XL] ME. DARWIN'S CRITICS. 255 



had not led me to expect that modern science was likely 

 to find a warm welcome within the pale of the greatest 

 and most consistent of theological organizations. 



And my astonishment reached its climax when I found 

 Mr. Mivart citing Father Suarez as his chief witness in 

 favour of the scientific freedom enjoyed by Catholics 

 the popular repute of that learned theologian and subtle 

 casuist not being such as make his works a likely place 

 of refuge for liberality of thought. But in these days, 

 when Judas Iscariot and Eobespierre, Henry VIII. and 

 Catiline, have all been shown to be men of admirable 

 virtue, far in advance of their age, and consequently the 

 victims of vulgar prejudice, it was obviously possible 

 that Jesuit Suarez might be in like case. And, spurred 

 by Mr. Mivart's unhesitating declaration, I hastened to 

 acquaint myself with such of the works of the great 

 Catholic divine as bore upon the question, hoping, not 

 merely to acquaint myself with the true teachings of the 

 infallible Church, and free myself of an unjust prejudice ; 

 but, haply, to enable myself, at a pinch, to put some 

 Protestant bibliolater to shame, by the bright example of 

 Catholic freedom from the trammels of verbal inspiration. 



I regret to say that my anticipations have been cruelly 

 disappointed. But the extent to which my hopes have 

 been crushed can only be fully appreciated by citing, in 

 the first place, those passages of Mr. Mivart's work by 

 which they were excited. In his introductory chapter I 

 find the following passages : 



" The prevalence of this theory [of evolution] need 

 alarm no one, for it is, without any doubt, perfectly con- 

 sistent with the strictest and most orthodox Christian 1 

 theology" (p. 5). 



" Mr. Darwin and others may perhaps be excused if they 



1 It should be observed that Mr. Mivart employs the term "Christian" as if 

 it were the equivalent of " Catholic." 



