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that characteristic adaptation which is found all over the world at the present 
moment: — it does not account for the tropical plants requiring the sun’s 
rays and the showers of a tropical climate ; for mere heat below would not 
give these. I need say no more about Mr. Brodie’s remarks, because I think 
they fail, from not being founded upon established facts. — Dr. Gladstone’s 
paper was on the subject of the mutual helpfulness of Science and Scripture ; 
but, as he tells us, he went rather on the one side ; and I strongly feel this, 
that it is in this way that science is doing one of the greatest injuries to 
Scripture that is possible at the present moment. There is a passage in his 
paper which shows what I allude to ; and I am sure, that if he had thought 
of it, he is really of the same mind as myself. I allude to the passage 
where he quotes from St. Paul, that “ the natural man receiveth not 
the things of the Spirit of God.” The meaning of this is, that as 
respects Scripture, it is indispensable we should have a power — the teaching 
of the Holy Spirit — to enable us to understand it ; but Dr. Gladstone draws 
a parallel between Philosophy and Scripture in that respect ; whereas there 
is this characteristic difference between the two. I say that elevating the re- 
quirements of philosophy, into the position of a strict parallel with the require- 
ments for the interpretation of Scripture, has just this effect, that men fancy 
that by mere force of intellect they can understand all Scripture. Now, I 
say, that this is most fatal ; and that as long as any idea of that kind arises 
in the mind, — while it ignores, either directly or indirectly, that indispensable 
power for the understanding of Scripture,- — it is not helpful, but exceed- 
ingly injurious, and I think that view is a main defect in Dr. Gladstone’s 
paper. I am sure we are one in sentiment ; but in the paper he has over- 
looked the point, perhaps from writing it hastily. 
Mr. Warington. — I confess on looking through Mr. Brodie’s paper as 
Captain Fishbourne was speaking, I failed to see there any assertion on the 
part of the writer that the earth was at one time hotter in consequence of 
internal heat. I find it there stated that “ a larger proportion of the car- 
boniferous element was diffused through the atmosphere, and that there is 
reason to conclude that the average temperature of the globe was much 
higher than that which now prevails ; ” but I did not see any assertion as to 
how it came to be higher, nor did I see any assertion of our globe being ori- 
ginally a molten mass 
* Capt. Fishbourne. — I said it was assumed ; I did not say it was asserted. 
Mr. Warington. — I am not disputing that it is possible the writer of this 
paper may have had that theory in his mind ; but I do not think he has so 
expressed himself as to be open to the charge of having bound up the lessons 
which geology teaches, with particular theories which may be erroneous. No 
theory of geology will ignore this, that the earth has existed a long time and gone 
through many changes, and that man is about the last being that has been 
created on the earth ; and as these are the whole foundations of the lessons 
which Mr. Brodie draws, I think it is hardly fair to say, because there may 
be a particular detail questionable here and there, that his whole paper is at 
fault. Surely we are too much disposed, in looking at these questions, to 
