298 PIONEERS OF SCIENCE IN AMERICA. 



at nearly every meeting of both organizations until the gap in 

 the later history induced by the war. 



As President of Amherst College he was called upon to ex- 

 ercise unwonted judgment. The institution had almost broken 

 down because of heavy indebtedness. The historian of the col- 

 lege declares that it was saved from destruction by the skill and 

 wisdom of President Hitchcock. As an instructor and guide 

 no one was more loved and honoured. The number of stu- 

 dents doubled during his administration. It was while he was 

 president that his Religion of Geology appeared, in which he 

 expounded the applications of science to theology. Most of 

 the positions there maintained are accepted by the advanced 

 Christian thinkers of to-day. The work appeared before the 

 advent of Darwinism, but its principle was discussed as creation 

 by law. While not accepting any development hypothesis, 

 Prof. Hitchcock took pains to insist that its adoption would 

 not be at variance with any fundamental principle of theology. 

 During his lifetime the doctrine of creation was the prevalent 

 fashion of thought, just as now everybody is an evolutionist, 

 and as in the Mesozoic age every vertebrate animal assumed 

 some reptilian feature. 



Prof. Hitchcock devoted much thought to the relations be- 

 tween science and theology. He believed that his suggestions 

 original with him would tend to bring together truths 

 often divorced, but which only man puts asunder. The follow- 

 ing are topics upon which he made important suggestions : i. 

 Proof of the general benevolence of God from geology. 2. 

 Evidence from the same, of special divine interpositions in Na- 

 ture. 3. Evidence from the same, of special providence. 4. 

 Mode of answering objections to the doctrine of the resurrec- 

 tion of the body by the nature of bodily identity. 5. The re- 

 ligious bearing of man's creation. 6. The adaptedness of the 

 world for the redemptive work. 7. The Mosaic days properly 

 interpreted by vmbolism. These and related views were 

 taught by him to his classes under the title of natural theology. 

 Through his efforts the chair of Geology and Natural Theology 

 was endowed in Amherst College, with the understanding that 

 the science should always be taught from a religious stand- 

 point. 



A list of Prof. Hitchcock's published writings shows a total 

 of twenty-six distinct volumes, thirty-five separate pamphlets, 



