Ourfabulistwarns\"thosewhoinquarrelsinterpose\"ofthefatewhichisprobablyinstoreforthem;and,inventuringtoplacemyselfbetweensopowerfulacontroversialistasMr。GladstoneandtheeminentdivinewhomheassaultswithsuchvigourinthelastnumberofthisReview,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,onsomeofwhichasinv。24theSeptuagintseemstovaryfromtheHebrew,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
RevisedVersionarespokenofas\"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。GladstonehasinterpretedGenesisrightlyonwhichpointIammostanxioustobeunderstoodtooffernoopinion,thatinterpretationiswhollyirreconcilablewiththeconclusionsatpresentacceptedbytheinterpretersofnature——witheverythingthatcanbecalled\"ademonstratedconclusionandestablishedfact\"ofnaturalscience。AndbeitobservedthatIamnotheredealingwithaquestionofspeculation,butwithaquestionoffact。
Eitherthegeologicalrecordissufficientlycompletetoaffordusameansofdeterminingtheorderinwhichanimalshavemadetheirappearanceontheglobeoritisnot。Ifitis,thedeterminationofthatorderislittlemorethanamerematterofobservation;ifitisnot,thennaturalscienceneitheraffirmsnorrefutesthe\"fourfoldorder,\"butissimplysilent。
Theseriesofthefossiliferousdeposits,whichcontaintheremainsoftheanimalswhichhavelivedontheearthinpastagesofitshistory,andwhichcanaloneaffordtheevidencerequiredbynaturalscienceoftheorderofappearanceoftheirdifferentspecies,maybegroupedinthemannershownintheleft—handcolumnofthefollowingtable,theoldestbeingatthebottom:——
FormationsFirstknownappearanceofQuaternary。
Pliocene。
Miocene。
Eocene。Vertebrateair—populationBats。
Cretaceous。
Jurassic。Vertebrateair—populationBirdsandPterodactyles。
Triassic。
UpperPalaeozoic。
MiddlePalaeozoic。Vertebrateland—populationAmphibia,Reptilia[?]。
LowerPalaeozoic。
Silurian。Vertebratewater—populationFishes。
Invertebrateairandland—
populationFlyingInsectsandScorpions。
Cambrian。Invertebratewater—populationmuchearlier,ifEozoonisanimal。
Intheright—handcolumnIhavenotedthegroupofstratainwhich,accordingtoourpresentinformation,theland,air,andwaterpopulationsrespectivelyappearforthefirsttime;andinconsequenceoftheambiguityaboutthemeaningof\"fowl,\"Ihaveseparatelyindicatedthefirstappearanceofbats,birds,flyingreptiles,andflyinginsects。
Itwillbeobservedthat,if\"fowl\"meansonly\"bird,\"oratmostflyingvertebrate,thenthefirstcertainevidenceofthelatter,intheJurassicepoch,isposteriortothefirstappearanceoftrulyterrestrialAmphibia,andpossiblyoftruereptiles,intheCarboniferousepochMiddlePalaeozoicbyaprodigiousintervaloftime。
Thewater—populationofvertebratedanimalsfirstappearsintheUpperSilurian。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。
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:——
GodcreatedaThewater—population;
bTheair—population。
AndtheyreceiveHisbenedictionv。20—23。
6。Pursuingthisregularprogressionfromthelowertothehigher,fromthesimpletothecomplex,thetextnowgivesustheworkofthesixth\"day,\"whichsuppliestheland—population,airandwaterhavingbeenalreadysuppliedpp。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。Inthesamewaywingedinsectsiftheyaretobecountedamongthe\"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—populationandiftheyarenot,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——thehorseEquuscaballus,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,thenitisobviousthattheorder1water—population,2air—population,3land—
population,mayalsomean1water—population,2land—
population,3air—population;anditwouldbeunkindtobinddownthereconcilerstothisdetailwhenonehaspartedwithsomanyotherstoobligethem。
Buteventhissublimatedessenceofthepentateuchaldoctrineifitbesuchremainsasdiscordantwithnaturalscienceasever。
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:
GenesisasinterpretedbyNatureasinterpretedbyMr。Gladstone。naturalscience。
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SofarasIcansee,thereisonlyoneresourceleftforthosemodernrepresentativesofSisyphus,thereconcilersofGenesiswithscience;andithastheadvantageofbeingfoundedonaperfectlylegitimateappealtoourignorance。Ithasbeenseenthat,onanyinterpretationofthetermswater—populationandland—population,itmustbeadmittedthatinvertebraterepresentativesofthesepopulationsexistedduringthelowerPalaeozoicepoch。Noevolutionistcanhesitatetoadmitthatotherlandanimalsandpossiblyvertebratesamongthemmayhaveexistedduringthattime,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—fashionedbeliefthatthereisarevelationinthebookofGenesisp。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。Ourartexcept,perhaps,musicandoursciencearethecontributionsoftheAryan;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
1TheNineteenthCentury。
2[Earlier,ifmorerecentannouncementsarecorrect。]
3ItmaybeobjectedthatIhavenotputthecasefairlyinasmuchasthesolitaryinsect’swingwhichwasdiscoveredtwelvemonthsagoinSilurianrocks,andwhichis,atpresent,thesoleevidenceofinsectsolderthantheDevonianepoch,camefromstrataofMiddleSilurianage,andisthereforeolderthanthescorpionswhich,withinthelasttwoyears,havebeenfoundinUpperSilurianstratainSweden,Britain,andtheUnitedStates。Butnoonewhocomprehendsthenatureoftheevidenceaffordedbyfossilremainswouldventuretosaythatthenon—
discoveryofscorpionsintheMiddleSilurianstrata,uptothistime,affordsanymoregroundforsupposingthattheydidnotexist,thanthenon—discoveryofflyinginsectsintheUpperSilurianstrata,uptothistime,throwsanydoubtonthecertaintythattheyexisted,whichisderivedfromtheoccurrenceofthewingintheMiddleSilurian。Infact,Ihavestretchedapointinadmittingthatthesefossilsaffordacolourablepretextfortheassumptionthatthelandandair—
populationwereofcontemporaneousorigin。