136 LIFE OF BENJAMIN SILLIMAN. 



TO DR. EDWARD HITCHCOCK. 



NEW HAVEN, August 18, 1820. 



MY DEAR SIR, I think you got off well be- 

 tween Moses and the divines ; the latter, I suspect, were 

 willing enough to get rid of the subject. I have become 

 still more convinced of the truth of the new views, and am 

 satisfied they will ultimately become general among men, 

 who are at once acquainted with geology, and disposed to 

 reverence the Scriptures. No mere divine, no mere critic 

 in language, can possibly be an adequate judge of the sub- 

 ject ; or deserve unqualified deference, however able in 

 other respects 



FROM DR. EDWARD HITCHCOCK. 



CONWAY, October 20, 1823. 



I LATELY preached a sermon before the Pittsfield 



Medical Institution, in which I have come out with the new 

 views in regard to the first chapter of Genesis. It is now 

 in the press, and I hope you will pardon me for referring 

 to your lectures, as an instance of the defence of such views 

 in this country. My statements must be propped up by 

 some good authorities, or they will be disregarded, since 

 our divines generally do not, as you have remarked, under- 

 stand even the elements of the subject. I mean to send 

 you one of the sermons when they come out 



TO DR. EDWARD HITCHCOCK. 



NEW HAVEN, March 20, 1824. 



MY DEAR SIR, I most cordially and feelingly condole 

 with you, on the late afflictive bereavement in your family. 

 I know indeed, from costly experience, every pang you have 

 suffered, and hope you may sooner recover from the shock 

 than I did from my first loss of this kind, that of my 

 eldest son. You will present my respectful condolence to 

 Mrs. Hitchcock, whose sufferings will of course, embrace 



