another member
of the family, attended our last lectures at Glasgow. But we do not
understand that Mr. Keir Hardie was ever a professed Atheist, or a
member of any Freethought society. The scepticism he was "weaned from"
by the Evangelical Union Church could hardly have been of a very robust
order. He seems to have imbibed a sentimental form of Christianity as
easily and comfortably as a cat laps milk.

During his last election contest the statement was circulated that
Mr. Keir Hardie was an Atheist. "Whereupon," we are told, "Dr. James
Morison, the venerable founder of the Evangelical Union, and Dr. Fergus
Ferguson, of Glasgow, both wrote in the most eulogistic terms to a
local clergyman as to Mr. Hardie's moral character and religious work in
Scotland." This is extremely affecting. It is good to see parliamentary
candidates walking about with certificates of moral character--written
out by a local minister. It is also reassuring to find that such a
certificate is an absolute answer to the charge of Atheism, No doubt
Mr. Keir Hardie will print the testimonial as a postscript to his next
election address at West Ham.

Mr. Keir Hardie calls himself a Christian. He does not say, however, if
he believes in the supernatural part of the Gospels. Does he accept
the New Testament miracles? Does he embrace the Incarnation and
Resurrection? If he does, he is a Christian. If he does not, he has no
more right to call himself a Christian than we have to be designated a
Buddhist or a Mohammedan.

The Christianity of the schools, Mr. Keir Hardie says, is dead or dying.
By this he means "the old theological sects." But here we should like
him to be more explicit. Does he think there can be a Christianity
_without_ "theology"? Or does he mean that the "sects" comprise all
persons who have more theology than himself?

But if the Christianity of the schools is dead or dying, the
"humanitarian Christianity of Christ is again coming to the front." Now
what _is_ this humanitarian Christianity of Christ? Upon this point Mr.
Keir Hardie throws but a single ray of light. "The whole of Christ's
teachings and conduct," he says, "proves that he was intensely
interested in the bodily welfare of those with whom he came in contact
as a preparative to their spiritual well-being." This is a clear
statement; all we now want is the clear proof. Mr. Keir Hardie should
give it. We believe he cannot; nay, we defy him to do so. It is idle
to cite the