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the progressive sciences behind the authority of that great 
thinker, Bishop Butler. In part ii., chap, iii., of the Analogy 
he writes : “ And as it is owned, that the whole scheme of 
Scripture is imperfectly understood, so if it ever comes to be 
understood before the restitution of all things, and without 
miraculous interpositions, it must be in the same way that 
natural knowledge is come at ; by the continuance and progress 
of learning and liberty; and by particular persons attending to, 
comparing, and pursuing intimations scattered up and down, 
which are overlooked and disregarded by the generality of 
the world. Nor is it at all incredible that a book which has 
been so long in possession of mankind should contain many 
truths as yet undiscovered. For all the same phenomena, and 
the same faculties of investigation, from which such great dis- 
coveries in natural knowledge have been made in the present 
and last age, were equally in possession of mankind several 
thousand years before. And, possibly, it might be intended 
that events as they come to pass should open and ascertain 
several parts of Scripture.” 
If all had been like-minded with Bishop Butler, much of the 
quarrel between men of science and theologians might have 
been avoided. Modern science can have little more to ask 
than the above admissions. I need hardly observe, that the 
bishop places the study of theology on the same basis as the 
study of nature. 
I maintain therefore that it is most dangerous for theo- 
logians to declaim against the use of reason in the study 
of theology, or to assert that philosophical or scientific 
research is in danger of conducting us to infidelity. Let 
them, by all means, exhort both themselves and others to 
the use of reason, under a sense of profound responsi- 
bility. Let philosophers and theologians alike, admit that 
it is an imperfect instrument, and strenuously labour to 
improve its methods. But the outcry against reason itself, 
as that it is a dangerous instrument for the investigation 
of any kind of truth, reminds one of the old story of the 
woodcutter, who ascended a tree one morning for the purpose 
of lopping off its limbs. His zeal at the work of demolition was 
so great that, forgetting that he was standing on one of them, 
be hit it several sharp blows with his axe, which brought it to 
the ground, and himself also. Thus he succeeded in bringing 
down the limb, but his success was attended with the fracture 
of his own neck. Our reason is fallible. Granted : but that is 
no reason for refusing to walk by its light, when we have none 
other to guide us. Bather, it is a good one for zealously 
trying to correct its defects. If we will not guide ourselves 
