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Organisation Indicated · The Principles of Secularism

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  Chapter seven of the Principles of Secularism by George Jacob Holyoke. This LibriVox recording
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  is in the public domain. Chapter seven organization indicated as the aim of the
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  Guild is not to fetter independent sort, but to concert practical action. It
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  is mainly required of each member that he undertakes to perform in good faith the
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  duties which he shall consent to have assigned to him, and generally so to
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  comport himself that his principles shall not be likely to suffer if judged by his
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  conduct. He will be expected to treat every colleague as equal with himself in
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  veracity, in honor, and in loyalty to his cause. And every form
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  of speech which casts a doubt upon the truth, or imputes or assumes a
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  want of honor on the part of any member will be deemed the breach of
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  order. If any memory intends such an accusation of another, it must be
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  made the matter of a formal charge, after leave obtained to prefer it.
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  What it is desirable to know about new members is this? Do they,
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  in their conception of secularism see in it that which seeks not the sensule,
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  but the good and the good which the conscience can be engaged in pursuing and
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  promoting a moralism in accordance with the laws of nature and capable of intrinsic proof,
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  a materialism which is definite without dogmatism or grossness, and the unity on
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  the ground of these common agreements. For convictions which imply no apostolate are neither
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  earnest nor generous. No one ought to be encouraged to take sides with secularism
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  unless his conscience is satisfied of the moral rightfulness of its principles and duties,
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  both for life and death. It is not desirable to accept persons of that
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  class who decry parties, who boast of being of no party, who preach
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  up isolation and lament the want of unity, who think party the madness of
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  the many for the gain of the few. Seek rather the partisan who is
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  wise enough to know that the disparagement of party is the madness of the few,
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  leading to the utter impotence of the many. A party, in an
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  associative and defensible sense is a class of persons taking sides upon some definite question
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  and acting together for necessary ends, having principles, aims, policy, authority,
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  and discipline, with respect to proposed members. It may be well to
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  ascertain whether neglect or rudeness, or insult or unfairness from colleagues, or overwork
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  being imposed upon him, or incapacity of others, would divert him from his
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  duty. These accidents where necessities might occur. But if a society is to
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  be strong, it must be able to count upon its members, And to
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  be able to count upon them, it must be known what they will bear
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  without insubordination, and what they will bear will depend upon the frankness and completeness
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  of information they receive as to the social risks all run who unite to carry
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  out any course of duty or public service. Always assuming that a candidate cares
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  for the objects for which he proposes to associate, and that it is worth
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  while knowing whom it is with whom you propose to work them out. Answers
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  to such inquiries as the following would tend to impart a working knowledge and quality
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  to the society. Is he a person previously or recently acquainted with the principles
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  he is about to profess? Does he understand what is meant by taking sides
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  with a public party? Would he be faithful to the spare vic ideas of
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  secularism, so long as he felt them to be true? Would he make
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  sacrifices to spread them and vindicate them, or enable others to do so?
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  Would he conceive of secularism as a cause to be served loyally, which he
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  would support as well as he was able, if unable, to support it
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  as well as he could wish. Is he of decent moral character and tolerably
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  reliable as to his future conduct? In presenting his views to others? Would
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  he be likely to render them in an attractive spirit or to make them disagreeable
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  to others? Is he of an impulsive nature, ardent for a time and
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  then a pathetic or reactionary, likely to antagonize tomorrow the persons he applauds to
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  day? Is he a person who would commit the fault of provoking persecution?
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  Would ridicule a persecution chill him if it occurred? Is he a man to
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  stand by an obscure and friendless cause or our notoriety success applause, and a
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  company of others indispensable to his fidelity? Is he a man of any mark
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  of esteem among his friends? A man whose promise is sure, whose word
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  has weait is his idea of obedience, obedience simply to his own will.
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  Would he acquiesce in the authority of the laws of the society or the decision
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  of the society where the laws were silent? Would he acknowledge in democracy the
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  despotism of principles self consented to, or as an arena for the assertion of
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  individualism. Before winning the consent of colleagues to the discussion of special views.
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  The membership sort may be granted, provided the actual knowledge of secular principles be
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  satisfactory and evident, earnestness to practice them be apparent. The purport of the
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  whole of the questions is to enable a clear opinion to be formed as to
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  what is to be expected of the new member, how far he is likely
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  to be reliable, how long he is likely to remain with us, under
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  what circumstances he is likely to fail us, what work may be assigned him,
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  what confidences he may be entrusted with, and in what terms he should
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  be introduced to colleagues and spoken of to others. The membership here described would
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  and should be no restricted and exclusive society where only one pattern of efficiency prevails,
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  but a society where all diversities of capacity, energy, and worth may
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  be found, so far as it is honest and trustworthy. A society like
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  the state, requires the existence of the people as well as public officers,
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  men who can act, as well as men who can think and direct.
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  Many men who lack refinement and even discretion possess courage and energy, and will
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  go out on the inevitable forlorn hopes of progress, which the merely prudent avoid,
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  and from which the cultivated too often shrink. Our work requires all orders
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  of men, but efficiency requires that we know which is which, that none
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  may be employed in the dark. In every public organization there are persons who
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  promote and aid unconnected with the society. Active members are those who engage to
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  perform specific duties, such as reporting lectures, sermons, and public meetings so
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  far as they refer to secularism, To give notice of meetings and sermons about
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  to be held or delivered for or against secularism, To note and report passages
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  in books, newspapers, magazines, and reviews referring to secularism. Each active
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  member should possess some working efficiency or be willing to acquire it, to be
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  able to explain his views by tongue or pen with simple directness, To observe
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  carefully, to report judiciously, to reason dispassionately, to put the best construction
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  on every act that needs interpretation, are desirable accomplishments in a propagandist In all
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  public proceedings of the society, written speeches should be preferred from the young,
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  because such speeches admit of preconsidered brevity, consecutiveness, and purpose, and exist
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  for reference in the deliberations and discussions of any society. It might usefully be
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  deemed a qualification to make a contribution to the subject in speeches. Brief and
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  direct non reliableness in discharge of duties or moral disqualification shall be a ground of
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  a nulling membership, which may be done after the member objected to has had
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  a fair opportunity of defending himself from the specific disqualifications alleged against him and communicated
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  to him, and has failed therein. The duties assigned to each member should
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  be such as are within his means, as respects power and opportunity, Such
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  indeed does interfere neither with his social nor civil obligations. The intention being that
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  the membership of the Society shall not, as a rule, be incompatible with
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  the preservation of health and the primary service due to family and the state.
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  Any persons acquainted with the principles of secularism here given, who shall generally agree
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  therein and associate under any name, to promote such objects, and to act
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  in concert with all who seek similar objects, and will receive and take into
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  official consideration the instructions of the Guild, and to make one subscription yearly among
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  its members and friends on behalf of its propagandist funds, shall be recognized as
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  a branch of end of Chapter seven.