EVOLUTION AND ITS CONSEQUENCES. 



A REPLY TO PROFESSOR HUXLEY. 



f\^ reading the criticism which Professor Huxley has done 

 ^ me the honour to make upon a httle book (the Genesis 

 of Species) which I ventured to pubhsh in the early part of 

 this year,^ I felt that I was being severely reprimanded by 

 my superior officer; that I might apprehend a sentence 

 of degradation to the ranks, if not actual expulsion from 

 the service. I found myself taxed, if not with positive 

 desertion to an enemy with whom no truce is to be allowed, 

 yet, at least, suspected of treasonable communication with a 

 hostile army, and treacherous dalliance with ministers of Baal. 



Now, recognising as I do that, in physical science. Professor 

 Huxley has just claims to respect and deference on the part 

 of all scientific men, I also feel that I am under special obliga- 

 tions to him, both many and deep, for knowledge imparted and 

 for ready assistance kindly rendered. No wonder then that 

 the expression of his vehement disapproval is painful to me. 



It was not however without surprise that I learned that 

 my one unpardonable sin — the one great offence disquahfying 

 me for being ' a loyal soldier of science ' — was my attempt to 

 show that there is no real antagonism between the Christian 

 religion and evolution ! 



My Genesis of Species Avas written with two main 

 objects : — 



My first object was to show that the Darwinian theory is 



1 i.e. in 1870, 



