第1章

Ourfabulistwarns\"thosewhoinquarrelsinterpose\"ofthefatewhichisprobablyinstoreforthem;and,inventuringtoplacemyselfbetweensopowerfulacontroversialistasMr。GladstoneandtheeminentdivinewhomheassaultswithsuchvigourinthelastnumberofthisReview,<1>IamfullyawarethatIrungreatdangerofverifyingGay’sprediction。Moreover,itisquitepossiblethatmyzealinofferingaidtoacombatantsoextremelywellabletotakecareofhimselfasM。Revillemaybethoughttosavourofindiscretion。

Twoconsiderations,however,haveledmetofacethedoublerisk。Theoneisthatthough,inmyjudgment,M。RevilleiswhollyintherightinthatpartofthecontroversytowhichI

proposetorestrictmyobservations,neverthelesshe,asaforeigner,hasverylittlechanceofmakingthetruthprevailwithEnglishmenagainsttheauthorityandthedialecticskillofthegreatestmasterofpersuasiverhetoricamongEnglish—

speakingmenofourtime。AstheQueen’sproctorintervenes,incertaincases,betweentwolitigantsintheinterestsofjustice,soitmaybepermittedmetointerposeasasortofuncommissionedscienceproctor。Mysecondexcuseformymeddlesomenessis,thatimportantquestionsofnaturalscience——

respectingwhichneitherofthecombatantsprofessestospeakasanexpert——areinvolvedinthecontroversy;andIthinkitisdesirablethatthepublicshouldknowwhatitisthatnaturalsciencereallyhastosayonthesetopics,tothebestbeliefofonewhohasbeenadiligentstudentofnaturalscienceforthelastfortyyears。

Theoriginal\"Prolegomenesdel’HistoiredesReligions\"hasnotcomeinmyway;butIhavereadthetranslationofM。Reville’swork,publishedinEnglandundertheauspicesofProfessorMaxMuller,withverygreatinterest。Itputsmorefairlyandclearlythananybookpreviouslyknowntome,theviewwhichamanofstrongreligiousfeelings,butatthesametimepossessingtheinformationandthereasoningpowerwhichenablehimtoestimatethestrengthofscientificmethodsofinquiryandtheweightofscientifictruth,maybeexpectedtotakeoftherelationbetweenscienceandreligion。

Inthechapteron\"ThePrimitiveRevelation\"thescientificworthoftheaccountoftheCreationgiveninthebookofGenesisisestimatedintermswhichareasunquestionablyrespectfulas,inmyjudgment,theyarejust;and,attheendofthechapteron\"PrimitiveTradition,\"M。RevilleappraisesthevalueofpentateuchalanthropologyinawaywhichIshouldhavethoughtsureofenlistingtheassentofallcompetentjudges,evenifitwereextendedtothewholeofthecosmogonyandbiologyofGenesis:——



As,however,theoriginaltraditionsofnationssprangupinanepochlessremotethanourownfromtheprimitivelife,itisindispensabletoconsultthem,tocomparethem,andtoassociatethemwithothersourcesofinformationwhichareavailable。

Fromthispointofview,thetraditionsrecordedinGenesispossess,inadditiontotheirownpeculiarcharm,avalueofthehighestorder;butwecannotultimatelyseeinthemmorethanavenerablefragment,well—deservingattention,ofthegreatgenesisofmankind。



Mr。Gladstoneisofadifferentmind。HedissentsfromM。Reville’sviewsrespectingtheproperestimationofthepentateuchaltraditions,nolessthanhedoesfromhisinterpretationofthoseHomericmythswhichhavebeentheobjectofhisownspecialstudy。Inthelattercase,Mr。GladstonetellsM。Revillethatheiswrongonhisownauthority,towhich,insuchamatter,allwillpayduerespect:intheformer,heaffirmshimselftobe\"whollydestituteofthatkindofknowledgewhichcarriesauthority,\"andhisrebukeisadministeredinthenameandbytheauthorityofnaturalscience。

Anairofmagisterialgravityhangsaboutthefollowingpassage:——



Butthequestionisnothereofaloftypoem,oraskilfullyconstructednarrative:itiswhethernaturalscience,inthepatientexerciseofitshighcallingtoexaminefacts,findsthattheworksofGodcryoutagainstwhatwehavefondlybelievedtobeHiswordandtellanothertale;orwhether,inthisnineteenthcenturyofChristianprogress,itsubstantiallyechoesbackthemajesticsound,which,beforeitexistedasapursuit,wentforthintoalllands。

First,lookinglargelyatthelatterportionofthenarrative,whichdescribesthecreationoflivingorganisms,andwaivingdetails,onsomeofwhich(asinv。24)theSeptuagintseemstovaryfromtheHebrew,thereisagrandfourfolddivision,setforthinanorderlysuccessionoftimesasfollows:onthefifthday1。Thewater—population;

2。Theair—population;

and,onthesixthday,3。Theland—populationofanimals;

4。Theland—populationconsummatedinman。

Nowthissamefourfoldorderisunderstoodtohavebeensoaffirmedinourtimebynaturalscience,thatitmaybetakenasademonstratedconclusionandestablishedfact\"(p。696)。



\"Understood?\"Bywhom?IcannotbringmyselftoimaginethatMr。

Gladstonehasmadesosolemnandauthoritativeastatementonamatterofthisimportancewithoutdueinquiry——withoutbeingabletofoundhimselfuponrecognisedscientificauthority。ButIwishhehadthoughtfittonamethesourcefromwhencehehasderivedhisinformation,as,inthatcase,Icouldhavedealtwith[143]hisauthority,andIshouldhavetherebyescapedtheappearanceofmakinganattackonMr。Gladstonehimself,whichisineverywaydistastefultome。

ForIcanmeetthestatementinthelastparagraphoftheabovecitationwithnothingbutadirectnegative。IfIknowanythingatallabouttheresultsattainedbythenaturalscienceofourtime,itis\"ademonstratedconclusionandestablishedfact\"

thatthe\"fourfoldorder\"givenbyMr。Gladstoneisnotthatinwhichtheevidenceatourdisposaltendstoshowthatthewater,air,andland—populationsoftheglobehavemadetheirappearance。

PerhapsImaybetoldthatMr。Gladstonedoesgivehisauthority——thathecitesCuvier,SirJohnHerschel,andDr。

Whewellinsupportofhiscase。IfthathasbeenMr。Gladstone’sintentioninmentioningtheseeminentnames,Imayremarkthat,onthisparticularquestion,theonlyrelevantauthorityisthatofCuvier。ButgreatasCuvierwas,itistoberememberedthat,asMr。Gladstoneincidentallyremarks,hecannotnowbecalledarecentauthority。Infact,hehasbeendeadmorethanhalfacentury;andthepalaeontologyofourdayisrelatedtothatofhis,verymuchasthegeographyofthesixteenthcenturyisrelatedtothatofthefourteenth。Since1832,whenCuvierdied,notonlyanewworld,butnewworlds,ofancientlifehavebeendiscovered;andthosewhohavemostfaithfullycarriedontheworkofthechieffounderofpalaeontologyhavedonemosttoinvalidatetheessentiallynegativegroundsofhisspeculativeadherencetotradition。

IfMr。Gladstone’slatestinformationonthesemattersisderivedfromthefamousdiscourseprefixedtothe\"OssemensFossiles,\"Icanunderstandthepositionhehastakenup;ifhehaseveropenedarespectablemodernmanualofpalaeontology,orgeology,Icannot。Forthefactswhichdemolishhiswholeargumentareofthecommonestnotoriety。Butbeforeproceedingtoconsidertheevidenceforthisassertionwemustbeclearaboutthemeaningofthephraseologyemployed。

IapprehendthatwhenMr。Gladstoneusestheterm\"water—

population\"hemeansthoseanimalswhichinGenesisi。21

(RevisedVersion)arespokenofas\"thegreatseamonstersandeverylivingcreaturethatmoveth,whichthewatersbroughtforthabundantly,aftertheirkind。\"AndIpresumethatitwillbeagreedthatwhalesandporpoises,seafishes,andtheinnumerablehostsofmarineinvertebratedanimals,aremeantthereby。So\"air—population\"mustbetheequivalentof\"fowl\"inverse20,and\"everywingedfowlafteritskind,\"verse21。

IsupposeImaytakeitforgrantedthatby\"fowl\"wehaveheretounderstandbirds——atanyrateprimarily。Secondarily,itmaybethatthebatsandtheextinctpterodactyles,whichwereflyingreptiles,comeunderthesamehead。Butwhetherallinsectsare\"creepingthings\"oftheland—population,orwhetherflyinginsectsaretobeincludedunderthedenominationof\"wingedfowl,\"isapointforthedecisionofHebrewexegetes。

Lastly,IsupposeImayassumethat\"land—population\"signifies\"thecattle\"and\"thebeastsoftheearth,\"and\"everycreepingthingthatcreepethupontheearth,\"inverses25and26;

presumablyitcomprehendsallkindsofterrestrialanimals,vertebrateandinvertebrate,exceptsuchasmaybecomprisedundertheheadofthe\"air—population。\"

NowwhatIwanttomakeclearisthis:thatiftheterms\"water—

population,\"\"air—population,\"and\"land—population\"areunderstoodinthesensesheredefined,naturalsciencehasnothingtosayinfavourofthepropositionthattheysucceededoneanotherintheordergivenbyMr。Gladstone;butthat,onthecontrary,alltheevidencewepossessgoestoprovethattheydidnot。Whenceitwillfollowthat,ifMr。GladstonehasinterpretedGenesisrightly(onwhichpointIammostanxioustobeunderstoodtooffernoopinion),thatinterpretationiswhollyirreconcilablewiththeconclusionsatpresentacceptedbytheinterpretersofnature——witheverythingthatcanbecalled\"ademonstratedconclusionandestablishedfact\"ofnaturalscience。AndbeitobservedthatIamnotheredealingwithaquestionofspeculation,butwithaquestionoffact。

Eitherthegeologicalrecordissufficientlycompletetoaffordusameansofdeterminingtheorderinwhichanimalshavemadetheirappearanceontheglobeoritisnot。Ifitis,thedeterminationofthatorderislittlemorethanamerematterofobservation;ifitisnot,thennaturalscienceneitheraffirmsnorrefutesthe\"fourfoldorder,\"butissimplysilent。

Theseriesofthefossiliferousdeposits,whichcontaintheremainsoftheanimalswhichhavelivedontheearthinpastagesofitshistory,andwhichcanaloneaffordtheevidencerequiredbynaturalscienceoftheorderofappearanceoftheirdifferentspecies,maybegroupedinthemannershownintheleft—handcolumnofthefollowingtable,theoldestbeingatthebottom:——

FormationsFirstknownappearanceofQuaternary。

Pliocene。

Miocene。

Eocene。Vertebrateair—population(Bats)。

Cretaceous。

Jurassic。Vertebrateair—population(BirdsandPterodactyles)。

Triassic。

UpperPalaeozoic。

MiddlePalaeozoic。Vertebrateland—population(Amphibia,Reptilia[?])。

LowerPalaeozoic。

Silurian。Vertebratewater—population(Fishes)。

Invertebrateairandland

population(FlyingInsectsandScorpions)。

Cambrian。Invertebratewater—population(muchearlier,ifEozoonisanimal)。

Intheright—handcolumnIhavenotedthegroupofstratainwhich,accordingtoourpresentinformation,theland,air,andwaterpopulationsrespectivelyappearforthefirsttime;andinconsequenceoftheambiguityaboutthemeaningof\"fowl,\"Ihaveseparatelyindicatedthefirstappearanceofbats,birds,flyingreptiles,andflyinginsects。

Itwillbeobservedthat,if\"fowl\"meansonly\"bird,\"oratmostflyingvertebrate,thenthefirstcertainevidenceofthelatter,intheJurassicepoch,isposteriortothefirstappearanceoftrulyterrestrialAmphibia,andpossiblyoftruereptiles,intheCarboniferousepoch(MiddlePalaeozoic)byaprodigiousintervaloftime。

Thewater—populationofvertebratedanimalsfirstappearsintheUpperSilurian。<2>Therefore,ifwefoundourselvesonvertebratedanimalsandtake\"fowl\"tomeanbirdsonly,or,atmost,flyingvertebrates,naturalsciencesaysthattheorderofsuccessionwaswater,land,andair—population,andnot——asMr。

Gladstone,foundinghimselfonGenesis,says——water,air,land—

population。IfachroniclerofGreeceaffirmedthattheageofAlexanderprecededthatofPericlesandimmediatelysucceededthatoftheTrojanwar,Mr。Gladstonewouldhardlysaythatthisorderis\"understoodtohavebeensoaffirmedbyhistoricalsciencethatitmaybetakenasademonstratedconclusionandestablishedfact。\"Yetnaturalscience\"affirms\"his\"fourfoldorder\"toexactlythesameextent——neithermorenorless。

Suppose,however,that\"fowl\"istobetakentoincludeflyinginsects。Inthatcase,thefirstappearanceofanair—populationmustbeshiftedbackforlongages,recentdiscoveryhavingshownthattheyoccurinrocksofSilurianage。Hencetheremightstillhavebeenhopeforthefourfoldorder,wereitnotthatthefatesunkindlydeterminedthatscorpions——\"creepingthingsthatcreepontheearth\"parexcellence——turnedupinSilurianstratanearlyatthesametime。Sothat,ifthewordintheoriginalHebrewtranslated\"fowl\"shouldreallyafterallmean\"cockroach\"——andIhavegreatfaithintheelasticityofthattongueinthehandsofBiblicalexegetes——theorderprimarilysuggestedbytheexistingevidence——

2。Landandair—population;

1。Water—population;

andMr。Gladstone’sorder——

3。Land—population;

2。Air—population;

1。Water—population;

canbynomeansbemadetocoincide。Asamatteroffact,then,thestatementsoconfidentlyputforwardturnsouttobedevoidoffoundationandindirectcontradictionoftheevidenceatpresentatourdisposal。<3>

If,steppingbeyondthatwhichmaybelearnedfromthefactsofthesuccessiveappearanceoftheformsofanimallifeuponthesurfaceoftheglobe,insofarastheyareyetmadeknowntousbynaturalscience,weapplyourreasoningfacultiestothetaskoffindingoutwhatthoseobservedfactsmean,thepresentconclusionsoftheinterpretersofnatureappeartobenolessdirectlyinconflictwiththoseofthelatestinterpreterofGenesis。

Mr。Gladstoneappearstoadmitthatthereissometruthinthedoctrineofevolution,andindeedplacesitunderveryhighpatronage。



Icontendthatevolutioninitshighestformhasnotbeenathingheretoforeunknowntohistory,tophilosophy,ortotheology。IcontendthatitwasbeforethemindofSaintPaulwhenhetaughtthatinthefulnessoftimeGodsentforthHisSon,andofEusebiuswhenhewrotethe\"PreparationfortheGospel,\"andofAugustinewhenhecomposedthe\"CityofGod\"

(p。706)。



Hasanyoneeverdisputedthecontention,thussolemnlyenunciated,thatthedoctrineofevolutionwasnotinventedthedaybeforeyesterday?Hasanyoneeverdreamedofclaimingitasamoderninnovation?IsthereanyonesoignorantofthehistoryofphilosophyastobeunawarethatitisoneoftheformsinwhichspeculationembodieditselflongbeforethetimeeitheroftheBishopofHippooroftheApostletotheGentiles?IsMr。

Gladstone,ofallpeopleintheworld,disposedtoignorethefoundersofGreekphilosophy,tosaynothingofIndiansagestowhomevolutionwasafamiliarnotionagesbeforePaulofTarsuswasborn?Butitisungratefultocavilateventhemostobliqueadmissionofthepossiblevalueofoneofthoseaffirmationsofnaturalsciencewhichreallymaybesaidtobe\"ademonstratedconclusionandestablishedfact。\"Inoteitwithpleasure,ifonlyforthepurposeofintroducingtheobservationthat,ifthereisanytruthwhateverinthedoctrineofevolutionasappliedtoanimals,Mr。Gladstone’sglossonGenesisinthefollowingpassageishardlyhappy:——



Godcreated(a)Thewater—population;

(b)Theair—population。

AndtheyreceiveHisbenediction(v。20—23)。

6。Pursuingthisregularprogressionfromthelowertothehigher,fromthesimpletothecomplex,thetextnowgivesustheworkofthesixth\"day,\"whichsuppliestheland—population,airandwaterhavingbeenalreadysupplied(pp。695,696)。



TheglosstowhichIreferistheassumptionthatthe\"air—

population\"formsatermintheorderofprogressionfromlowertohigher,fromsimpletocomplex——theplaceofwhichliesbetweenthewater—populationbelowandtheland—populationabove——andIspeakofitasa\"gloss,\"becausethepentateuchalwriterisnowiseresponsibleforit。

Butitisnottruethattheair—population,asawhole,is\"lower\"orless\"complex\"thantheland—population。Onthecontrary,everybeginnerinthestudyofanimalmorphologyisawarethattheorganisationofabat,ofabird,orofapterodactylepresupposesthatofaterrestrialquadruped;andthatitisintelligibleonlyasanextrememodificationoftheorganisationofaterrestrialmammalorreptile。Inthesamewaywingedinsects(iftheyaretobecountedamongthe\"air—population\")presupposeinsectswhichwerewingless,and,therefore,as\"creepingthings,\"werepartoftheland—

population。ThustheoryisasmuchopposedasobservationtotheadmissionthatnaturalscienceendorsesthesuccessionofanimallifewhichMr。GladstonefindsinGenesis。Onthecontrary,agoodmanyrepresentativesofnaturalsciencewouldbepreparedtosay,ontheoreticalgroundsalone,thatitisincrediblethatthe\"air—population\"shouldhaveappearedbeforethe\"land—population\"——andthat,ifthisassertionistobefoundinGenesis,itmerelydemonstratesthescientificworthlessnessofthestoryofwhichitformsapart。

Indeed,wemaygofurther。Itisnotevenadmissibletosaythatthewater—population,asawhole,appearedbeforetheairandtheland—populations。AccordingtotheAuthorisedVersion,Genesisespeciallymentions,amongtheanimalscreatedonthefifthday,\"greatwhales,\"inplaceofwhichtheRevisedVersionreads\"greatseamonsters。\"Farbeitfrommetogiveanopinionwhichrenderingisright,orwhethereitherisright。AllI

desiretoremarkis,thatifwhalesandporpoises,dugongsandmanatees,aretoberegardedasmembersofthewater—population(andiftheyarenot,whatanimalscanclaimthedesignation?),thenthatmuchofthewater—populationhas,ascertainly,originatedlaterthantheland—populationasbatsandbirdshave。ForIamnotawarethatanycompetentjudgewouldhesitatetoadmitthattheorganisationoftheseanimalsshowsthemostobvioussignsoftheirdescentfromterrestrialquadrupeds。

AsimilarcriticismappliestoMr。Gladstone’sassumptionthat,asthefourthactofthat\"orderlysuccessionoftimes\"

enunciatedinGenesis,\"theland—populationconsummatedinman。\"

Ifthismeanssimplythatmanisthefinaltermintheevolutionalseriesofwhichheformsapart,Idonotsupposethatanyobjectionwillberaisedtothatstatementonthepartofstudentsofnaturalscience。Butifthepentateuchalauthorgoesfurtherthanthis,andintendstosaythatwhichisascribedtohimbyMr。Gladstone,Ithinknaturalsciencewillhavetoenteracaveat。Itisnotbyanymeanscertainthatman——ImeanthespeciesHomosapiensofzoologicalterminology——has\"consummated\"theland—populationinthesenseofappearingatalaterperiodoftimethananyother。Letmemakemymeaningclearbyanexample。Fromamorphologicalpointofview,ourbeautifulandusefulcontemporary——Imightalmostcallhimcolleague——thehorse(Equuscaballus),isthelasttermoftheevolutionalseriestowhichhebelongs,justasHomosapiensisthelasttermoftheseriesofwhichheisamember。IfIwanttoknowwhetherthespeciesEquuscaballusmadeitsappearanceonthesurfaceoftheglobebeforeorafterHomosapiens,deductionfromknownlawsdoesnothelpme。Thereisnoreason,thatIknowof,whyoneshouldhaveappearedsoonerorlaterthantheother。IfIturntoobservation,IfindabundantremainsofEquuscaballus

inQuaternarystrata,perhapsalittleearlier。TheexistenceofHomosapiensintheQuaternaryepochisalsocertain。

Evidencehasbeenadducedinfavourofman’sexistenceinthePliocene,orevenintheMioceneepoch。Itdoesnotsatisfyme;

butIhavenoreasontodoubtthatthefactmaybeso,nevertheless。Indeed,IthinkitisquitepossiblethatfurtherresearchwillshowthatHomosapiensexisted,notonlybeforeEquuscaballus,butbeforemanyotheroftheexistingformsofanimallife;sothat,ifallthespeciesofanimalshavebeenseparatelycreated,man,inthiscase,wouldbynomeansbethe\"consummation\"oftheland—population。

IamraisingnoobjectiontothepositionofthefourthterminMr。Gladstone’s\"order\"——onthefacts,astheystand,itisquiteopentoanyonetohold,asapiousopinion,thatthefabricationofmanwastheacmeandfinalachievementoftheprocessofpeoplingtheglobe。Butitmustnotbesaidthatnaturalsciencecountsthisopinionamongher\"demonstratedconclusionsandestablishedfacts,\"fortherewouldbejustasmuch,oraslittle,reasonforrangingthecontraryopinionamongthem。

ItmayseemsuperfluoustoaddtotheevidencethatMr。

GladstonehasbeenutterlymisledinsupposingthathisinterpretationofGenesisreceivesanysupportfromnaturalscience。Butitisaswelltodoone’sworkthoroughlywhileoneisaboutit;andIthinkitmaybeadvisabletopointoutthatthefacts,astheyareatpresentknown,notonlyrefuteMr。

Gladstone’sinterpretationofGenesisindetail,butareopposedtothecentralideaonwhichitappearstobebased。

TheremustbesomepositionfromwhichthereconcilersofscienceandGenesiswillnotretreat,somecentralideathemaintenanceofwhichisvitalanditsrefutationfatal。Eveniftheynowallowthatthewords\"theeveningandthemorning\"havenottheleastreferencetoanaturalday,butmeanaperiodofanynumberofmillionsofyearsthatmaybenecessary;eveniftheyaredriventoadmitthattheword\"creation,\"whichsomanymillionsofpiousJewsandChristianshaveheld,andstillhold,tomeanasuddenactoftheDeity,signifiesaprocessofgradualevolutionofonespeciesfromanother,extendingthroughimmeasurabletime;eveniftheyarewillingtograntthattheassertedcoincidenceoftheorderofNaturewiththe\"fourfoldorder\"ascribedtoGenesisisanobviouserrorinsteadofanestablishedtruth;theyaresurelypreparedtomakealaststandupontheconceptionwhichunderliesthewhole,andwhichconstitutestheessenceofMr。Gladstone’s\"fourfolddivision,setforthinanorderlysuccessionoftimes。\"Itis,thattheanimalspecieswhichcomposethewater—population,theair—

population,andtheland—populationrespectively,originatedduringthreedistinctandsuccessiveperiodsoftime,andonlyduringthoseperiodsoftime。

ThisstatementappearstometobetheinterpretationofGenesiswhichMr。Gladstonesupports,reducedtoitssimplestexpression。\"Periodoftime\"issubstitutedfor\"day\";

\"originated\"issubstitutedfor\"created\";and\"anyorderrequired\"forthatadoptedbyMr。Gladstone。Itisnecessarytomakethisproviso,forif\"day\"maymeanafewmillionyears,and\"creation\"maymeanevolution,thenitisobviousthattheorder(1)water—population,(2)air—population,(3)land—

population,mayalsomean(1)water—population,(2)land—

population,(3)air—population;anditwouldbeunkindtobinddownthereconcilerstothisdetailwhenonehaspartedwithsomanyotherstoobligethem。

Buteventhissublimatedessenceofthepentateuchaldoctrine(ifitbesuch)remainsasdiscordantwithnaturalscienceasever。

Itisnottruethatthespeciescomposinganyoneofthethreepopulationsoriginatedduringanyoneofthreesuccessiveperiodsoftime,andnotatanyotherofthese。

Undoubtedly,itisinthehighestdegreeprobablethatanimallifeappearedfirstunderaquaticconditions;thatterrestrialformsappearedlater,andflyinganimalsonlyafterlandanimals;butitis,atthesametime,testifiedbyalltheevidencewepossess,thatthegreatmajority,ifnotthewhole,oftheprimordialspeciesofeachdivisionhavelongsincediedoutandhavebeenreplacedbyavastsuccessionofnewforms。

Hundredsofthousandsofanimalspecies,asdistinctasthosewhichnowcomposeourwater,land,andair—populations,havecomeintoexistenceanddiedoutagain,throughouttheaeonsofgeologicaltimewhichseparateusfromthelowerPalaeozoicepoch,when,asIhavepointedout,ourpresentevidenceoftheexistenceofsuchdistinctpopulationscommences。Ifthespeciesofanimalshaveallbeenseparatelycreated,thenitfollowsthathundredsofthousandsofactsofcreativeenergyhaveoccurred,atintervals,throughoutthewholetimerecordedbythefossiliferousrocks;and,duringthegreaterpartofthattime,the\"creation\"ofthemembersofthewater,land,andair—populationsmusthavegoneoncontemporaneously。

Ifwerepresentthewater,land,andair—populationsbya,b,andcrespectively,andtakeverticalsuccessiononthepagetoindicateorderintime,thenthefollowingschemeswillroughlyshadowforththecontrastIhavebeenendeavouringtoexplain:

Genesis(asinterpretedbyNature(asinterpretedbyMr。Gladstone)。naturalscience)。

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SofarasIcansee,thereisonlyoneresourceleftforthosemodernrepresentativesofSisyphus,thereconcilersofGenesiswithscience;andithastheadvantageofbeingfoundedonaperfectlylegitimateappealtoourignorance。Ithasbeenseenthat,onanyinterpretationofthetermswater—populationandland—population,itmustbeadmittedthatinvertebraterepresentativesofthesepopulationsexistedduringthelowerPalaeozoicepoch。Noevolutionistcanhesitatetoadmitthatotherlandanimals(andpossiblyvertebratesamongthem)mayhaveexistedduringthattime,ofthehistoryofwhichweknowsolittle;and,further,thatscorpionsareanimalsofsuchhighorganisationthatitishighlyprobabletheirexistenceindicatesthatofalongantecedentland—populationofasimilarcharacter。

Then,sincetheland—populationissaidnottohavebeencreateduntilthesixthday,itnecessarilyfollowsthattheevidenceoftheorderinwhichanimalsappearedmustbesoughtintherecordofthoseolderPalaeozoictimesinwhichonlytracesofthewater—populationhaveasyetbeendiscovered。

Therefore,ifanyonechoosestosaythatthecreativeworktookplaceintheCambrianorLaurentianepoch,inexactlythatmannerwhichMr。Gladstonedoes,andnaturalsciencedoesnot,affirm,naturalscienceisnotinapositiontodisprovetheaccuracyofthestatement。Onlyonecannothaveone’scakeandeatittoo,andsuchsafetyfromthecontradictionofsciencemeanstheforfeitureofhersupport。

Whethertheaccountoftheworkofthefirst,second,andthirddaysinGenesiswouldbeconfirmedbythedemonstrationofthetruthofthenebularhypothesis;whetheritiscorroboratedbywhatisknownofthenatureandprobablerelativeantiquityoftheheavenlybodies;whether,iftheHebrewwordtranslated\"firmament\"intheAuthorisedVersionreallymeans\"expanse,\"

theassertionthatthewatersarepartlyunderthis\"expanse\"

andpartlyaboveitwouldbeanymoreconfirmedbytheascertainedfactsofphysicalgeographyandmeteorologythanitwasbefore;whetherthecreationofthewholevegetableworld,andespeciallyof\"grass,herbyieldingseedafteritskind,andtreebearingfruit,\"beforeanykindofanimal,is\"affirmed\"bytheapparentlyplainteachingofbotanicalpalaeontology,thatgrassesandfruit—treesoriginatedlongsubsequentlytoanimalsallthesearequestionswhich,ifImistakenot,wouldbeanswereddecisivelyinthenegativebythosewhoarespeciallyconversantwiththesciencesinvolved。AnditmustberecollectedthattheissueraisedbyMr。Gladstoneisnotwhether,bysomeeffortofingenuity,thepentateuchalstorycanbeshowntobenotdisprovablebyscientificknowledge,butwhetheritissupportedthereby。



Thereisnothing,then,inthecriticismsofDr。Revillebutwhatrathertendstoconfirmthantoimpairtheold—fashionedbeliefthatthereisarevelationinthebookofGenesis(p。694)。



TheformintowhichMr。Gladstonehasthoughtfittothrowthisopinionleavesmeindoubtastoitssubstance。Idonotunderstandhowahostilecriticismcan,underanycircumstances,tendtoconfirmthatwhichitattacks。If,however,Mr。

Gladstonemerelymeanstoexpresshispersonalimpression,\"asonewhollydestituteofthatkindofknowledgewhichcarriesauthority,\"thathehasdestroyedthevalueofthesecriticisms,Ihaveneitherthewishnortherighttoattempttodisturbhisfaith。Ontheotherhand,Imaybepermittedtostatemyownconviction,that,sofarasnaturalscienceisinvolved,M。Reville’sobservationsretaintheexactvaluetheypossessedbeforeMr。Gladstoneattackedthem。

TrustingthatIhavenowsaidenoughtosecuretheauthorofawiseandmoderatedisquisitionuponatopicwhichseemsfatedtostirunwisdomandfanaticismtotheirdepths,afullermeasureofjusticethanhashithertobeenaccordedtohim,Iretirefrommyself—appointedchampionship,withthehopethatIshallnothereafterbecalleduponbyM。Revilletoapologisefordamagedonetohisstrongcasebyimperfectorimpulsiveadvocacy。

But,perhaps,Imaybepermittedtoaddawordortwo,onmyownaccount,inreferencetothegreatquestionoftherelationsbetweenscienceandreligion;sinceitisoneaboutwhichIhavethoughtagooddealeversinceIhavebeenabletothinkatall;

andaboutwhichIhaveventuredtoexpressmyviewspublicly,morethanonce,inthecourseofthelastthirtyyears。

Theantagonismbetweenscienceandreligion,aboutwhichwehearsomuch,appearstometobepurelyfactitious——fabricated,ontheonehand,byshort—sightedreligiouspeoplewhoconfoundacertainbranchofscience,theology,withreligion;and,ontheother,byequallyshort—sightedscientificpeoplewhoforgetthatsciencetakesforitsprovinceonlythatwhichissusceptibleofclearintellectualcomprehension;andthat,outsidetheboundariesofthatprovince,theymustbecontentwithimagination,withhope,andwithignorance。

ItseemstomethatthemoralandintellectuallifeofthecivilisednationsofEuropeistheproductofthatinteraction,sometimesinthewayofantagonism,sometimesinthatofprofitableinterchange,oftheSemiticandtheAryanraces,whichcommencedwiththedawnofhistory,whenGreekandPhoeniciancameincontact,andhasbeencontinuedbyCarthaginianandRoman,byJewandGentile,downtothepresentday。Ourart(except,perhaps,music)andoursciencearethecontributionsoftheAryan;buttheessenceofourreligionisderivedfromtheSemite。IntheeighthcenturyB。C。,intheheartofaworldofidolatrouspolytheists,theHebrewprophetsputforthaconceptionofreligionwhichappearstometobeaswonderfulaninspirationofgeniusastheartofPheidiasorthescienceofAristotle。

\"AndwhatdoththeLordrequireofthee,buttodojustly,andtolovemercy,andtowalkhumblywiththyGod?\"

Ifanyso—calledreligiontakesawayfromthisgreatsayingofMicah,Ithinkitwantonlymutilates,while,ifitaddsthereto,Ithinkitobscures,theperfectidealofreligion。

Butwhatextentofknowledge,whatacutenessofscientificcriticism,cantouchthis,ifanyonepossessedofknowledge,oracuteness,couldbeabsurdenoughtomaketheattempt?Willtheprogressofresearchprovethatjusticeisworthlessandmercyhateful;williteversoftenthebittercontrastbetweenouractionsandouraspirations;orshowustheboundsoftheuniverseandbidussay,Goto,nowwecomprehendtheinfinite?

AfacultyofwrathlayinthoseancientIsraelites,andsurelytheprophet’sstaffwouldhavemadeswiftacquaintancewiththeheadofthescholarwhohadaskedMicahwhether,peradventure,theLordfurtherrequiredofhimanimplicitbeliefintheaccuracyofthecosmogonyofGenesis!

Whatweareusuallypleasedtocallreligionnowadaysis,forthemostpart,HellenisedJudaism;and,notunfrequently,theHellenicelementcarrieswithitamightyremnantofold—worldpaganismandagreatinfusionoftheworstandweakestproductsofGreekscientificspeculation;whilefragmentsofPersianandBabylonian,orratherAccadian,mythologyburdentheJudaiccontributiontothecommonstock。

Theantagonismofscienceisnottoreligion,buttotheheathensurvivalsandthebadphilosophyunderwhichreligionherselfisoftenwell—nighcrushed。And,formypart,Itrustthatthisantagonismwillnevercease;butthat,totheendoftime,truesciencewillcontinuetofulfiloneofhermostbeneficentfunctions,thatofrelievingmenfromtheburdenoffalsesciencewhichisimposedupontheminthenameofreligion。

ThisistheworkthatM。Revilleandmensuchashearedoingforus;thisistheworkwhichhisopponentsareendeavouring,consciouslyorunconsciously,tohinder。

FOOTNOTES

(1)TheNineteenthCentury。

(2)[Earlier,ifmorerecentannouncementsarecorrect。]

(3)ItmaybeobjectedthatIhavenotputthecasefairlyinasmuchasthesolitaryinsect’swingwhichwasdiscoveredtwelvemonthsagoinSilurianrocks,andwhichis,atpresent,thesoleevidenceofinsectsolderthantheDevonianepoch,camefromstrataofMiddleSilurianage,andisthereforeolderthanthescorpionswhich,withinthelasttwoyears,havebeenfoundinUpperSilurianstratainSweden,Britain,andtheUnitedStates。Butnoonewhocomprehendsthenatureoftheevidenceaffordedbyfossilremainswouldventuretosaythatthenon—

discoveryofscorpionsintheMiddleSilurianstrata,uptothistime,affordsanymoregroundforsupposingthattheydidnotexist,thanthenon—discoveryofflyinginsectsintheUpperSilurianstrata,uptothistime,throwsanydoubtonthecertaintythattheyexisted,whichisderivedfromtheoccurrenceofthewingintheMiddleSilurian。Infact,Ihavestretchedapointinadmittingthatthesefossilsaffordacolourablepretextfortheassumptionthatthelandandair—

populationwereofcontemporaneousorigin。