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intended to interfere with the freedom of his researches into those great 

 natural laws by which God frames and governs the Universe and all that 

 it contains." 



From Sir John F. W. IIerschel, F.R.S., Sfc, 8fc. 

 " It would appear to me very difficult to find wherewithal to accuse 

 you of advancing an opinion that ' the Aisible creation was at first made 

 so perfect that the machine of nature runs its allotted course without 

 requiring the superintendence of the Creator' — an opinion which no 

 man of common reason, or who is accustomed to assign meanings to the 

 words he strings together, can for one moment entertain. As you re- 

 quire my opinion on this point, I am happy to afford it — not as a question 

 of science, but as one of common sense, and logical interpretation of 

 words." 



From Dr. Roget, Secretary to the Royal Society^ 8fc., Sec. 

 " I have no hesitation in saying that nothing that I have met with in your 

 work in any respect warrants the imputation of its doctrines having a 

 dangerous tendency — an imputation, as it appears to me, ridiculous and 

 Avholly unfounded." 



F7'om Dr. Prichard, F.R.S., Sec, Bristol. 

 " I think you have fully vindicated yourself from a most unfounded 

 accusation, which proves folly and ignorance, and even something worse, 

 on the part of your anonymous assailant. You ought, in justice to your- 

 self, to give all the publicity you can to the defence." 



From Dr. W. P. Alison, F.R.S.E., Professor of Physiology in the 

 University of Edinburgh. 



" I have never seen the slightest reason for changing the opinion which 

 I stated in my Outlines, that no hypothesis which can be framed, as to 

 the manner in which vital properties are communicated to organised 

 beings, affects the conclusions in Natural Theology to which the study of 

 these beings leads ; because these conclusions rest upon principles alto- 

 gether independent of any such hypotheses — on the principles that all 

 change implies a cause, and that all adaptation of means to ends implies 

 an intelligent cause. 



" I can perfectly understand, therefore, and fully believe, that you, and 

 others who hold similar language to yours, as to the connection of Life 

 with Organisation, are equally impressed with the evidence of the great 

 truths of Natural Religion, drawn from the study of Physiology, as those 

 who use the language on the subject which seems to me more correct." 



From Dr. Holland, Physician Extraordinary to the Queen^ ^c, Sfc. 

 " In reading your volume on the Principles of Physiology, I was struck, 

 besides its other excellencies, with the tone of religious feeling which 

 pervades the whole. The last chapter, on the proofs of design, im- 

 pressed me strongly in this light. And in treating on the difficult and 

 disputed questions regarding a vital principle, the laws of vital action, 

 and the relations of the latter to physical laws commonly so termed — it 

 seems to me that you have never exceeded the authorized bounds of 

 physical research, as pursued by the most eminent physiologists. 



" I will further add my general impression, that, whatever the differ- 

 ences of opinion on these particular topics, you have been careful, and 

 have succeeded, in keeping them all in subjection to that First Great 

 Cause, from which laws as well as phenomena are equally and solely 

 derived." 



j* / Piiilp and Evans, Printei-s, Clare-Stieet, BristoL 



