CHAPTER VII 



THE INFLUENCE OF LYELL'S WORKS 



ALTHOUGH the Principles of Geology was received 

 T>y the public with something like enthusiasm due 

 to the cogency of its reasoning and the charm of its 

 literary style there were not wanting critics who 

 attacked the author on the ground of his heterodox 

 views. It had come to be so generally understood, 

 that every expression of geological opinion should, 

 by way of apology, be accompanied by an attempt 

 to ' harmonise ' it with the early chapters of Genesis, 

 that the absence of any references of this kind was 

 asserted to be a proof of ' infideli ty ' on the part of 

 the author. 



But Lyell's sincere and earnest efforts to avoid 

 exciting theological prejudice, and the striking 

 illustrations, which he gave in his historical intro- 

 duction, of the absurdities that had resulted from 

 these prejudices in the past, were not without effect. 

 This was shown in a somewhat remarkable manner 



