34:2 ILLOGICAL GEOLOGY. 



less, he considered the hypothesis at variance with Chria 

 tianity; and therefore combated with it. He apparently 

 overlooked the fact tliat the doctrines of geology in gen- 

 eral, as held by himself, had been rejected by many on sim- 

 ilar grounds ; and that he had himself been repeatedly at- 

 tacked for his anti-Christian teachings. He seems not to 

 have perceived that, just as his antagonists were wrong in 

 condemning as irreligious, theories which he saw were not 

 irreligious ; so might he be wrong in condemning, on like 

 grounds, the Theory of Evolution. In brief, he fell short 

 of that highest faith, which knows that all truths must har- 

 monize ; and which is, therefore, content trustfully to fol- 

 low the evidence whithersoever it leads. 



Of course it is impossible to criticize his works without 

 entering on this great question to which he chiefly devoted 

 himself. The two remaining doctrines to be here discussed, 

 bear directly on this question ; and, as above said, we pro- 

 pose to treat them in connection with Hugh Miller's name, 

 because, throughout his reasonings, he assumes their truth. 

 Let it not be supposed, however, that we shall aim to prove 

 what he has aimed to disprove. While we purpose show- 

 ing that his arguments against the Development Hypothe- 

 sis are based on invalid assumptions ; we do not purpose 

 showing that the opposing arguments are based on valid 

 assumptions. We hope to make it apparent that the geo- 

 logical evidence at present obtained, is insufiicient for either 

 side ; further, that there seems little probability of sufficient 

 evidence ever being obtained ; and that if the question is 

 eventually decided, it must be decided on other than geo- 

 logical data. 



The first of the current doctrines to which we have just 

 referred, is, that there occur in the records of former life 

 on our planet, certain great blanks — that though, generally, 

 the succession of fossil forms is tolerably continuous, yet 



