336 A Century of Science 



scientific book or theory ; and altogether his atti- 

 tude is bellicose to a degree that is as unbecoming 

 in a preacher of the gospel as it is out of place in 

 a discussion of scientific questions. His favourite 

 method of dealing with a scientific writer is to 

 quote from him all sorts of detached statements 

 and inferences, and, without the slightest regard 

 to the writer's general system of opinions or habits 

 of thought, to praise or vituperate the detached 

 statements according to some principle which it is 

 not always easy for the reader to discover, but 

 which has always doubtless some reference to their 

 supposed bearings upon the peculiar kind of ortho- 

 doxy of which Mr. Cook appears as the champion. 

 There are some writers whom he thinks it neces- 

 sary always to scold or vilify, no matter what they 

 say. If they happen to say something which ought 

 to be quite satisfactory to any reasonable person of 

 " orthodox " opinions, Mr. Cook either accuses them 

 of insincerity or represents them as making " con- 

 cessions." 



This last device, I am sorry to be obliged to add, 

 is not an uncommon one with theological contro- 

 versialists, when their zeal runs away with them. 

 When a man makes a statement which expresses 

 his deepest convictions, there is no easier way of 

 seeming to knock away the platform on which he 



