Mr. Gladstone and Genesis | Page 4

meaning in
these propositions out of all soundings attainable by my poor plummet.
Still there are a good many people who suffer under a like intellectual
limitation; and, for once in my life, I feel that I have the chance of
attaining that position of a representative of average opinion which
appears to be the modern ideal of a leader of men, when I make free
confession that, after turning the matter over in my mind, with all the
aid derived from a careful consideration of Mr. Gladstone's reply, I
cannot get away from my original conviction that, if Mr. Gladstone's
second proposition can be shown to be not merely inaccurate, but
directly contradictory of facts known to every one who is acquainted
with the elements of natural science, the third proposition collapses of
itself.
And it was this conviction which led me to enter upon the present
discussion. I fancied that if my respected clients, the people of average
opinion and capacity, could once be got distinctly to conceive that Mr.
Gladstone's views as to the proper method of dealing with grave and
difficult scientific and religious problems had permitted him to base a
solemn "plea for a revelation of truth from God" upon an error as to a
matter of fact, from which the intelligent perusal of a manual of
palaeontology would have saved him, I need not trouble myself to
occupy their time and attention [167] with further comments upon his
contribution to apologetic literature. It is for others to judge whether I
have efficiently carried out my project or not. It certainly does not
count for much that I should be unable to find any flaw in my own case,
but I think it counts for a good deal that Mr. Gladstone appears to have
been equally unable to do so. He does, indeed, make a great parade of

authorities, and I have the greatest respect for those authorities whom
Mr. Gladstone mentions. If he will get them to sign a joint memorial to
the effect that our present palaeontological evidence proves that birds
appeared before the "land-population" of terrestrial reptiles, I shall
think it my duty to reconsider my position--but not till then.
It will be observed that I have cautiously used the word "appears" in
referring to what seems to me to be absence of any real answer to my
criticisms in Mr. Gladstone's reply. For I must honestly confess that,
notwithstanding long and painful strivings after clear insight, I am still
uncertain whether Mr. Gladstone's "Defence" means that the great "plea
for a revelation from God" is to be left to perish in the dialectic desert;
or whether it is to be withdrawn under the protection of such
skirmishers as are available for covering retreat.
In particular, the remarkable disquisition which covers pages 11 to 14
of Mr. Gladstone's last contribution has greatly exercised my mind.
Socrates is reported to have said of the works of Heraclitus that he who
attempted to comprehend them should be a "Delian swimmer," but that,
for his part, what he could understand was so good that he was
disposed to believe in the excellence of that which he found
unintelligible. In endeavouring to make myself master of Mr.
Gladstone's meaning in these pages, I have often been overcome by a
feeling analogous to that of Socrates, but not quite the same. That
which I do understand has appeared to me so very much the reverse of
good, that I have sometimes permitted myself to doubt the value of that
which I do not understand.
In this part of Mr. Gladstone's reply, in fact, I find nothing of which the
bearing upon my arguments is clear to me, except that which relates to
the question whether reptiles, so far as they are represented by tortoises
and the great majority of lizards and snakes, which are land animals,
are creeping things in the sense of the pentateuchal writer or not.
I have every respect for the singer of the Song of the Three Children
(whoever he may have been); I desire to cast no shadow of doubt upon,
but, on the contrary, marvel at, the exactness of Mr. Gladstone's
information as to the considerations which "affected the method of the
Mosaic writer"; nor do I venture to doubt that the inconvenient
intrusion of these contemptible reptiles--"a family fallen from
greatness" (p. 14), a miserable decayed aristocracy reduced to mere

"skulkers about the earth" (ibid.)--in consequence, apparently,
of difficulties about the occupation of land arising out of the
earth-hunger of their former serfs, the mammals--into an apologetic
argument, which otherwise would run quite smoothly, is in every way
to be deprecated. Still, the wretched creatures stand there,
importunately demanding notice; and, however different may be the
practice in that contentious atmosphere with