could not open their columns to “a psychological and theological discussion” of this sort. And every editor of every other religious periodical tacitly made the same declaration by _entire silence_ on the main subject of the volume—the very principles, involving the existence of the sect for whose defense they were appointed. So manifest was this position of these leaders of the theological world, that the most intelligent and best informed publishers came to the conclusion that whatever else theologians differed about, they were all united in the determination that such a discussion of these points as was sought by the author should not be permitted. And even the editors of the secular press were urged not to allow their columns to be used for such purposes. CHAPTER LII. THE PRESENT POSITION OF THE SECULAR PRESS. The most decided index of the coming agency of the people, in throwing off the Augustinian system, is the present position of the secular press. It has been shown how much the religious press is restrained in liberty of opinion and expression, so that it is probable that there is not a professedly religious paper in the nation that could controvert the _distinctive_ doctrines of the sect that patronizes it without losing its character and income. But the secular press is far less encumbered with such difficulties. The progress of this great power toward the discussion of such subjects has been very striking. At first there began to be seen simple reports of the religious anniversaries in some secular papers. This proving popular, next there came notices of missionary and benevolent operations. Then notices of the sermons of distinguished clergymen were given, and then whole columns of daily papers were occupied with sermons from ministers, without regard to denomination. Finally, the great “revival” became a topic of the secular press. Reports of religious meetings, the number who were counted as converts, and all the details connected with this great popular movement were chronicled in the secular almost as fully as in the religious press.