ot into a sorry plight, and Mr. Rogers, in
controverting him, has not greatly helped the matter. By stirring M.
Renan's bemuddled pool, Mr. Rogers has only bemuddled it the more.
Neither of these excellent writers seems to suspect that transmutation
of species, the geologic development of the earth, and other like
phenomena do not present features conflicting with ordinary experience.
Sir Charles Lyell and Mr. Darwin would be greatly astonished to be told
that their theories of inorganic and organic evolution involved any
agencies not known to exist in the present course of nature. The great
achievement of these writers has been to show that all past changes of
the earth and its inhabitants are to be explained as resulting from
the continuous action of causes like those now in operation, and that
throughout there has been nothing even faintly resembling a miracle.
M. Renan may feel perfectly safe in extending his principle back to the
beginning of things; and Mr. Rogers's argument, even if valid against M.
Renan, does not help his own case in the least.

On some points, indeed, M. Renan has laid himself open to severe
criticism, and on other points he has furnished good handles for his
orthodox opponents. His views in regard to the authorship of the Fourth
Gospel and the Acts are not likely to be endorsed by many scholars; and
his revival of the rationalistic absurdities of Paulus merits in most
instances all that Mr. Rogers has said about it. As was said at the
outset, orthodox criticisms upon heterodox books are always welcome.
They do excellent service. And with the feeling which impels their
authors to defend their favourite dogmas with every available weapon of
controversy I for one can heartily sympathize. Their zeal in upholding
what they consider the truth is greatly to be respected and admired. But
so much cannot always be said for the mode of argumentation they
adopt, which too often justifies M. Renan's description, when he says,
"Raisonnements triomphants sur des choses que l'adversaire n'a pas
dites, cris de victoire sur des erreurs qu'il n'a pas commises, rien ne
parait deloyal a celui qui croft tenir en main les interets de la verite
absolue."

August, 1866.

VI. DRAPER ON SCIENCE AND RELIGION. [27]

[27] History of the Conflict between Religion and Science, by
John William Draper, M. D., LL. D. Fourth edition. New York: D. Appleton
& Co. 1875. 12mo, pp. xxii., 373. (International Scientif