The Equinox (Volume I, Number III)

REVIEWS DaRE TO BE WISE. By JOHN McTaccarT ELLIs McTaccart Doctor in Letters Fellow and Lecturer of Trinity College in Cambridge, Fellow of the British Academy. Watts and Co., 17 Johnson’s Court, Fleet Street, E.C. Price 3d. Only the Price Threepence saved my reason. “Dare to be Wise” is startling enough; but when one saw Who it was that advised it... “Our object,” quoth he (“our” being the “ Heretics”), “is to promote discussion upon religion, philosophy, and art... .” These desperate conspirators! What is the Parry-lytic Liar about to allow such things in Trinity ? “In seeking truth of all sorts many virtues are needed.” This daring thinker ! “Happiness and misery have much to do with welfare.” These burning words may rekindle the fires of Smithfield. “Here we find the need of courage. For, if we are to think on these matters at all, we must accept the belief for which we have evidence, and we must reject the belief for which we have no evidence. . . , And, sometimes, this is not easy.” This unworthy right hand ! We should not think of calling this Martyr to His Convictions, this Revo- lutionary Thinker, an ass in a lion’s skin. For asses can kick. Shall we say asheep in wolf’s clothing? For the Heretics are too clearly Sheep—probably descended from Mary’s little lamb. If the Dean were to frown, they would all take to their heels, and break the record for attending chapel. In fact, this is what happened, when he did frown! Just like the Rationalists themselves when they disowned and deserted Harry Boulter. I am coming round to the belief that the best test of a religion is the manhood of its adherents rather than its truth, Better believe a lie than act like a coward! And of all the pusillanimous puppies I have ever heard of, there are none to beat the undergraduates who wagged their rudimentary tails round the toothless old hound that yelped “Dare to be wise” on last 8th of December. I hate Christianity as Socialists hate soap; but I would rather be saved 239