144 LIFE OF BENJAMIN SILLIMAN. 



ciety of France.* I know that it may seern presumptuous 

 for an obscure individual to assail men in such high places. 

 But, in relation to those who seem to me to assail Chris 

 tianity my motto has always been, " Tros Tyrinsque, mihi 

 nullo discrimine agetur." 



TO DR. EDWARD HITCHCOCK. 



NEW HAVEN, March 17, 1837. 



IN all your principles of action avowed in your 



letter I entirely agree ; and Drs. Cooper and Boue richly 

 deserved the protest you entered against them. I thought, 

 however, that the evidence ought to be much stronger to 

 justify placing Mr. Lyell in the same company, and partic 

 ularly with the aspect given to his character and mind. I 

 have not yet examined his last edition, and cannot say 

 whether your impressions would be strengthened or not 

 by the perusal. 



I also have the happiness to reckon some of my best 

 friends among the clergy, and I believe, with you, if they 

 were masters of our subject, they would think as we do. 

 Some of them are candid and forbearing ; others find no 

 insuperable difficulties ; others are silent because they feel 

 that they do not understand the matter ; but a few are 

 loud, confident, and uncharitable, while it is obvious that 

 they know not whereof they affirm. I think you have si 

 lenced one of this class, at least you and my colleague, 

 Professor Kingsley ; but I see strong marks of a settled 

 purpose on the part of some to hold no terms with geology, 

 and to insist upon the literal and limited understanding of 

 the history ; but they will find themselves deserted, for the 

 matter will in time come right. 



FROM MR. EDWARD HITCHCOCK. 



AMHERST, April 11, 1837. 

 HAVE you read Dr. Wiseman's work, just pub- 



* Dr. Hitchcock's unfavorable impressions in respect to Mr. LyelTs re 

 ligious opinions were modified or removed, as appears from a subsequent 

 letter. F. 



