36 Contemporary Evolution. 



gree, and be capable of taking a broad view of every 

 speculative question. 



Thus no one nurtured in a narrow school of theology, 

 and persisting to mature life in that position, can hope to 

 attain an accurate view of the position ; and the same may 

 be said of any one trained in a narrow physical school, or 

 who, with the naivete of Professor Huxley, thinks, appar- 

 ently, to destroy Christianity from the platform of physical 

 science. 



Mr. Herbert Spencer possesses qualities enabling him to 

 grapple such a problem with vigour and success, and it is 

 matter of deep regret that he has not thought it worth 

 while to qualify himself for the congenial task by a pre- 

 liminary knowledge of Christianity. It is not of course 

 meant to imply that he does not possess the ordinary in- 

 formation with regard to it common to all men of educa- 

 tion in this country. Such information, however, is quite 

 insufficient for the purpose, and surely far more than this 

 might be expected from Mr. Herbert Spencer. As a fact, 

 however, he gives no evidence of having acquainted him- 

 self with Christian philosophy, or with the doctrines, pre- 

 cepts, and counsels of the Christian Church, and yet it 

 cannot be denied that that institution has occupied and 

 still occupies no inconsiderable or uninfluential place 

 amongst the factors of social evolution. But Mr. Spencer 

 has more or less distinctly declared himself in this matter, 

 and the wide acceptance which his philosophy has attained 



