82 THE 'ORIGIN OF SPECIES.' [i860. 



(2.) I have gradually learnt to see that it is just as noble 

 a conception of Deity, to believe that he created primal 

 forms capable of self development into all forms needful pro 

 tempore and pro loco, as to believe that He required a fresh 

 act of intervention to supply the lacunas which Ke Himself 

 had made. I question whether the former be not the loftier 

 thought. 



Be it as it may, I shall prize your book, both for itself, 

 and as a proof that you are aware of the existence of such a 

 person as 



Your faithful servant, 



C. Kingsley. 



[My father's old friend, the Rev. J. Brodie Innes, of Mil- 

 ton Brodie, who was for many years Vicar of Down, writes 

 in the same spirit : 



" We never attacked each other. Before I knew Mr. Dar- 

 win I had adopted, and publicly expressed, the principle that 

 the study of natural history, geology, and science in general, 

 should be pursued without reference to the Bible, That the 

 Book of Nature and Scripture came from the same Divine 

 source, ran in parallel lines, and when properly understood 

 would never cross 



" His views on this subject were very much to the same 

 effect from his side. Of course any conversations we may 

 have had on purely religious subjects are as sacredly private 

 now as in his life ; but the quaint conclusion of one may be 

 given. We had been speaking of the apparent contradiction 

 of some supposed discoveries with the Book of Genesis ; he 

 said, ' you are (it would have been more correct to say you 

 ought to be) a theologian, I am a naturalist, the lines are 

 separate. I endeavour to discover facts without considering 

 what is said in the Book of Genesis. I do not attack Moses, 

 and I think Moses can take care of himself.' To the same 

 effect he wrote more recently, 'I cannot remember that I 

 ever published a word directly against religion or the clergy ; 

 but if you were to read a little pamphlet which I received a 



