2S0 THE GENESIS OF SPECIES. [Chap. 



of prevalent popular views, and the shallowness of popular 

 objections, they may be impatient of any discussion on the 

 subject. But it is submitted that there are many minds 

 worthy of the highest esteem and of every consideration, 

 which have regarded the subject hitherto almost exclusively 

 from one point of view; that there are some persons who 

 are op})Osed to the progress (in their own minds or in that 

 of their children or dependants) of physical scientitic truth 

 — the natural revelation — tlirough a mistaken estimate of 

 its religious bearings, while there are others who are 

 zealous in its promotion from a precisely similar error. 

 For the sake of both these the author may be pardoned for 

 entering upon some elementary matters relating to the 

 Cjuestion whether evolution or Darwinism have any, and 

 if any, what, bearing on theology ? 



There are at least two classes of men wlio will doubtless 

 assert that they have a very important and highly signi- 

 ficant bearing upon it. 



One of these classes consists of persons zealous for 

 religion indeed, but who identify orthodoxy with their own 

 private interpretation of Scripture or with narrow opinions 

 in which they liave been brought up — opinions doubtless 

 widely spread, but at the same time destitute of any 

 distinct and authoritative sanction on tlie part of the 

 Christian Church. 



The other class is made up of men hostile to religion, 

 and who are glad to make use of any and every argument 

 which they think may possildy be available against it. 



Some individuals within this latter class may not believe 

 in the existence of God, but may yet abstain from publicly 

 avowing their absence of belief, contenting themselves with 

 denials of " creation " and " design," though these denials 



