A leading object of Secularism is the promotion of the material purity of the present life--"material purity," which includes personal as well as external condition. The question of Spiritualism (without employing it and without disparaging it) it regards as a distinct question, and hence the methods by which Secularists attempt "improvement" will be "material" as being the most reliable. The tacit or expressed aim of all Freethinking, has ever been true thinking and pure thinking. It has been a continued protest against the errors Theology has introduced, and the vicious relations it has conserved and sanctified. It is necessary to mark this, and it can be done by insisting and keeping distinctly evident that the aim of Secularism is the purity of material influences. This precludes the possibility of Secularism being charged either with conscious grossness or intentional sin. Secularism concerns itself with the work of to-day. "It is always yesterday or to-morrow, and never to-day,"* is a fair description of life according to theologies. Secularism, on the contrary, concerns itself with the things of "to-day." To know That which before us lies in daily life Is the prime wisdom. * Story of Boots, by Dickens. The cardinal idea of the "popular Theology" is the necessity of Revelation. It believes that the light of Nature is darkness, that Reason affords no guidance, that the Scriptures are the true chart, the sole chart, and the sufficient chart of man, and it regards all attempts to delineate a chart of Nature as impious, as impracticable, and as a covert attack upon the Biblical chart in possession of the churches. Knowing no other guidance than that of the Bible, and disbelieving the possibility of any other, theology denounces Doubt, which inspires it with a sense of insecurity--it fears Inquiry, which may invalidate its trust--and deprecates Criticism, which may expose it, if deficient. Having nothing to gain, it is reluctant to incur risk--having all to lose, it dreads to be disturbed-having no strength but in Faith, it fears those who Reason--and less from ill-will than from the tenderness of its position, it persecutes in self-defence. Such are the restrictions and the logic of Theology. XI.