[141]ForacomparisonbetweentheconductofItalianandEnglishecclesiasticsasregardsgeology，seeLyell，PrinciplesofGeology，tenthEnglishedition，vol。i，p。33。ForaphilosophicalstatementofreasonswhythestrugglewasmorebitterandtheattemptatdeceptivecompromisesmoreabsurdinEnglandthanelsewhere，seeMaury，L’AncienneAcademiedesSciences，secondedition，p。152。ForveryfrankconfessionsofthereasonswhytheCatholicChurchhasbecomemorecarefulinherdealingswithscience，seeRoberts，ThePontificalDecreesagainsttheEarth’sMovement，London，1885，especiallypp。94and132，133，andSt。GeorgeMivart’sarticleintheNineteenthCenturyforJuly1885。Thefirstofthesegentlemen，itmustnotbeforgotten，isaRomanCatholicclergymanandthesecondaneminentlaymanofthesameChurch，andbothadmitthatitwasthePope，speakingexcathedra，whoerredintheGalileocase；buttheirexplanationisthatGodallowedthePopeandChurchtofallintothisgrievouserror，whichhascostsodear，inordertoshowonceandforallthattheChurchhasnorighttodecidequestionsinScience。
Wehavealreadynotedthattherearegenerallythreeperiodsorphasesinatheologicalattackuponanyscience。Thefirstoftheseismarkedbythegeneraluseofscripturaltextsandstatementsagainstthenewscientificdoctrine；thethirdbyattemptsatcompromisebymeansoffar-fetchedreconciliationsoftextualstatementswithascertainedfact；butthesecondorintermediateperiodbetweenthesetwoisfrequentlymarkedbythepittingagainstscienceofsomegreatdoctrineintheology。Wesawthisinastronomy，whenBellarminandhisfollowersinsistedthatthescientificdoctrineoftheearthrevolvingaboutthesuniscontrarytothetheologicaldoctrineoftheincarnation。SonowagainstgeologyitwasurgedthatthescientificdoctrinethatfossilsrepresentanimalswhichdiedbeforeAdamcontradictsthetheologicaldoctrineofAdam’sfallandthestatementthat“deathenteredtheworldbysin。”
Inthissecondstageofthetheologicalstrugglewithgeology，Englandwasespeciallyfruitfulinchampionsoforthodoxy，firstamongwhommaybenamedThomasBurnet。Inthelastquarteroftheseventeenthcentury，justatthetimewhenNewton’sgreatdiscoverywasgiventotheworld，BurnetissuedhisSacredTheoryoftheEarth。Hispositionwascommanding；hewasaroyalchaplainandacabinetofficer。PlantinghimselfuponthefamoustextinthesecondepistleofPeter，[142]hedeclaresthatthefloodhaddestroyedtheoldandcreatedanewworld。TheNewtoniantheoryherefusestoaccept。Inhistheoryofthedelugehelayslessstressuponthe“openingofthewindowsofheaven“thanuponthe“breakingupofthefountainsofthegreatdeep。”Onthislatterpointhecomesforthwithgreatstrength。
Histheoryisthattheearthishollow，andfilledwithfluidlikeanegg。MixingtogethersundrytextsfromGenesisandfromthesecondepistleofPeter，thetheologicaldoctrineofthe“Fall。”anastronomicaltheoryregardingtheecliptic，andvariousnotionsadaptedfromDescartes，heinsistedthat，beforesinbroughtontheDeluge，theearthwasofperfectmathematicalform，smoothandbeautiful，“likeanegg。”withneitherseasnorislandsnorvalleysnorrocks，“withnotawrinkle，scar，orfracture。”andthatallcreationwasequallyperfect。
[142]SeeIIPeteriii，6。
InthesecondbookofhisgreatworkBurnetwentstillfurther。
AsinhisfirstbookhehadmixedhistextsofGenesisandSt。
PeterwithDescartes，henowmixedtheaccountoftheGardenofEdeninGenesiswithheathenlegendsofthegoldenage，andconcludedthatbeforethefloodtherewasoverthewholeearthperpetualspring，disturbedbynorainmoreseverethanthefallingofthedew。
Inadditiontohisothergroundsfordenyingtheearlierexistenceofthesea，heassignedthereasonthat，iftherehadbeenaseabeforetheDeluge，sinnerswouldhavelearnedtobuildships，andso，whentheDelugesetin，couldhavesavedthemselves。
Theworkwaswrittenwithmuchpower，andattracteduniversalattention。Itwastranslatedintovariouslanguages，andcalledforthamultitudeofsupportersandopponentsinallpartsofEurope。Strongmenroseagainstit，especiallyinEngland，andamongthemafewdignitariesoftheChurch；buttheChurchgenerallyhailedtheworkwithjoy。AddisonpraiseditinaLatinode，andfornearlyacenturyitexercisedastronginfluenceuponEuropeanfeeling，andaidedtoplantmoredeeplythaneverthetheologicalopinionthattheearthasnowexistingismerelyaruin；whereas，beforesinbroughtontheFlood，itwasbeautifulinits“egg-shapedform。”andfreefromeveryimperfection。
Afewyearslatercameanotherwriterofthehigheststanding——WilliamWhiston，professoratCambridge，whoin1696
publishedhisNewTheoryoftheEarth。UnlikeBurnet，heendeavouredtoavailhimselfoftheNewtonianidea，andbroughtin，toaidthegeologicalcatastrophecausedbyhumansin，acomet，whichbrokeopen“thefountainsofthegreatdeep。”
But，farmoreimportantthaneitherofthesechampions，therearoseintheeighteenthcentury，toaidinthesubjectionofsciencetotheology，threemenofextraordinarypower——JohnWesley，AdamClarke，andRichardWatson。Allthreeweremenofstrikingintellectualgifts，loftycharacter，andnoblepurpose，andthefirst-namedoneofthegreatestmeninEnglishhistory；
yetwefindthemingeologyhopelesslyfetteredbythemereletterofScripture，andbyatemporaryphaseintheology。Asinregardtowitchcraftandthedoctrineofcomets，soinregardtogeology，thistheologicalviewdrewWesleyintoenormouserror。[143]ThegreatdoctrinewhichWesley，Watson，Clarke，andtheircompeers，followingSt。Augustine，Bede，PeterLombard，andalonglineofthegreatestmindsintheuniversalChurch，thoughtitespeciallynecessarytoupholdagainstgeologistswas，thatdeathenteredtheworldbysin——bythefirsttransgressionofAdamandEve。TheextenttowhichthesupposednecessityofupholdingthisdoctrinecarriedWesleyseemsnowalmostbeyondbelief。BasinghistheologyonthedeclarationthattheAlmightyaftercreationfoundtheearthandallcreatedthings“verygood。”hedeclares，inhissermonontheCauseandCureofEarthquakes，thatnoonewhobelievestheScripturescandenythat“sinisthemoralcauseofearthquakes，whatevertheirnaturalcausemaybe。”Again，hedeclaresthatearthquakesarethe“effectofthatcursewhichwasbroughtupontheearthbytheoriginaltransgression。”BringingintoconnectionwithGenesisthedeclarationofSt。Paulthat“thewholecreationgroanethandtravailethtogetherinpainuntilnow。”hefindsadditionalscripturalproofthattheearthquakesweretheresultofAdam’sfall。Hedeclares，inhissermononGod’sApprobationofHisWorks，that“beforethesinofAdamtherewerenoagitationswithinthebowelsoftheearth，noviolentconvulsions，noconcussionsoftheearth，noearthquakes，butallwasunmovedasthepillarsofheaven。Therewerethennosuchthingsaseruptionsoffires；novolcanoesorburningmountains。”Ofcourse，asciencewhichshowedthatearthquakeshadbeeninoperationforagesbeforetheappearanceofmanontheplanet，andwhichshowed，also，thatthoseveryearthquakeswhichheconsideredascursesresultantupontheFallwerereallyblessings，producingthefissuresinwhichwefindtodaythosemineralveinssoessentialtomoderncivilization，wasentirelybeyondhiscomprehension。Heinsiststhatearthquakesare“God’sstrangeworksofjudgment，thepropereffectandpunishmentofsin。”
[143]Forhisstatementthat“thegivingupofwitchcraftisineffectthegivingupoftheBible。”seeWelsey’sJournal，1766-
’68。
So，too，astodeathandpain。InhissermonontheFallofManhetookthegroundthatdeathandpainenteredtheworldbyAdam’stransgression，insistingthatthecarnagenowgoingonamonganimalsistheresultofAdam’ssin。Speakingofthebirds，beasts，andinsects，hesaysthat，beforesinenteredtheworldbyAdam’sfall，“noneoftheseattemptedtodevourorinanywayhurtoneanother“；that“thespiderwasthenasharmlessastheflyanddidnotthenlieinwaitforblood。”Here，again，Wesleyarrayedhisearlyfollowersagainstgeology，whichreveals，inthefossilremainsofcarnivorousanimals，painanddeathcountlessagesbeforetheappearanceofman。Thehalf-digestedfragmentsofweakeranimalswithinthefossilizedbodiesofthestrongerhavedestroyedallWesley’sargumentsinbehalfofhisgreattheory。[144]
[144]SeeWesley’ssermononGod’sApprobationofHisWorks，partsxiandxii。
Dr。AdamClarkeheldsimilarviews。Heinsistedthatthornsandthistlesweregivenasacursetohumanlabour，onaccountofAdam’ssin，andappearedupontheearthforthefirsttimeafterAdam’sfall。So，too，RichardWatson，themostprolificwriterofthegreatevangelicalreformperiod，andtheauthoroftheInstitutes，thestandardtheologicaltreatiseontheevangelicalside，says，inachaptertreatingoftheFall，andespeciallyoftheserpentwhichtemptedEve：“Wehavenoreasonatalltobelievethattheanimalhadaserpentineforminanymodeordegreeuntilhistransformation。Thathewasthendegradedtoareptile，togouponhisbelly，imports，onthecontrary，anentirealterationandlossoftheoriginalform。”AllthatadmirableadjustmentoftheserpenttoitsenvironmentwhichdelightsnaturalistswastotheWesleyandivinesimplyanevilresultofthesinofAdamandEve。YethereagaingeologywasobligedtoconfronttheologyinrevealingthePYTHONintheEocene，agesbeforemanappeared。[145]
[145]SeeWestminsterReview，October，1870，articleonJohnWesley’sCosmogony，withcitationsfromWesley’sSermons，Watson’sInstitutesofTheology，AdamClarke’sCommentaryontheHolyScriptures，etc。
Theimmediateresultsofsuchteachingbysuchmenwastothrowmanywhowouldotherwisehaveresortedtoobservationandinvestigationbackuponscholasticmethods。Againreappearstheoldsystemofsolvingtheriddlebyphrases。In1733，Dr。
TheodoreArnoldurgedthetheoryof“models。”andinsistedthatfossilsresultfrom“infinitesimalparticlesbroughttogetherinthecreationtoformtheoutlineofallthecreaturesandobjectsuponandwithintheearth“；andArnold’sworkgainedwideacceptance。[146]
[146]SeecitationinMr。Ward’sarticle，asabove，p。390。
SuchwastheinfluenceofthissuccessionofgreatmenthattowardthecloseofthelastcenturytheEnglishopponentsofgeologyonbiblicalgroundsseemedlikelytosweepallbeforethem。Crampingourwholeinheritanceofsacredliteraturewithintherulesofahistoricalcompend，theyshowedtheterribledangersarisingfromtherevelationsofgeology，whichmaketheeartholderthanthesixthousandyearsrequiredbyArchbishopUsher’sinterpretationoftheOldTestament。Norwasthisfeelingconfinedtoecclesiastics。Williams，athoughtfullayman，declaredthatsuchresearchesledtoinfidelityandatheism，andare“nothinglessthantodeposetheAlmightyCreatoroftheuniversefromhisoffice。”ThepoetCowper，oneofthemildestofmen，wasalsorousedbythesedangers，andinhismostelaboratepoemwrote：
“SomedrillandboreThesolidearth，andfromthestratathereExtractaregister，bywhichwelearnThatHewhomadeit，andrevealeditsdateToMoses，wasmistakeninitsage！”
JohnHowardsummonedEnglandtooppose“thosescientificsystemswhicharecalculatedtotearupinthepublicmindeveryremainingattachmenttoChristianity。”
WiththisspecialattackupongeologicalsciencebymeansofthedogmaofAdam’sfall，themoregeneralattackbytheliteralinterpretationofthetextwascontinued。Thelegendaryhusksandrindsofoursacredbookswereinsisteduponasequallypreciousandnutritiouswiththegreatmoralandreligioustruthswhichtheyenvelop。Especiallypreciouswerethesixdays——each“theeveningandthemorning“——andtheexactstatementsastothetimewheneachpartofcreationcameintobeing。Tosavethese，thestrugglebecamemoreandmoredesperate。
Difficultasitistorealizeitnow，withinthememoryofmanynowlivingthebattlewasstillragingmostfiercelyinEngland，andbothkindsofartilleryusuallybroughtagainstanewsciencewereinfullplay，andfillingthecivilizedworldwiththeirroar。
Abouthalfacenturysince，theRev。J。MellorBrown，theRev。
HenryCole，andotherswerehurlingatallgeologistsalike，andespeciallyatsuchChristianscholarsasDr。BucklandandDeanConybeareandPyeSmithandProf。Sedgwick，theepithetsof“infidel。”“impugnerofthesacredrecord。”and“assailantofthevolumeofGod。”[147]
[147]Forthesecitations，seeLyell，PrinciplesofGeology，introduction。
Thefavouriteweaponoftheorthodoxpartywasthechargethatthegeologistswere“attackingthetruthofGod。”Theydeclaredgeology“notasubjectoflawfulinquiry。”denouncingitas“adarkart。”as“dangerousanddisreputable。”as“aforbiddenprovince。”as“infernalartillery。”andas“anawfulevasionofthetestimonyofrevelation。”[148]
[148]SeePyeSmith，D。D。，GeologyandScripture，pp。156，157，168，169。
Thisattempttoscaremenfromthesciencehavingfailed，variousothermeansweretaken。TosaynothingaboutEngland，itishumiliatingtohumannaturetoremembertheannoyances，andeventrials，towhichthepettiestandnarrowestofmensubjectedsuchChristianscholarsinourowncountryasBenjaminSillimanandEdwardHitchcockandLouisAgassiz。
ButitisadutyandapleasuretostateherethatonegreatChristianscholardidhonourtoreligionandtohimselfbyquietlyacceptingtheclaimsofscienceandmakingthebestofthem，despitealltheseclamours。ThismanwasNicholasWiseman，betterknownafterwardasCardinalWiseman。TheconductofthispillaroftheRomanCatholicChurchcontrastsadmirablywiththatoftimidProtestants，whowerefillingEnglandwithshrieksanddenunciations。[149]
[149]Wiseman，TwelveLecturesontheConnectionbetweenScienceandRevealedReligion，firstAmericanedition，NewYork，1837。
Astothecomparativeseverityofthestruggleregardingastronomy，geology，etc。，intheCatholicandProtestantcountries，seeLecky’sEnglandintheEighteenthCentury，chap。
ix，p。525。