And，finally，intheselatterdaysMr。Gladstonehastouchedthesubject。Withthatwell-knownfacilityinbelievinganythinghewishestobelieve，whichheonceshowedinconnectingNeptune’stridentwiththedoctrineoftheTrinity，hefloatsairilyoveralltheimpossibilitiesoftheoriginalBabellegendandalltheconquestsofscience，makesanassertionregardingtheresultsofphilologywhichnophilologistofanystandingwouldadmit，andthenescapesinacloudofrhetoricafterhiswell-knownfashion。
　　This，too，mustbesetdownsimplyasasurvival，forintheBritishIslesaselsewherethetruthhasbeenestablished。SuchmenasMaxMullerandSayceinEngland，——Steinthal，Schleicher，Weber，KarlAbel，andahostofothersinGermany，——AscoliandDeGubernatisinItaly，——andWhitney，withthescholarsinspiredbyhim，inAmerica，havecarriedthenewsciencetoacompletetriumph。ThesonsofYaleUniversitymaywellbeproudofthefactthatthisoldPuritanfoundationwasmadetheheadquartersoftheAmericanOrientalSociety，whichhasdonesomuchforthetruthinthisfield。[420]
　　[420]ForMr。Gladstone’sview，seehisImpregnableRockofHolyScripture，London，1890，pp。241etseq。ThepassageconnectingthetridentofNeptunewiththeTrinityisinhisJuventusMundi。
　　ToanyAmericanboywhoseeshowinevitably，bothamongIndianandwhitefishermen，thefishspeartakesthethree-prongedform，thisutteranceofMr。Gladstoneisamazing。
　　V。SUMMARY。
　　Itmaybeinstructive，inconclusion，tosumupbrieflythehistoryofthewholestruggle。
　　First，astotheoriginofspeech，wehaveinthebeginningthewholeChurchrallyingaroundtheideathattheoriginallanguagewasHebrew；thatthislanguage，evenincludingthemedievalrabbinicalpunctuation，wasdirectlyinspiredbytheAlmighty；
　　thatAdamwastaughtitbyGodhimselfinwalksandtalks；andthatallotherlanguageswerederivedfromitatthe“confusionofBabel。”
　　Next，weseepartsofthistheoryfadingout：theinspirationoftherabbinicalpointsbeginstodisappear。Adam，insteadofbeingtaughtdirectlybyGod，is“inspired“byhim。
　　Thencomesthethirdstage：advancedtheologiansendeavourtocompromiseontheideathatAdamwas“givenverbalrootsandamentalpower。”
　　Finally，inourtime，wehavethemacceptingthetheorythatlanguageistheresultofanevolutionaryprocessinobediencetolawsmoreorlessclearlyascertained。Babelthustakesitsplacequietlyamongthesacredmyths。
　　Astotheoriginofwriting，wehavethemoreeminenttheologiansatfirstinsistingthatGodtaughtAdamtowrite；nextwefindthemgraduallyretreatingfromthisposition，butinsistingthatwritingwastaughttotheworldbyNoah。Aftertheretreatfromthisposition，wefindtheminsistingthatitwasMoseswhomGodtaughttowrite。Butscientificmodesofthoughtstillprogressed，andwenexthaveinfluentialtheologiansagreeingthatwritingwasaMosaicinvention；thisisfollowedbyanothertheologicalretreattothepositionthatwritingwasapost-Mosaicinvention。Finally，allthepositionsarerelinquished，savebysomefewskirmisherswhoappearnowandthenuponthehorizon，makingattemptstodefendsomesubtlemethodof“reconciling“theBabelmythwithmodernscience。
　　Justafterthemiddleofthenineteenthcenturythelaststageoftheologicaldefencewasevidentlyreached——thesamewhichisseeninthehistoryofalmosteveryscienceafterithassuccessfullyfoughtitswaythroughthetheologicalperiod——thedeclarationwhichwehavealreadyseenforeshadowedbyWiseman，thatthescientificdiscoveriesinquestionarenothingnew，buthavereallyalwaysbeenknownandheldbytheChurch，andthattheysimplysubstantiatethepositiontakenbytheChurch。Thisnewcontention，whichalwaysbetokensthelastgaspoftheologicalresistancetoscience，wasnowechoedfromlandtoland。In1856itwasgivenforthbyadivineoftheAnglicanChurch，ArchdeaconPratt，ofCalcutta。Hegivesalonglistofeminentphilologistswhohaddonemosttodestroytheoldsupernaturalviewoflanguage，readsintotheirutteranceshisownwishes，andthenexclaims，“SosingularlydotheirlaboursconfirmtheliteraltruthofScripture。”
　　TwoyearslaterthiscontentionwasechoedfromtheAmericanPresbyterianChurch，andDr。B。W。Dwight，havingstigmatizedas“infidels“thosewhohadnotincorporatedintotheirsciencetheliteralacceptanceofHebrewlegend，declaredthat“chronology，ethnography，andetymologyhaveallbeentorturedinvaintomakethemcontradicttheMosaicaccountoftheearlyhistoryofman。”
　　Twelveyearslaterthiswasre-echoedfromEngland。TheRev。
　　Dr。Baylee，PrincipaloftheCollegeofSt。Aidan’s，declared。”Withregardtothevarietiesofhumanlanguage，theaccountoftheconfusionoftonguesisreceivingdailyconfirmationbyalltherecentdiscoveriesincomparativephilology。”So，too，inthesameyear1870，intheUnitedPresbyterianChurchofScotland，Dr。JohnEadie，ProfessorofBiblicalLiteratureandExegesis，declared，“ComparativephilologyhasestablishedthemiracleofBabel。”
　　Askillintheologyandcasuistrysoexquisiteastocontrivesuchassertions，andafaithsorobustastoacceptthem，certainlyleavenothingtobedesired。Buthowbaselessthesecontentionsareisshown，first，bythesimplehistoryoftheattitudeoftheChurchtowardthisquestion；and，secondly，bythefactthatcomparativephilologynowrevealsbeyondadoubtthatnotonlyisHebrewnottheoriginaloroldestlanguageuponearth，butthatitisnoteventheoldestformintheSemiticgrouptowhichitbelongs。Tousethewordsofoneofthemosteminentmodernauthorities，“ItisnowgenerallyrecognisedthatingrammaticalstructuretheArabicpreservesmuchmoreoftheoriginalformsthaneithertheHebreworAramaic。”
　　History，ethnology，andphilologynowcombineinexorablytoplacetheaccountoftheconfusionoftonguesandthedispersionofracesatBabelamongthemyths；buttheirworkhasnotbeenmerelydestructive：moreandmorestrongarethegroundsforbeliefinanevolutionoflanguage。
　　AverycompleteacceptanceofthescientificdoctrineshasbeenmadebyArchdeaconFarrar，CanonofWestminster。Withaboldnesswhichinanearlierperiodmighthavecosthimdear，andwhichmeritspraiseevennowforitscourage，hesays：“Forallreasonersexceptthatportionoftheclergywhoinallageshavebeenfoundamongthebitterestenemiesofscientificdiscovery，theseconsiderationshavebeenconclusive。But，strangetosay，here，asinsomanyotherinstances，thisself-styledorthodoxy——moreorthodoxthantheBibleitself——directlycontradictstheveryScriptureswhichitprofessestoexplain，andbysheermisrepresentationsucceedsinproducinganeedlessanddeplorablecollisionbetweenthestatementsofScriptureandthoseothermightyandcertaintruthswhichhavebeenrevealedtoscienceandhumanityastheirgloryandreward。”
　　StillanotheracknowledgmentwasmadeinAmericathroughtheinstrumentalityofadivineoftheMethodistEpiscopalChurch，whomthepresentgenerationatleastwillholdinhonournotonlyforhisscholarshipbutforhispatriotisminthedarkesthourofhiscountry’sneed——JohnMcClintock。InthearticleonLanguage，intheBiblicalCyclopaedia，editedbyhimandtheRev。
　　Dr。Strong，whichappearedin1873，thewholesacredtheoryisgivenup，andthescientificviewaccepted。[421]
　　[421]ForKayser，seehiswork，UeberdieUrsprache，oderubereineBehauptungMosis，dassalleSprachenderWeltvoneinereinzigenderNoahhischenabstammen，Erlangen，1840；seeespeciallypp。5，80，95，112。ForWiseman，seehisLecturesontheConnectionbetweenScienceandRevealedReligion，London，1836。Forexamplestypicalofverymanyinthisfield，seetheworksofPratt，1856；Dwight，1858；Jamieson，1868。ForcitationfromCumming，seehisGreatTribulation，London，1859，p。4；seealsohisThingsHardtobeUnderstood，London，1861，p。48。Foranadmirablesummaryoftheworkofthegreatmodernphilologists，andamostcarefulestimateoftheconclusionsreached，seeProf。Whitney’sarticleonPhilologyintheEncyclopaediaBritannica。AcopyofMr。Atkinson’sbookisintheHarvardCollegeLibrary，ithavingbeenpresentedbytheTrusteesofthePublicLibraryofVictoria。ForGalloway，seehisPhilosophyoftheCreation，EdinburghandLondon，1885，pp。21，238，239，446。ForcitationfromBaylee，seehisVerbalInspirationtheTrueCharacteristicofGod’sHolyWord，London，1870，p。14andelsewhere。ForArchdeaconPratt，seehisScriptureandSciencenotatVariance，London，1856，p。55。ForthecitationfromDr。Eadie，seehisBiblicalCyclopaedia，London，1870，p。53。ForDr。Dwight，seeTheNew-Englander，vol。
　　xvi，p。465。Forthetheologicalarticlereferredtoasgivingupthesacredtheory，seetheCyclopaediaofBiblical，Theological，andEcclesiasticalLiterature，preparedbyRev。JohnMcClintock，D。D。，andJamesStrong，NewYork，1873，vol。v，p。
　　233。ForArabicasanearlierSemiticdevelopmentthanHebrew，aswellasformuchothervaluableinformationonthequestionsrecentlyraised，seearticleHebrew，byW。R。Smith，inthelatesteditionoftheEncyclopaediaBritannica。ForquotationfromCanonFarrar，seehislanguageandLanguages，London，1878，pp。6，7。
　　Itmay，indeed，benowfairlysaidthatthethinkingleadersoftheologyhavecometoaccepttheconclusionsofscienceregardingtheoriginoflanguage，asagainsttheoldexplanationsbymythandlegend。Theresulthasbeenablessingbothtoscienceandtoreligion。Noharmhasbeendonetoreligion；whathasbeendoneistoreleaseitfromtheclogoftheorieswhichthinkingmensawcouldnolongerbemaintained。NomatterwhathasbecomeofthenamingoftheanimalsbyAdam，oftheoriginofthenameBabel，ofthefearoftheAlmightylestmenmightclimbupintohisrealmabovethefirmament，andoftheconfusionoftonguesandthedispersionofnations；theessentialsofChristianity，astaughtbyitsblessedFounder，havesimplybeenfreed，byComparativePhilology，fromonemoregreatincubus，andhavethereforebeenlefttoworkwithmorepowerupontheheartsandmindsofmankind。
　　NorhasanyharmbeendonetotheBible。Onthecontrary，thisdivinerevelationthroughsciencehasmadeitallthemoreprecioustous。Inthesemythsandlegendscaughtfromearliercivilizationsweseeanevolutionofthemostimportantreligiousandmoraltruthsforourrace。Myth，legend，andparableseem，inobediencetoadivinelaw，thenecessarysettingforthesetruths，astheyaresuccessivelyevolved，everinhigherandhigherforms。Whatmattersit，then，thatwehavecometoknowthattheaccountsofCreation，theFall，theDeluge，andmuchelseinoursacredbooks，wereremembrancesofloreobtainedfromtheChaldeans？WhatmattersitthatthebeautifulstoryofJosephisfoundtobeinpartderivedfromanEgyptianromance，ofwhichthehieroglyphsmaystillbeseen？WhatmattersitthatthestoryofDavidandGoliathispoetry；andthatSamson，likesomanymenofstrengthinotherreligions，isprobablyasun-myth？WhatmattersitthattheinculcationofhighdutyinthechildhoodoftheworldisembodiedinsuchquaintstoriesasthoseofJonahandBalaam？Themorewerealizethesefacts，thericherbecomesthatgreatbodyofliteraturebroughttogetherwithinthecoversoftheBible。WhatmattersitthatthosewhoincorporatedtheCreationloreofBabyloniaandotherOrientalnationsintothesacredbooksoftheHebrews，mixeditwiththeirownconceptionsanddeductions？WhatmattersitthatDarwinchangedthewholeaspectofourCreationmyths；thatLyellandhiscompeersplacedtheHebrewstoryofCreationandoftheDelugeofNoahamonglegends；thatCopernicusputanendtothestandingstillofthesunforJoshua；thatHalley，inpromulgatinghislawofcomets，putanendtothedoctrineof“signsandwonders“；thatPinel，inshowingthatallinsanityisphysicaldisease，relegatedtotherealmofmythologythewitchofEndorandallstoriesofdemoniacalpossession；thattheRev。
　　Dr。Schaff，andamultitudeofrecentChristiantravellersinPalestine，haveputintotherealmoflegendthestoryofLot’swifetransformedintoapillarofsalt；thattheanthropologists，byshowinghowmanhasriseneverywherefromlowandbrutalbeginnings，havedestroyedthewholetheologicaltheoryof“thefallofman“？Ourgreatbodyofsacredliteratureistherebyonlymademoreandmorevaluabletous：moreandmoreweseehowlongandpatientlytheforcesintheuniversewhichmakeforrighteousnesshavebeenactinginanduponmankindthroughtheonlyagenciesfittedforsuchworkintheearliestagesoftheworld——throughmyth，legend，parable，andpoem。