Stillanotherpartofthesacredtheorynowreceiveditsdeath-blow。Closelyalliedwiththequestionoftheoriginoflanguagewasthatoftheoriginofletters。TheearlierwritershadheldthatletterswerealsoadivinegifttoAdam；butaswegoonintheeighteenthcenturywefindtheologicalopinionincliningtothebeliefthatthisgiftwasreservedforMoses。
This，aswehaveseen，wastheviewofSt。JohnChrysostom；andaneminentEnglishdivineearlyintheeighteenthcentury，JohnJohnson，VicarofKent，echoeditinthedeclarationconcerningthealphabet，that“MosesfirstlearneditfromGodbymeansoftheletteringonthetablesofthelaw。”Buthereadifficultyarose——thebiblicalstatementthatGodcommandedMosesto“writeinabook“hisdecreeconcerningAmalekbeforehewentupintoSinai。Withthisthegoodvicargrapplesmanfully。HesupposesthatGodhadpreviouslyconcealedthetablesofstoneinMountHoreb，andthatMoses，“whenhekeptJethro’ssheepthereabout，hadfreeaccesstothesetables，andperusedthematdiscretion，thoughhewasnotpermittedtocarrythemdownwithhim。”OurreconcilerthenasksforwhatotherreasoncouldGodhavekeptMosesupinthemountainfortydaysatatime，excepttoteachhimtowrite；andsays，“ItseemshighlyprobablethattheangelgavehimthealphabetoftheHebrew，orinsomeotherwayunknowntousbecamehisguide。”
Butthistheoryofletterswassoontobedoomedliketheotherpartsofthesacredtheory。StudiesinComparativePhilology，baseduponresearchesinIndia，begantobereenforcedbyfactsregardingtheinscriptionsinEgypt，thecuneiforminscriptionsofAssyria，thelegendsofChaldea，andthefolkloreofChina——whereitwasfoundinthesacredbooksthattheanimalswerenamedbyFohi，andwithsuchwisdomandinsightthateverynamedisclosedthenatureofthecorrespondinganimal。
But，althoughtheoldtheorywasdoomed，heroiceffortswerestillmadetosupportit。In1788JamesBeattie，inallthegloryofhisOxforddoctorateandroyalpension，madeavigorousonslaught，declaringthenewsystemofphilologytobe“degradingtoournature。”andthatthetheoryofthenaturaldevelopmentoflanguageissimplyduetothebeautyofLucretius’poetry。Buthismainweaponwasridicule，andinthisheshowedhimselfamaster。Hetellstheworld，“ThefollowingparaphrasehasnothingoftheeleganceofHoraceorLucretius，butseemstohavealltheelegancethatsoridiculousadoctrinedeserves“：
“WhenmenoutoftheearthofoldAdumbandbeastlyvermincrawled；
Foracorns，first，andholesofshelter，Theytoothandnail，andhelterskelter，Foughtfisttofist；thenwithaclubEachlearnedhisbrotherbrutetodrub；
Till，moreexperiencedgrown，thesecattleForgedfitaccoutrementsforbattle。
AtlastLucretiussaysandCreech
TheysettheirwitstoworkonSPEECH：
AndthattheirthoughtsmightallhavemarksTomakethemknown，theselearnedclerksLeftoffthetradeofcrackingcrowns，Andmanufacturedverbsandnouns。”
ButafarmorepowerfultheologianenteredthefieldinEnglandtosavethesacredtheoryoflanguage——Dr。AdamClarke。HewasnolesssevereagainstPhilologythanagainstGeology。In1804，asPresidentoftheManchesterPhilologicalSociety，hedeliveredanaddressinwhichhedeclaredthat，whilemenofallsectswereeligibletomembership，“hewhorejectstheestablishmentofwhatwebelievetobeadivinerevelation，hewhowoulddisturbthepeaceofthequiet，andbydoubtfuldisputationsunhingethemindsofthesimpleandunreflecting，andendeavourtoturntheunwaryoutofthewayofpeaceandrationalsubordination，canhavenoseatamongthemembersofthisinstitution。”Thefirstsentenceinthisdeclarationgivesfoodforreflection，foritisthesameconfusionoftwoideaswhichhasbeenattherootofsomuchinterferenceoftheologywithscienceforthelasttwothousandyears。AdamClarkespeaksofthose“whorejecttheestablishmentofwhat，WEBELIEVE，tobeadivinerevelation。”Thuscomesinthatcustomarybeggingofthequestion——thesubstitution，astherealsignificanceofScripture，of“WHATWEBELIEVE“forwhatIS。
Theintendedresult，too，ofthisecclesiasticalsentencewassimpleenough。Itwas，thatgreatmenlikeSirWilliamJones，Colebrooke，andtheircompeers，mustnotbeheardintheManchesterPhilologicalSocietyindiscussionwithDr。AdamClarkeonquestionsregardingSanskritandothermattersregardingwhichtheyknewallthatwasthenknown，andDr。
Clarkeknewnothing。
ButevenClarkewasforcedtoyieldtothescientificcurrent。
Thirtyyearslater，inhisCommentaryontheOldTestament，hepitchedtheclaimsofthesacredtheoryonamuchlowerkey。Hesays：“Mankindwasofonelanguage，inalllikelihoodtheHebrew……ThepropernamesandothersignificationsgivenintheScriptureseemincontestableevidencethattheHebrewlanguagewastheoriginallanguageoftheearth，——thelanguageinwhichGodspoketoman，andinwhichhegavetherevelationofhiswilltoMosesandtheprophets。”Herearesignsthatthisgreatchampionisgrowingweakerinthefaith：inthecitationsmadeitwillbeobservedhenolongersays“IS。”but“SEEMS“；andfinallywehavehimsaying，“Whatthefirstlanguagewasisalmostuselesstoinquire，asitisimpossibletoarriveatanysatisfactoryinformationonthispoint。”
InFrance，duringthefirsthalfofthenineteenthcentury，yetmoreheavyartillerywaswheeledintoplace，inordertomakealastdesperatedefenceofthesacredtheory。TheleadersinthiseffortwerethethreegreatUltramontanes，DeMaistre，DeBonald，andLamennais。Condillac’scontentionthat“languagesweregraduallyandinsensiblyacquired，andthateverymanhadhisshareofthegeneralresult。”theyattackedwithreasoningbaseduponpremisesdrawnfromthebookofGenesis。DeMaistreespeciallyexcelledinridiculingthephilosophicorscientifictheory。Lamennais，whoafterwardbecamesovexatiousathorninthesideoftheChurch，insisted，atthisearlierperiod，that“mancannomorethinkwithoutwordsthanseewithoutlight。”
Andthen，bythatsortofmysticalplayuponwordssowellknowninthehigherrangesoftheologicreasoning，heclincheshisargumentbysaying，“TheWordistrulyandineverysense`thelightwhichlightetheverymanthatcomethintotheworld。’“
Butevensuchchampionsasthesecouldnotstaytheprogressofthought。WhiletheyseemedtobecarryingeverythingbeforetheminFrance，researchesinphilologymadeatsuchcentresofthoughtastheSorbonneandtheCollegeofFrancewereunderminingtheirlastgreatfortress。CuriousindeedisittofindthattheSorbonne，thestrongholdoftheologythroughsomanycenturies，wasnowmadeinthenineteenthcenturythearsenalandstrongholdofthenewideas。ButthemoststrikingresultofthenewtendencyinFrancewasseenwhenthegreatestofthethreechampions，Lamennaishimself，thoughofferedthehighestChurchpreferment，andevenacardinal’shat，bravedthepapalanathema，andwentovertothescientificside。[419]
[419]ForJohnson’swork，showinghowMoseslearnedthealphabet，seetheCollectionofDiscoursesbyRev。JohnJohnson，A。M。，VicarofKent，London，1728，p。42，andthepreface。ForBeattie，seehisTheoryofLanguage，London，1788，p。98；alsopp。100，101。ForAdamClarke，see，forthespeechcited，hisMiscellaneousWorks，London，1837；forthepassagefromhisCommentary，seetheLondoneditionof1836，vol。i，p。93；fortheotherpassage，seeIntroductiontoBibliographicalMiscellany，quotedinarticle，OriginofLanguageandAlphabeticalCharacters，inMethodistMagazine，vol。xv，p。214。
ForDeBonald，seehisRecherchesPhilosophiques，partiii，chap。
ii，Del’OrigineduLanguage，inhisOeuvres，Bruxelles，1852，vol。i，LesSoireesdeSaintPetersbourg，deuxiemeentretien，passim。ForLamennais，seehisOeuvresCompletes，Paris，1836-
’37，tomeii，pp。78-81，chap。xvofEssaisurl’IndifferenceenMatieredeReligion。
InGermanyphilologicalsciencetooksostrongaholdthatitspositionsweresoonrecognisedasimpregnable。LeadersliketheSchlegels，WilhelmvonHumboldt，andaboveallFranzBoppandJacobGrimm，gavesuchadditionalforcetoscientifictruththatitcouldnolongerbewithstood。Tosaynothingofotherconquests，thedemonstrationofthatgreatlawinphilologywhichbearsGrimm’snamebroughthometoallthinkingmentheevidencethattheevolutionoflanguagehadnotbeendeterminedbythephilosophicutterancesofAdaminnamingtheanimalswhichJehovahbroughtbeforehim，butinobediencetonaturallaw。
True，afewdevotedtheologiansshowedthemselveswillingtoleadaforlornhope；andperhapsthemostforlornofallwasthatof1840，ledbyDr。GottliebChristianKayser，ProfessorofTheologyattheProtestantUniversityofErlangen。Hedoesnot，indeed，dareputintheoldclaimthatHebrewisidenticalwiththeprimitivetongue，butheinsiststhatitisneareritthananyother。Herelinquishesthetwoformertheologicalstrongholds——first，theideathatlanguagewastaughtbytheAlmightytoAdam，and，next，thatthealphabetwasthustaughttoMoses——andfallsbackonthepositionthatalltonguesarethusderivedfromNoah，givingasanexamplethelanguageoftheCaribbees，andinsistingthatitwasevidentlysoderived。WhatchancesimilarityinwordsbetweenHebrewandtheCaribbeetonguehehadinmindispastfindingout。HecomesoutstronglyindefenceofthebiblicalaccountoftheTowerofBabel，andinsiststhat“bythesymbolicalexpression`Godsaid，Letusgodown，’afurthernaturalphenomenonisintimated，towit，thecleavingoftheearth，wherebythereturnofthedispersedbecameimpossible——thatistosay，throughanewornotuniversalflood，apartialinundationandtemporaryviolentseparationofgreatcontinentsuntilthetimeoftherediscovery“BythesewordsthelearneddoctormeansnothinglessthantheseparationofEuropefromAmerica。
Whileatthemiddleofthenineteenthcenturythetheoryoftheoriginanddevelopmentoflanguagewasuponthecontinentconsideredassettled，andawell-orderedsciencehadthereemergedfromtheoldchaos，GreatBritainstillheldback，inspiteofthefactthatthemostimportantcontributorstothesciencewereofBritishorigin。LeadersineveryEnglishchurchandsectviedwitheachother，eitherindenouncingtheencroachmentsofthescienceoflanguageorinexplainingthemaway。
Butanewepochhadcome，andinawayleastexpected。PerhapsthemostnotableeffortinbringingitinwasmadebyDr。
Wiseman，afterwardCardinalArchbishopofWestminster。Hisisoneofthebestexamplesofamethodwhichhasbeenusedwithconsiderableeffectduringthelateststagesofnearlyallthecontroversiesbetweentheologyandscience。Itconsistsinstating，withmuchfairness，theconclusionsofthescientificauthorities，andtheninpersuadingone’sselfandtryingtopersuadeothersthattheChurchhasalwaysacceptedthemandacceptsthemnowas“additionalproofsofthetruthofScripture。”Alittlejugglingwithwords，alittleamalgamationoftexts，alittlejudicioussuppression，alittleimaginativededuction，alittleunctuousphrasing，andthethingisdone。
OnegreatservicethiseminentandkindlyCatholicchampionundoubtedlyrendered：bythisacknowledgment，sowidelyspreadinhispublishedlectures，hemadeitimpossibleforCatholicsorProtestantslongertoresistthemainconclusionsofscience。
Henceforwardweonlyhaveeffortstosavetheologicalappearances，andtheseonlybymenwhosezealoutrantheirdiscretion。
OnbothsidesoftheAtlantic，downtoarecentperiod，weseetheseefforts，butweseenolessclearlythattheyaremutuallydestructive。YetoutofthischaosamongEnglish-speakingpeoplesthenewsciencebegantodevelopsteadilyandrapidly。
Attemptsdidindeedcontinuehereandtheretosavetheoldtheory。Evenaslateas1859weheartheeminentPresbyteriandivine，Dr。JohnCumming，fromhispulpitinLondon，speakingofHebrewas“thatmagnificenttongue——thatmother-tongue，fromwhichallothersarebutdistantanddebilitatedprogenies。”
ButthehonourofproducinginthenineteenthcenturythemostabsurdknownattempttoproveHebrewtheprimitivetonguebelongstotheyoungestofthecontinents，Australia。Intheyear1857
wasprintedatMelbourneTheTriumphofTruth，oraPopularLectureontheOriginofLanguages，byB。Atkinson，M。R。C。P。L——whateverthatmaymean。Inthiswork，startingwiththeassertionthat“theHebrewwastheprimarystockwhencealllanguageswerederived。”theauthorstatesthatSanskritis“adialectoftheHebrew。”anddeclaresthat“themanuscriptsfoundwithmummiesagreepreciselywiththeChineseversionofthePsalmsofDavid。”ItallsoundslikeAliceinWonderland。
Curiouslyenough，inthelatterpartofhisbook，evidentlythinkingthathisviewswouldnotgivehimauthorityamongfastidiousphilologists，hesays，“AgreatdealofourconsenttotheforegoingstatementsarisesinourbeliefintheDivineinspirationoftheMosaicaccountofthecreationoftheworldandofourfirstparentsintheGardenofEden。”Ayetmoreinterestinglightisthrownupontheauthor’sviewoftruth，andofitspromulgation，byhisdedication：hesaysthat，“beingpersuadedthatliterarymenoughttobefosteredbythehandofpower。”hededicateshistreatise“tohisExcellencySirH。
Barkly。”whowasatthetimeGovernorofVictoria。
Stillanothercurioussurvivalisseeninaworkwhichappearedaslateas1885，atEdinburgh，byWilliamGalloway，M。A。，Ph。D。，M。D。Theauthorthinksthathehasproducedabundantevidencetoprovethat“Jehovah，theSecondPersonoftheGodhead，wrotethefirstchapterofGenesisonastonepillar，andthatthisisthemannerbywhichhefirstrevealedittoAdam；andthusAdamwastaughtnotonlytospeakbuttoreadandwritebyJehovah，theDivineSon；andthatthefirstlessonhegotwasfromthefirstchapterofGenesis。”Hegoesontosay：
“Jehovahwrotethesefirsttwodocuments；thefirstcontainingthehistoryoftheCreation，andthesecondtherevelationofman’sredemption，……forAdam’sandEve’sinstruction；itisevidentthathewrotethemintheHebrewtongue，becausethatwasthelanguageofAdamandEve。”Butthiswasonlyafloweroutofseason。