56 MODERN IDEAS OF EVOLUTION 



science we are called on to follow the weighty advice 

 of Virchow : Whoever speaks or writes for the public 

 ought, in my opinion, doubly to examine just now 

 how much of that which he says is objective truth. 

 He ought to try as much as possible to have all in 

 ductive extensions which he makes, all conclusions 

 arrived at by the laws of analogy, however probable 

 they may seem, printed in small type under the 

 general text, and to put into the latter only that 

 which is objective truth. To practise such teaching 

 tmay require much self-denial, akin to that which the 

 preacher must exercise who makes up his mind to 

 forego his own thoughts, and, like Paul, to know no 

 thing among men but God s truth in its simplicity. 

 The mischief which may be done to science by an 

 opposite course is precisely similar to that which is 

 done to religion by sensational preaching founded on 

 distortions of scriptural truth, or on fragments of 

 texts taken out of their connection and used as 

 jnottoes for streams of imaginative declamation. 



To render such evils impossible, we must have a 

 more general and truthful teaching of science. It is 

 a great mistake here to suppose that a little knowledge 

 is dangerous ; every grain of pure truth is precious, 

 and will bear precious fruit. The danger lies in mis 

 using the little knowledge for purposes which it can 

 not serve ; and this is most likely to take place when 

 facts are not known at all, or imperfectly compre 

 hended, or so taught as to cause a part of the truth 



