On Spontaneous Generation. 371 



read in the book of nature, so as to make it agree with the 

 short-sighted interpretation of a symbolical tradition, must 

 be rejected by all sober minds. The vitality of the simple 

 and elevated truths of our religion, does not, I trust, require 

 the protection of such an insipid shell, for the benefit of the 

 souls of the natural philosophers of the present age. Though 

 it may be thought prudent to leave it untouched, as to such as 

 are yet exoteric to science, yet the attempts of those who wish 

 to make it thicker, in proportion as the season advances, and 

 the sun of science rises higher, ought to be denounced as in- 

 jurious to the regular dev elopement of our species. If posi- 

 tive theology encroach upon the territory of natural philoso- 

 phy, which latter can never become detrimental to the truth 

 contained in the former, it must act the part of a despot, who 

 wishes to subdue a free nation ; and if it raise the outcry of 

 "hie niger est" against any one who publishes facts or rea- 

 sonings, which do not exactly coincide with one of its sta- 

 tionary systems, it lowers itself to the level of the popish in- 

 fallibility of the middle ages. 



Were it in my power to convince those who think otherwise, 

 that the progress of religion altogether depends on that of sci- 

 ence, and that the former places itself in a very questionable 

 position, if it force the latter to deviate from its true bearing, 

 I should doubtless be entitled to more merit, than by what I 

 have to say on the spontaneous generation of animals and 

 plants ; for I should contribute towards making the human 

 mind itself a more congenial ground for the spontaneous ge- 

 neration and propagation of truth. 



The question of spontaneous generation may be considered 

 in two different points of view. We may firstly ask, whether 

 all the organic beings which have peopled the globe during 

 different epochs, did, in the first instance, originate in that 

 manner ; and secondly, whether that principle is in occasion- 

 al or extensive operation still, when the great creative period 

 of our epoch is long gone by. 



As to the former part of the question, this is a mere matter 

 of speculation, which I think, however, admits of a solution, 

 in which we may acquiesce, provided we do not wish to go 



nis. The stupendous learning of that author had probably weakened his 

 common sense, or he would have seen at once, that, by giving a wide throat 

 to Jonas' whale, he only lessened the merit of the miracle, without explain- 

 ing it. But how our orthodox theologians, who cannot always plead the 

 same excuse, can think it their duty, or even useful, to cram the brains of 

 ladies with such stuff, is to me quite inconceivable. 



