New-York tribune., 1877-10-26

les OF physical science and the depths OF srecuIa-
tive. philosophy familiar 10 his mind as the
ToetIy OF the Ncw-Engaud Primer OF the prose "l
, the AssemIly's Catechlsm. Tuis mass oi UNI
vcTsal knowledge is tempered and soitened ny
the benign Influence Of radiant imagination.
lie SO dcfily combines taucics and facts IN
his sparkling discourse, that you arc at a
loss TO determine whether you are listening to the
dreams Of poet or the reasonincs of philosopher
The strength Of his argument is ofteu concealed bya
uXurauce OF flowers but doubtless the edge oi the
sword is not hunted by the wrcaths that adorn the
hilt Mr.C Cooks style, indeed s model Of cNubeF-
ant. ORIGINAL aud sIi ing imagery, and II Is rare
that the truths Of science and the ducilons ol
philosophy are set forth with such seductive elo-
ouencc. such pomp and glory and goreeousness oi
nacmdccut language. Happily however the in-
toerahle speudogs OF his di"tlou are relieved az lc
Qucn intervals by passages of skeleton IKE anaNs's'
which present the doctrines under discussion with
tie CHASTITY dryness of the bones in a disse-lng
ROOM A single example taken at random viii afford
fair Illustration Of this felcitous anatomical
method -
Popiasm, Otherwise called Protopasm, or eermin"l
matcrI Is tspa ent % cluri ss; 3, Niscid or glue
Ike; 4. uudoI uc highest ulcl scpr,a powero is az
par nti} sliuc ufelcss - 'NlDs Ihse chit,'t4s "3
every period o. hs tAii' nee o. SHOWS ite' uhuot I
the tests known 10 pul ~lc eci,ht u ue .'e Sno .I
the animal aud in the plant IN ue spoute ma lh ho
brain: :, is capable 0f tnrohbu- movements, o. ol
4 lr o.
:. Is can"ie o. recub ear m'vcmtnis y cNtclt so
many movements, that tae me prUoaoly never twice
ITS nfo assumes tie same loiu.
And so on taroucb twenty-five additional items
in the formidable bli of particulars.
The first chapter of the work is devoted, in part,
to the demolition of Professor Huxlcy's theory Of
Bathyblus. THIS eeaGnous substance, according to
Huxley found IN tue oozc Of deep sea-beds, is sheet
of living matter extending around the glooe, and rep
rcsents masses of protopla>m. Bu,, as Mr. Cook al
leges the views OF Professor Huxley received no
support nom eminent mcro,copsts and p'iyoioio-
clsts. as DrCarpcuter DrWallca, and Lisnel Beale,
and were effectively set aside 10y the results ot
tie deeI-sca souudings of the exploring ship Cha-
.ci ger. "Atpresent Batuybus is scientific myth
and q by-,yord of dcrsion" Even Huxley himself
has left Baty ybius to sake place with other ghosts
ofnot blessed memory in tie history of haSty specna
ton" Bu Huxley argues Mr.. Cook, coniradics hlih-
self IN still maintaining the existence o. geia.iH"us
mass as the universal foundation Of life. In spite
OF the discoveries IN the Bay OF BlScay ana Ibe
Adratic bv the ChaileuCcrl, he still persists 10 the
views diSclaim,d in his " forced recantaton Bat
his position is contradictory and ne fails 10 show by
the fact of living gear1oI matter the passage by
eyolutiou from the inorganic to the organic or ON
the lfcleSs TO tie living forms OF matter The aTgu-
ment of Mr.. Ccok would have been more satisfactory
if ne had presented the alleged tecautation of Pro-
fessor Huxley in his words and thus enabled the
reader 10 decide upon the charaCtcraud extent OF the
pctened contradiction. This he has failed 10 do and
actually leaves the position of Huxley SO lar as the
reader of the present volume Is concerned, mere
matter Of gueSsworK. Bat whatever may be SAID
of the consistency Of Prof. Huxley, MIR. Cook re-
CARDS Che demolition of his theory Il settled fact
and shouts over the damaged remains of Bathybins
with tbe glee Of prize-6ghter who has drawn the
a.. lig trim 1u q
dlrhyramlic: "Bathybius has been discovered in
1879 by the snip Challenger 20 be-hear, o heay-
ems! and give ear, O earth !-sulphate of lime, and
when dissolved, il crystazes as gypsum
In spite of Mr.. Cooks iubatOn over the demise
If Bathybus il is strange enough that he still adj
heres to Protoplasm, or BiopIasm, he prefers 10
call it, and in common with Pfolcs or Huxley, ac-
cepts itas the physical basis OF Ite II is of little adj
vantage to exercise the monster BIhynus, when
an equally terrible monster BIoplasm, is inst lied in
ITS place But tins is precisely what is done 10y Mr.
Cook As defined by him, Bioplasn is the ger
minA substance which has tine power Of transmit
ing non-liying INTO living matter, aud of
movement, of decentralization, and Of pro-
ducing formed material he relation OF the
two substances Bathvbius and BI0plasm, to natural
theology would appear to be the same, and if the
existence of the former is pcrous to religion. that
of the latter is no less So in spite of Mr.. Cooks
assertion to the contrary. Indeed Mr.. Cooks theory
of natural religion is not OF the least remarkable
features Of ms volume. In his views o! the relation
of God to the Universe he reprOduces the philosophy
Of Spinoza in almost his very words, although with
the suggestion OF additions, which would relieve the
theory Of its Objectionable character. Matter"
saws Mr.. Cook. rs an eifugence of the Divine
Nature, and 50 is all finite mind, and thus the Uni
verse is one in Its present ground of existence, and
IN fbe first causc" Although He, whom we
dare not name transcends all natural laws,
THEY ARE, THROUGH HIS IMMANENCF, LITERALLY,
COP. who was and is and is to come" Again, Mr.
Cook afiirms: According 10 scientific Theism, we
are equally sure of the DIVINE iMMANENCY IN ALL
NATURE, and of the Divine Iranscendency beyond
itD But the Divine Immanency III all Nature Is the
essence of SpinOza's doctrine; the assertion that
NATURAL LAW IS GOD, who was, and is, and Is TO
come" Is derived from the same source and neither
is incompatible with the affirmation of Christian
Theism that God, movable. but unfathomable,
incomprchensiblc, but not unapprehensbe, billows
away beyond ali that we call minutes and eterntos
as light beyond the rainbow"
EonaIlv remarkable is Mr.. Cooks attempt 10
move the difficulties alleged concerning the mirac
ulous conception Of Christ, by reducing It within
the limits Of natural law Referring to the examples
in natural history, which show that silk-worms
have been raised from the eggs of virgin moth,
that among honey bees droue is Matched from the
unfructiied egg of the queen, and that perfect in
dividuals may be vircuay born i'll the higher forms
of life, Mr. Cook afrms that the law of birth from
the union Of two parents is not universal, and thus
we have the teachings science concerning
miraculous conception. 1t viii not be thought, We
presume, by sound theologians, that the author
has done service to the cause of religion
bv exul1iniuC the conception of Christ On the