Binney's words because among Dissenters this truth is less readily admitted. A true Secular life does not exclude any from supplementary speculations. Not until we have fulfilled our duty to man, as far as we can ascertain that duty, can we consistently pretend to comprehend the more difficult relations of man to God. Our duties to humanity, understood and discharged to the best of our ability, will in no way unfit us to "reverently meditate on things far beyond us, on Power unlimited, on space unfathomed, on time uncounted, on 'whence' we came, and 'whither' we go."** The leading ideas of Secularism are humanism, moralism, materialism, utilitarian unity; Humanism, the physical perfection of this life--Moralism, founded on the laws of Nature, as the guidance of this life--Materialism, as the means of Nature for the Secular improvement of this life--Unity of thought and action upon these practical grounds. Secularism teaches that the good of the present life is the immediate concern of man, and that it should be his first endeavour to raise it. Secularism inculcates a Morality founded independently upon the laws of Nature. It seeks human improvement through purity and suitableness of material conditions as being a method at once moral, practical, universal, and sure. * "How to make the best of both worlds," p. 11. ** F. W. Newman. II. The province of Positivism is not speculation upon the origin, but study of the laws of Nature--its policy is to destroy error by superseding it. Auguste Comte quotes, as a cardinal maxim of scientific progress, the words "nothing is destroyed until it is replaced," a proverbial form of a wise saying of M. Necker that in political progress "nothing is destroyed for which we do not find a substitute." Negations, useful in their place, are iconoclastic--not constructive. Unless substitution succeeds destruction--there can be no sustained progress. The Secularist is known by setting up and maintaining affirmative propositions. He replaces negations by affirmations, and substitutes demonstration for denunciation. He asserts truths of Nature and humanity, and reverses the position of the priest who appears as the sceptic, the denier, the disbeliever in Nature and humanity. Statesmen, not otherwise eager for improvement, will regard affirmative proposals. Lord Palmerston could say--"Show me a good and I will realize it--not an abuse to correct." III.