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。
bbbc1a3b2
cccca2b1
aaaba1baaa
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。