144 LIFE O F BENJAMIN SILLIMAN. 



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

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

 Hut, 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 Bone 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. 



1 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 Kingslcy ; 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 

 r will in time come right. 



1 i;<>M Mil. EDWARD HITCHCOCK. 



AMHKRST, April 11, 1837. 

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



* I >r "ii.-li sk* imlavoralilc, impressions in respect to Mr. Lyell's re- 

 ligions opinions wore modified or removed, as appears from a subsequent 



