416 The Critics of Evolution. ,° [ June, 
was assumed as true, and as in entire harmony with all essential 
religious truth. He was followed by the Rev. Prof. Watkins, of 
St. Augustine College, Canterbury, who- spoke on the same sub- 
ject, and said “ he felt sure that when the history of the century 
came to be written from the standpoint of the future, the name of 
Herbert Spencer would be found in the very first rank of English 
thinkers.” ‘These expressions indicate a very marked progress 
in religious liberality,” says the editor of the Popular Science 
Review of January, 1880. 
Prof. James D. Dana in his new “Text Book of Geology,” p. 
346, expresses his opinion on this wise: “ That the system of life 
exhibits so perfect harmony and so complete oneness of law in 
its several lines and successions, that it may be truly called a sys- 
tem of development or evolution, whatever the method by which 
it was carried forward,” and that, “It is also certain that science, 
whatever it may accomplish in the discovery of causes or meth- 
ods of progress, can take no steps toward setting aside a Creator. 
Far from such a result, it clearly proves that there has been not 
only an omnipotent hand to create and to sustain physical forces 
in action, but an all-wise and beneficent Spirit to sh7»e all events 
towards a spiritual end.”—Ibid, p. 351. 
Thus it is easily shown that the opinions of men disqualified 
by age or a conservative spirit, interested prejudice or enfeeble 
faculties, should not be regarded when opposed to new doctrines 
in science; that those who have devoted themselves to science 
have, whenever free from the prejudices of education, heartily 
embraced the new views; and finally that even those who have 
been regarded as the ablest defenders of the truths of revelation 
when enlightened by acquaintance with science and penetrated 
by its spirit, become generous defenders and fearless advocates of 
evolution and absolve it from all charges of atheism and want of 
scientific basis. 
