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Mr。 Gladstone and Genesis
by Thomas Henry Huxley
In controversy； as in courtship； the good old rule to be off
with the old before one is on with the new； greatly commends
itself to my sense of expediency。 And； therefore； it appears to
me desirable that I should preface such observations as I may
have to offer upon the cloud of arguments （the relevancy of
which to the issue which I had ventured to raise is not always
obvious） put forth by Mr。 Gladstone in the January number of
this review； by an endeavour to make clear to such of our
readers as have not had the advantage of a forensic education
the present net result of the discussion。
I am quite aware that； in undertaking this task； I run all the
risks to which the man who presumes to deal judicially with his
own cause is liable。 But it is exactly because I do not shun
that risk； but； rather； earnestly desire to be judged by him who
cometh after me； provided that he has the knowledge and
impartiality appropriate to a judge； that I adopt my
present course。
In the article on 〃The Dawn of Creation and Worship；〃 it will be
remembered that Mr。 Gladstone unreservedly commits himself to
three propositions。 The first is that； according to the writer
of the Pentateuch； the 〃water…population；〃 the 〃air…population；〃
and the 〃land…population〃 of the globe were created
successively； in the order named。 In the second place； Mr。
Gladstone authoritatively asserts that this （as part of his
〃fourfold order〃） has been 〃so affirmed in our time by natural
science； that it may be taken as a demonstrated conclusion and
established fact。〃 In the third place； Mr。 Gladstone argues that
the fact of this coincidence of the pentateuchal story with the
results of modern investigation makes it 〃impossible to avoid
the conclusion； first； that either this writer was gifted with
faculties passing all human experience； or else his knowledge
was divine。〃 And having settled to his own satisfaction that the
first 〃branch of the alternative is truly nominal and unreal；〃
Mr。 Gladstone continues； 〃So stands the plea for a revelation of
truth from God； a plea only to be met by questioning its
possibility〃 （p。 697）。
I am a simple…minded person； wholly devoid of subtlety of
intellect； so that I willingly admit that there may be depths of
alternative meaning in these propositions out of all soundings
attainable by my poor plummet。 Still there are a good many
people who suffer under a like intellectual limitation； and； for
once in my life； I feel that I have the chance of attaining that
position of a representative of average opinion which appears to
be the modern ideal of a leader of men； when I make free
confession that； after turning the matter over in my mind； with
all the aid derived from a careful consideration of Mr。
Gladstone's reply； I cannot get away from my original conviction
that； if Mr。 Gladstone's second proposition can be shown to be
not merely inaccurate； but directly contradictory of facts known
to every one who is acquainted with the elements of natural
science； the third proposition collapses of itself。
And it was this conviction which led me to enter upon the
present discussion。 I fancied that if my respected clients； the
people of average opinion and capacity； could once be got
distinctly to conceive that Mr。 Gladstone's views as to the
proper method of dealing with grave and difficult scientific and
religious problems had permitted him to base a solemn 〃plea for
a revelation of truth from God〃 upon an error as to a matter of
fact； from which the intelligent perusal of a manual of
palaeontology would have saved him； I need not trouble myself to
occupy their time and attention ＇167＇ with further comments upon
his contribution to apologetic literature。 It is for others to
judge whether I have efficiently carried out my project or not。
It certainly does not count for much that I should be unable to
find any flaw in my own case； but I think it counts for a good
deal that Mr。 Gladstone appears to have been equally unable to
do so。 He does； indeed； make a great parade of authorities； and
I have the greatest respect for those authorities whom
Mr。 Gladstone mentions。 If he will get them to sign a joint
memorial to the effect that our present palaeontological
evidence proves that birds appeared before the 〃land…population〃
of terrestrial reptiles； I shall think it my duty to reconsider
my positionbut not till then。
It will be observed that I have cautiously used the word
〃appears〃 in referring to what seems to me to be absence of any
real answer to my criticisms in Mr。 Gladstone's reply。 For I
must honestly confess that； notwithstanding long and painful
strivings after clear insight； I am still uncertain whether Mr。
Gladstone's 〃Defence〃 means that the great 〃plea for a
revelation from God〃 is to be left to perish in the dialectic
desert； or whether it is to be withdrawn under the protection of
such skirmishers as are available for covering retreat。
In particular； the remarkable disquisition which covers pages 11
to 14 of Mr。 Gladstone's last contribution has greatly exercised
my mind。 Socrates is reported to have said of the works of
Heraclitus that he who attempted to comprehend them should be a
〃Delian swimmer；〃 but that； for his part； what he could
understand was so good that he was disposed to believe in the
excellence of that which he found unintelligible。
In endeavouring to make myself master of Mr。 Gladstone's meaning
in these pages； I have often been overcome by a feeling
analogous to that of Socrates； but not quite the same。
That which I do understand has appeared to me so very much the
reverse of good； that I have sometimes permitted myself to doubt
the value of that which I do not understand。
In this part of Mr。 Gladstone's reply； in fact； I find nothing
of which the bearing upon my arguments is clear to me； except
that which relates to the question whether reptiles； so far as
they are represented by tortoises and the great majority of
lizards and snakes； which are land animals； are creeping things
in the sense of the pentateuchal writer or not。
I have every respect for the singer of the Song of the Three
Children （whoever he may have been）； I desire to cast no shadow
of doubt upon； but； on the contrary； marvel at； the exactness of
Mr。 Gladstone's information as to the considerations which
〃affected the method of the Mosaic writer〃； nor do I venture to
doubt that the inconvenient intrusion of these contemptible
reptiles〃a family fallen from greatness〃 （p。 14）； a miserable
decayed aristocracy reduced to mere 〃skulkers about the earth〃
（ibid。）in consequence； apparently； of difficulties
about the occupation of land arising out of the earth…hunger of
their former serfs； the mammalsinto an apologetic argument；
which otherwise would run quite smoothly； is in every way to be
deprecated。 Still； the wretched creatures stand there；
importunately demanding notice； and； however different may be
the practice in that contentious atmosphere with which Mr。
Gladstone expresses and laments his familiarity； in the
atmosphere of science it really is of no avail whatever to shut
one's eyes to facts； or to try to bury them out of sight under a
tumulus of rhetoric。 That is my experience of the 〃Elysian
regions of Science；〃 wherein it is a pleasure to me to think
that a man of Mr。 Gladstone's intimate knowledge of English
life； during the last quarter of a century； believes my
philosophic existence to have been rounded off in
unbroken equanimity。
However reprehensible； and indeed contemptible； terrestrial
reptiles may be； the only question which appears to me to be
relevant to my argument is whether these creatures are or are
not comprised under the denomination of 〃everything that
creepeth upon the ground。〃
Mr。 Gladstone speaks of the author of the first chapter of
Genesis as 〃the Mosaic writer〃； I suppose； therefore； that he
will admit that it is equally proper to speak of the author of
Leviticus as the 〃Mosaic writer。〃 Whether such a phrase would be
used by any one who had an adequate conception of the assured
results of modern Biblical criticism is another matter； but； at
any rate； it cannot be denied that Leviticus has as much claim
to Mosaic authorship as Genesis。 Therefore； if one wants to know
the sense of a phrase used in Genesis； it will be well to see
what Leviticus has to say on the matter。 Hence； I commend the
following extract from the eleventh chapter of Leviticus to Mr。
Gladstone's serious attention：
And these are they which are unclean unto you among the creeping
things that creep upon the earth： the weasel； and the mouse； and
the great lizard after its kind； and the gecko； and the land
crocodile； and the sand…lizard； and the chameleon。 These are
they which are unclean to you among all that creep （v