Antedating of "Agnostic"

[Fred Shapiro]

According to www.infidels.org, the noun "Agnostic" appeared in an article
titled "The Theological Statute at Oxford" in _The Spectator_, 29 May 1869
(p. 642).  I have not verified this, but if it is true it would antedate
the OED's 1870 first use for the word.

Fred Shapiro


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Fred R. Shapiro                             Editor
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