LIFE OF JAMES DWIGHT DANA 



FROM G. P. BOND, THE ASTRONOMER 



"CAMBRIDGE, March 18, 1856. 



" I beg to acknowledge the receipt of a copy of your 

 review of Professor Lewis's Six Days of Creation. 



11 I have been much gratified with its decisive statement 

 of facts in those departments of science, in geology espe- 

 cially, having a bearing upon the question of the agree- 

 ment of the scientific with the Mosaic cosmology. To 

 my mind, evidence such as you have adduced is convin- 

 cing. Those to whom the idea of a direct revelation made 

 to Moses is, a priori, infinitely improbable, will probably 

 find means, satisfactory to themselves, for damaging your 

 course of argument, for the practice of throwing discredit 

 upon the writings of Moses, and especially upon the 

 opening chapters of Genesis, prevails so extensively that 

 it would seem to be one of the strongest bonds of sym- 

 pathy uniting the various forms of unbelief which infect 

 the moral atmosphere of our times." 



FROM BENJAMIN PIERCE, THE MATHEMATICIAN 



" CAMBRIDGE, July n, 1856. . 



" The article commends itself to me as the happiest 

 possible reply to the attacks upon the religion of science. 

 It is fortunate for us that you have taken up this subject 

 with your firmness, fidelity, and composure. Upon your 

 points of the mutual adaptation of the human mind and 

 God's physical creation, I have myself delivered to my 

 class a course of lectures last winter, which I expect to 

 repeat next winter, either in New York or Washington. 

 I have looked at the matter, exclusively and designedly, 

 from the geometric standpoint, and think that you would 

 be surprised and pleased at some of my conclusions. I 

 hope at some time to have an opportunity of submitting 

 them to your good judgment and criticism." 



FROM R. H. DANA, JR., THE WRITER ON INTER- 

 NATIONAL LAW 



" CAMBRIDGE, February 17, 1856. 



" I am much obliged to you for your review of Tayler 

 Lewis. I have read it with interest, and it seems to be 



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