Te Pee A ee Me Ve Pe Een eee 
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BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE. 
Archaia ; or, Studies of the Cosmogony and Natural History of the 
Hebrew Scriptures. By J. W. Dawson, LL.D., F.G.S. &c. 
Montreal, 1860. 
Amoncst the numerous cosmogonists, and quasi-cosmogonists, who 
have attempted to reconcile the supposed “ inconsistencies ” of the 
Mosaic and geological records, there are not many who have possessed 
that accuracy of judgment and thought, or who have combined a 
sufficient amount of scientific with theological acumen, to make an 
permanent impression on the minds of either philosophers or biblical 
critics. The consequence is, that, practically, each particular in- 
quirer has taken up, more or less, an independent position,—often- 
times caring but little, or even almost unconscious, whether or not 
the investigators of truth by different, but converging, lines of argu- 
ment have arrived at conclusions ia harmony with his own! And 
thus it is that, in some departments, much valuable information 
which might have been found explanatory of facts obscurely hinted 
at in others, has been either entirely lost sight of or else regarded as 
worthless,—and all through the want of that “happy balance”’ of 
unbiassed discernment which can detect the golden thread of truth 
throughout its countless ramifications, not merely in Nature, but 
equally also in the immaterial and moral worlds. 
Whatever may be the results arrived at by the author of the clever 
and ingenious volume now before us, it will at least be admitted that 
he has executed his task with a greater amount of ability and judg- 
ment than perhaps any writer on the same subject who has preceded 
him. At once an accomplished geologist, a scholar, and a sound 
biblical critic, and possessing (which is more important still) a tho- 
rough knowledge of Hebrew and a power of unprejudiced perception 
rarely to be met with, it is not surprising that he should have thrown 
some new light on many points which have been hitherto but imper- 
fectly discussed : and we feel sure that all who are interested in the 
study of a subject which yields to none other in importance (though 
it has lost much by the injudicious handling of shallow sceptics and 
the rampant speculation of literary dabblers) will thank Dr. Dawson 
for so able an exposition of his views. 
There is a class of reasoners on the Continent (happily not very 
numerous in this country) who believe the Mosaic narrative of crea- 
tion to be simply a well-composed myth. They think that the mind 
of England is not yet sufficiently advanced to accept so bold a doctrine, 
but that, nevertheless, ‘‘for some beautiful moral purpose, Moses 
tried to palm off upon his credulous countrymen a poetic fiction 
drawn from what he had learnt in Egypt,”’— forgetting that he 
inserted in the selfsame book which contains this “fiction” the Ten 
Commandments, and the heaviest denunciations against forgery and 
deceit! To “philosophers” of that school Dr. Dawson’s work does 
not appeal; but those who, on other and more substantial grounds 
. than that which their own hasty and imperfect judgment may sup- 
ply, already believe in the integrity of Holy Scripture, and who can 
