1884.] 
Analyses of Books. 
755 
of the nation. We endorse the plea which Dr. Aveling puts 
into their mouths only to over-rule, i.e., “ Their calling is that 
of investigating natural phenomena, and the conclusions to 
which they may have come re the spiritual are of no moment 
to any but themselves.” It is easy to say, “ Men are turning 
to the teachers of science to-day as they turned to the teachers 
of religion in the past.” 
Now the great error of these teachers of religion was that they 
assumed to lay down the law on all things. Men of science, 
more prudently, claim no authority beyond the limit of their own 
special studies. Sometimes, indeed, a mathematician or a physi- 
cist attempts to adjudicate on biological questions, with results 
which are anything but encouraging. 
Turn we now to Dr. Aveling’s second variety — “ (2) Religiosus. 
Examples : Owen (palaeontological), Mivart, and Beale. Its 
characteristics are as follows : — Belief in Christianity ; dexterity 
in extorting harmonies between science and revelation ; blindness 
to logical conclusions ; a Gargantua’s mouth for contradictions ; 
membership of the Victoria Institute. This variety would not 
exist but for thefaCt that the variety Indifferens is in being. Its 
individuals are in the main Sunday-school teachers with a smat- 
tering of scientific knowledge.” . It seems to us that the three 
savants just mentioned, to whom may be added Wallace among 
the living, and Faraday and Clerk Maxwell among the recently 
dead, possess something vastly more than a smattering of scien- 
tific knowledge, and we fail to see their resemblance to Sunday- 
school teachers. Nor do we see in the least how they would be 
moved to renounce Theism if Ray Lankester, Huxley, and the 
majority of our professors were publicly to avow themselves 
Atheists. 
The whole of this essay gives the most signal proof of 
the ability of the author, for whom our concluding wish is that 
he may do not less in scientific research than the men whom he 
pronounces “ humbugs.” 
Our Corner. Vol. iv., No. 5, November 1st, 1884. 
This issue is, to us, barren. Those able scientific articles con- 
tributed to former numbers by Dr. Aveling and others are here 
conspicuous by their absence. The present time of political 
excitement is no less unfavourable to science than it is to industry 
and commerce. 
