, 1874-05-02

WHAT IS DARw1N1sMi ny cnAanEa HODGE,,
Princeton, n. J. 19mo., rp. 17a, New York: scrio-
ner, Armstrong Il Co.
Dr. Hodge haa maaa splendid preparation for
this contost aganHt the gseat advocate Of Natu~
raj Selection. He is an old and expert contro-
veraalist ind Iuows better than to plunge into
m argument Without previously exhausting
every means to make his ground teuablo, md
selccting such good and tried weapons "a will
enable him to mako IN honorable fight, and ut
laaat worry his antagonist, II ho do not worst
him. Ono can but respect wranglor who las
40 perfect comprehension Of tho tael boforo
him, and IL willing to put himself under the &C.
yoreat training in order to como up to II in
proper style. .....
DR.. Hodge had made up Ills mind that Darwin
ism Is Atheism, and that it WAS Ills duty to prove
1t 90. Ho therefore studied n1l tho testimony
on tho subject presented by tho authoritative
eoientists In England, Franco, aud Germany.
From the inaulonso mass Of dnta offored by them
bel has deduccd pretty strong evidence that, inde
fining the theory Of Natural So!eoton or Survival
Of tho Fttest, Mr. Darwin Inns denied tho existence
of dosign in the origin OF species. This La the
grand and fatal objection to tile theory. This
no considers tantamount to n denial Of God
Ia Nature, and honco ia Atheism. DR.. Hodge
frankly concedeg that Mr. Darwin repeatedly
and explicitly declares his faith In d Creator,
aud admits that ho Ia honest In the declaration.
It Is his theory that il Athaiatcal. ut sets the
Creator too far in tho background"
Dr.. Hodge designs to be courteous, fair, and
consistent In his statements; he we'll under
stands this Ia tho only conduct betltting
scholar aud Christian gentleman; !; but tho heat
Of his temper once in while gots tho better OF
him, nnd 6otrays him into contradictions, aud
somatbipg too much 1iko oa1unniatlon. For
example, he says, page las: at ia q fact so
far as our limited knowledge extends, that no
| one is willing to ,aoknowledgo himself, not
the Darwinian school, who ia not either Mato-
rlallst by profession, or dIHcipla OF Herbert
Spencer, or an adsocate Of the PHILOSOPHY, Of
, Hume :" Or, a 1i Plain words,-uasa directly elze-
Atheist III an ugly word, and men who profosa
belief In tho Creator, and are even church,
menhess, ,-aa Dr.. Hodge, In one p!aca, admits
| many Darwinists aro.-do not lilo to have 1t
thrust upon thom. II ipst!a q doubt OF tho
Christian charlty Of ono who fools froe to apply
such yory hard termH. Perhaps 1t iu Nh atone
ment that DR.. Hodge offora when no explains.
page 1T, aftor the assertion that Darwinlsm Ii
Athelhm ''Thia doos not mann, as before sald,
that Mr. Darwin himself and oil WHO adopt ILLS
views arc Atheiats;" but tho anlonde came too
late. Tho opposing statomonta are several times
repeated tn tho proRresa Of tho arEumont, yet
they fail to nontralize eAch other. Tue improa-
sion remains, TINT tho Doctor ia guilty OF Holt-
contradiction, and also Of want OF equity.
In tho opening Of ha book Dr.. Hodge quotas
from Horhors hpencer Whence our raco has
come, what aro tho limits Of our power oyor
Nature and Of NATURES power over us, 10 what
good are We tending, are tho problems which
present themselves nnew and with uutmnaletl
intoroBt to eyory mau born into tho wosld,''
and adla hirsolfs "hlr Darwin uuder-
takes to answer theao questions" Every
one who il familiar with hIr. Darwin
knows ho tloos not undertake to answor
moro than the tirat qunation, "Wlenoe our
raco has oome." Bnt farther OH, DR.. Hodge cor
reots himaolf, and says Of Darwin, Ho "a aim
stilful in bis descriptions, md aingularIy oandl