166 MR. GLADSTONE AND GENESIS V 



subtlety of intellect, so that I willingly admit that 

 there may be depths of alternative meaning in 

 these propositions out of . all soundings attainable 

 by my poor plummet. Still there are a good 

 many people who surfer under a like intellectual 

 limitation; and, for once in my life, I feel that I 

 have the chance of attaining that position of a 

 representative of average opinion which appears to 

 be the modern ideal of a leader of men, when I 

 make free confession that, after turning the 

 matter over in my mind, with all the aid derived 

 from a careful consideration of Mr. Gladstone's 

 reply, I cannot get away from my original convic- 

 tion that, if Mr. Gladstone's second proposition 

 can be shown to be not merely inaccurate, but 

 directly contradictory of facts known to every one 

 who is acquainted with the elements of natural 

 science, the third proposition collapses of itself. 



And it was this conviction which led me to 

 enter upon the present discussion. I fancied that 

 if my respected clients, the people of average 

 opinion and capacity, could once be got distinctly 

 to conceive that Mr. Gladstone's views as to the 

 proper method of dealing with grave and difficult 

 scientific and religious problems had permitted 

 him to base a solemn " plea for a revelation of truth 

 from God " upon an error as to a matter of fact, 

 from which the intelligent perusal of a manual of 

 palaeontology would have saved him, I need not 

 trouble myself to occupy their time and attention 



