92 



" It is quite true that you had not stated that the Book of 

 Genesis ' sets forth the doctrine of Evolution/ but it is no less 

 true that I never said that you had done so. 



" The meaning of what I said was simply this, that the Book 

 of Genesis most certainly does state that some kinds of creatures 

 were created at different periods of time from others, in a 

 regular order, and that the doctrine of Evolution is absolutely 

 irreconcilable with any such statement, holding as it does, that 

 there was no creation at all, but that all the creatures in the 

 world, and I suppose plants too, came down * in the sequence 

 of events ' (these are their own words, the words of these ' men 

 of science,' mirdbili dictu), from some one original monad, as 

 they call it, the creature and the word alike of their own 

 creating. 



" Nor can I admit that the positive statements of the Book of 

 Genesis are ' in some sense metaphorical.' 



" Our philosophers are vainly exhibiting the futility of at- 

 tempting to be ' wise above that which is written.' * The ways 

 of the LORD are past finding out ' ' He giveth not an account 

 of any of His matters.' 



" These are the few and only words that I will trouble you 

 with on the subject. 



" Dr. Gwyn Jeffreys may well say, as he has well said, that 

 Evolution is the product of the 'human imagination,' of the 

 1 Use of the imagination in science,' a notion which in due time 

 will pass, like so many other nine-days wonders, into the 

 * infinite azure of the past/ 



" I am, Sir, 

 a Your very obedient servant, 



" F. 0. MORRIS: 



11 Nunburnholme Rectory, 

 " Hayton, York, 



" September 7, 1877." 



This the editor, it seems, did not find it convenient to insert. 

 He appears to have thought that he could silence me with a 

 stroke of the pen ; but he will find that he has been mistaken. 



