DARWIN AND HIS CRITICS. 55 



conflict with his opinions. But no such right 

 can be conceded (on a priori grounds), even to 

 an educated Protestant, for this, I presume is 

 Dr. Bree's meaning by a scientific believer, 

 without its being also granted to those holding 

 other forms of religious belief, and as every 

 system of religious cosmogony contains both 

 scientific fallacies, and is inconsistent with every 

 other, it is manifest that although every man 

 has a right to ask for proofs of any statement, 

 opposed to his previous opinions, yet it would, 

 be a great obstacle to the progress of knowledge- 

 if any man's previous opinions were allowed 

 to form a presumption against the correctness 

 of any new scientific theory or discovery. 



Dr. Bree seems to have misunderstood the 

 meaning of scientific hypothesis ; which is not a 

 settled formula like a theological creed, but 

 a supposition which may or may not be 

 true, but which, by co-ordinating a number of 

 facts which do not admit of a more plausible 

 explanation in the present state of our know- 

 ledge, is of great temporary service to the pro- 

 gress of science, until it is either confirmed or 

 superseded by enlarged knowledge. The real 

 obligation of Mr. Darwin's opponents is not to- 



