( 562 ) 
[September, 
CORRESPONDENCE. 
*** The Editor does not hold himself responsible for statements of fads or 
. opinions expressed in Correspondence, or in Articles bearing the signature 
of their respective authors. 
NATURAL LAW IN THE SPIRITUAL WORLD. 
To the Editor of the Journal of Science . 
Sir, — It has remained for a Scotch theologian, Henry Drummond, 
F.R.S.E., in a book with this title, published by Hodder and 
Stoughton, to show, to his own entire satisfaction, that the dis- 
covery of unity in Nature limits the members of the kingdom of 
Christ to an astonishly seleCt few. It is a pitiable work, not 
worth notice except that the title may in some few cases lead to 
waste of time. 
To correspond with the spiritual environment, the author says, 
it is needful to* die to the natural environment. The shortest 
way out of the difficulty (p. 180) would be to die at once and go 
to heaven ; but, as this is not permitted, we must “ die as much 
as we can,” the task being limited to three steps — “ Suicide, 
Mortification, Limitation.” The author, who seems to be the 
impersonation of relentless bigotry, clutches, with an energy 
which is fearful to see, at a floating straw in the shape of a sup- 
posed analogy between Nature and some of St. Paul’s words, 
which, as we know, are capable of being wrested to a purpose 
too sad to be dwelt upon. We are reminded of a Scotch dame 
who used to deliver herself thus : — “ The true Kirk o’ Campbell, 
as compared with the outer warld, is compact of my gude man 
and mysel’, and I’m na that sure o’ John.” — I am, &c., 
H. H. H. 
PS. — Can it be possible that we have here another specimen 
of a pious fraud, meant to frighten the Evolutionists ? From a 
letter in the “ Spectator ” it would seem that the author of 
“ Ecce Homo ” had something of this kind of purpose in his 
more recent work on Natural Religion. Does Mr. Drummond 
believe his divinity, but not his science? Well, this would 
certainly account for some rather peculiar views that Mr. 
