mr. gladstone and genesis-第1章

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Mr。　Gladstone　and　Genesis

by　Thomas　Henry　Huxley






In　controversy；　as　in　courtship；　the　good　old　rule　to　be　off

with　the　old　before　one　is　on　with　the　new；　greatly　commends

itself　to　my　sense　of　expediency。　And；　therefore；　it　appears　to

me　desirable　that　I　should　preface　such　observations　as　I　may

have　to　offer　upon　the　cloud　of　arguments　（the　relevancy　of

which　to　the　issue　which　I　had　ventured　to　raise　is　not　always

obvious）　put　forth　by　Mr。　Gladstone　in　the　January　number　of

this　review；　by　an　endeavour　to　make　clear　to　such　of　our

readers　as　have　not　had　the　advantage　of　a　forensic　education

the　present　net　result　of　the　discussion。



I　am　quite　aware　that；　in　undertaking　this　task；　I　run　all　the

risks　to　which　the　man　who　presumes　to　deal　judicially　with　his

own　cause　is　liable。　But　it　is　exactly　because　I　do　not　shun

that　risk；　but；　rather；　earnestly　desire　to　be　judged　by　him　who

cometh　after　me；　provided　that　he　has　the　knowledge　and

impartiality　appropriate　to　a　judge；　that　I　adopt　my

present　course。



In　the　article　on　〃The　Dawn　of　Creation　and　Worship；〃　it　will　be

remembered　that　Mr。　Gladstone　unreservedly　commits　himself　to

three　propositions。　The　first　is　that；　according　to　the　writer

of　the　Pentateuch；　the　〃water…population；〃　the　〃air…population；〃

and　the　〃land…population〃　of　the　globe　were　created

successively；　in　the　order　named。　In　the　second　place；　Mr。

Gladstone　authoritatively　asserts　that　this　（as　part　of　his

〃fourfold　order〃）　has　been　〃so　affirmed　in　our　time　by　natural

science；　that　it　may　be　taken　as　a　demonstrated　conclusion　and

established　fact。〃　In　the　third　place；　Mr。　Gladstone　argues　that

the　fact　of　this　coincidence　of　the　pentateuchal　story　with　the

results　of　modern　investigation　makes　it　〃impossible　to　avoid

the　conclusion；　first；　that　either　this　writer　was　gifted　with

faculties　passing　all　human　experience；　or　else　his　knowledge

was　divine。〃　And　having　settled　to　his　own　satisfaction　that　the

first　〃branch　of　the　alternative　is　truly　nominal　and　unreal；〃

Mr。　Gladstone　continues；　〃So　stands　the　plea　for　a　revelation　of

truth　from　God；　a　plea　only　to　be　met　by　questioning　its

possibility〃　（p。　697）。



I　am　a　simple…minded　person；　wholly　devoid　of　subtlety　of

intellect；　so　that　I　willingly　admit　that　there　may　be　depths　of

alternative　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　positionbut　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　mammalsinto　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　which　Mr。

Gladstone　expresses　and　laments　his　familiarity；　in　the

atmosphere　of　science　it　really　is　of　no　avail　whatever　to　shut

one's　eyes　to　facts；　or　to　try　to　bury　them　out　of　sight　under　a

tumulus　of　rhetoric。　That　is　my　experience　of　the　〃Elysian

regions　of　Science；〃　wherein　it　is　a　pleasure　to　me　to　think

that　a　man　of　Mr。　Gladstone's　intimate　knowledge　of　English

life；　during　the　last　quarter　of　a　century；　believes　my

philosophic　existence　to　have　been　rounded　off　in

unbroken　equanimity。



However　reprehensible；　and　indeed　contemptible；　terrestrial

reptiles　may　be；　the　only　question　which　appears　to　me　to　be

relevant　to　my　argument　is　whether　these　creatures　are　or　are

not　comprised　under　the　denomination　of　〃everything　that

creepeth　upon　the　ground。〃



Mr。　Gladstone　speaks　of　the　author　of　the　first　chapter　of

Genesis　as　〃the　Mosaic　writer〃；　I　suppose；　therefore；　that　he

will　admit　that　it　is　equally　proper　to　speak　of　the　author　of

Leviticus　as　the　〃Mosaic　writer。〃　Whether　such　a　phrase　would　be

used　by　any　one　who　had　an　adequate　conception　of　the　assured

results　of　modern　Biblical　criticism　is　another　matter；　but；　at

any　rate；　it　cannot　be　denied　that　Leviticus　has　as　much　claim

to　Mosaic　authorship　as　Genesis。　Therefore；　if　one　wants　to　know

the　sense　of　a　phrase　used　in　Genesis；　it　will　be　well　to　see

what　Leviticus　has　to　say　on　the　matter。　Hence；　I　commend　the

following　extract　from　the　eleventh　chapter　of　Leviticus　to　Mr。

Gladstone's　serious　attention：





And　these　are　they　which　are　unclean　unto　you　among　the　creeping

things　that　creep　upon　the　earth：　the　weasel；　and　the　mouse；　and

the　great　lizard　after　its　kind；　and　the　gecko；　and　the　land

crocodile；　and　the　sand…lizard；　and　the　chameleon。　These　are

they　which　are　unclean　to　you　among　all　that　creep　（v。　29…3l）。





The　merest　Sunday…school　exegesis　therefore　suffices　to　prove

that　when　the　〃Mosaic　writer〃　in　Genesis　i。　24　speaks　of

〃creeping　things；〃　he　means　to　include　lizards　among　them。



This　being　so；　it　is　agreed；　on　all　hands；　that　terrestrial

lizards；　and　other　reptiles　allied　to　lizards；　occur　in　the

Permian　strata。　It　is　further　agreed　that　the　Triassic　strata

were　deposited　after　these。　Moreover；　it　is　well　known　that；

even　if　certain　footprints　are　to　be　taken　as　unquestionable

evidence　of　the　existence　of　birds；　they　are　not　known　to　occur

in　rocks　earlier　than　the　Trias；　while　indubitable　remains　of

birds　are　to　be　met　with　only　much　later。　Hence　it　follows　that

natural　science　does　not　〃affirm〃　the　statement　that　birds　were

made　on　the　fifth　day；　and　〃everything　that　creepeth　on　the

ground〃　on　the　sixth；　on　which　Mr。　Gladstone　rests　his　order；

for；　as　is　shown　by　Leviticus；　the　〃Mosaic　writer〃　includes

lizards　among　his　〃creeping　things。〃



Perhaps　I　have　given　myself　superfluous　trouble　in　the　preceding

argument；　for　I　find　that　Mr。　Gladstone　is　willing　to　assume　（he

does　not　say　to　admit）　that　the　statement　in　the　text　of　Genesis

as　to　reptiles　cannot　〃in　all　points　be　sustained〃　（p。　16）。　But

my　position　is　that　it　cannot　be　sustained　in　any　point；　so

that；　after　all；　it　has　perhaps　been　as　well　to　go　over　the

evidence　again。　And　then　Mr。　Gladstone　proceeds　as　if　nothing

had　happened　to　tell　us　that





There　remain　great　unshaken　facts　to　be　weighed。　First；　the　fact

that　such　a　record　should　have　been　made　at　all。





As　most　peoples　have　their　cosmogonies；　this　〃fact〃　does　not

strike　me　as　having　much　value。





Secondly；　the　fact　that；　instead　of　dwelling　in　generalities；　it

has　placed　itself　under　the　severe　conditions　of　a　chronological

order　reaching　from　the　first　nisus　of　chaotic　matter　to

the　consummated　production　of　a　fair　and