14 



the Silurian deposit, that "long before that" the world " may 

 have" then, " presented a totally different aspect;" that the 

 older continents, "may" now "all be in a metamorphosed 

 condition," or "may" "lie buried under the ocean;" that there 

 has " probably" been more extinction of species during the 

 periods of subsidence, and that the duration of each formation 

 was " perhaps" short compared with the average duration of 

 specific forms. 



In fine, I believe that although the Mosaic account of the 

 Creation is borne out by the " Testimony of the Rocks" in a most 

 wonderful manner, yet as it does not suit the theory I have taken 

 into my head, it cannot possibly be true, and I do not believe a 

 word of it. 



I believe that if ever there was such a person as Moses, the 

 five books called the five books of Moses were none of his at all, 

 but a mere compilation of some impostor or victim of delusion. 



I believe that no one who believes in the Bible has any sense 

 or wisdom compared with me, in accounting for the Creation of 

 the World and all the creatures in it. 



I believe that such persons in former times as Sir Isaac 

 Newton, Herschell, Lord Bacon, Dr. Johnson, Milton, Locke, Sir 

 Matthew Hale, etc., etc., etc., who were Believers in the Bible, 

 must have been utterly wrong and mistaken, and in the dark as 

 to such matters. 



I believe, in like manner, that others in the present time who 

 are Believers also, as they were, such as Sir Roundell Palmer 

 (Lord Selborne), Lord Hatherley, Lord Shaftesbury, Faraday, 

 Sir David Brewster, etc., etc., etc., and others who like them 

 have taken the highest honours in the Universities, and dis- 

 tinguished themselves in the highest departments of art, science, 

 and politics, are also quite in the dark, for if I am right, as I 

 must be, and therefore am, they of course must be wrong. 



I believe that mine is a much more valuable opinion, and much 

 more to be received than that of Humboldt, who said of Strauss 

 "what displeases me in him is the scientific levity which causes 

 him to see no difficulty in the organic springing from the 

 inorganic, nay, man himself, from the Chaldaean mud." 



