The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-11-30
For the Central Presbyterian.
The Theistic Argument as At
fected by Recent Theories. By
j. Lewis Diman. D, d.

MeSSrs. E'1itorS,-I have before me the
above work of the Rev. j. Lewis Diman,
late Professor of History and Political
Economy in Brown University. 1t con-
sists of course of lectures, twelve in
number, delivered at the Lowell Institute
in Boston, in the spring of 1880.
1t is not my purpose in this paper to
review the work of Prof. Diman; it was
published in the early part Of this year,
under the care of George P Fisher, of
New Haven, after the death Of the au-
thor; and my object in this article is to
call the attention of educated young men
to one of the most useful, learned, and
instructive works yet published in answer
to the dangerous and infdel tendencies
and doctrines of the Rationalists and their
more modern followers under the name
OF Agnostics; as well as of those who
strike with the feelings of infdelity at
the truth Of revelation under the sophis-
teal and unsound arguments of the per-
verted truths of the doctrine of evolution
The work of Prof. Diman is based on
profound, extensive, and accurate knowl-
edge, in all the physical departments of
science.
This enables him to overthrow with
the force of truth properly applied, the
false theories OF HUXLEY, Spencer, and
DGraOln in all their arguments derived
from misapplication of physical laws,
in relation to animal and vegetable growth
and development.
Prof. Diman has shown with great
clearness and learning, that there is no
argument derived from physical laws,
nor their application under any circum-
stances, that can be intelligently used to
sustain the infdel and unchrstian views
Of such writers as Huxley, Spencer, and
Darwin, and that class of philosophers
whose intellectual efforts are made not
to enlighten mankind in science and
Christian truths, but to pervert the minds
of the educated, and especially Of the
young students at our universities and
colleges, by misty clouds of infdelity
under misapplied views and facts in ply
steal science.
In the metaphysical and moral phil.
osophy arguments of the Rationalists from
Kant, down to Hegel, in his abstrac-
tions on the Philosophy of History, with
Mill, Spencer, Huxley, Darwin, Tyndall,
Froude, Goodwin Smith, Buckle, Comte,
Emerson, and others in the moral and
departments of science, as
well as in the physical, Prof Diman has,
by Just and logical use of the weapons
furnished by these eminent men, shown
that they not only did not know the pro-
per use to which their weapons should be
put, but by the true and dextrous exer-
else of them in his own hands, he has de-
molished every argument they used
against the force and truth of Christian
ity.
Prof Diman was educated for the
Christian ministry, and spent two years
in Germany under the instruction among
others, of Muller and Rothe, Erdmann,
Ulrici, and Trendelenburg.
1t will also be perceived from an ex-
Of the lectures under consid-
GRAFTON that the author not only studied
with care, but has presented some of the
excellent views of Janet, in his treatise
on Final Causes, as well as those of
Prof. Flint in his works on "Theism" and
e AntiTheistic Theories"
Prot Fisher, in his preface to Prof
Dimans lectures, says: 81 do not feel
that the book needs any apology. It'll
will be found to be distinguished from
most of the recent publications on the
subject by its freedom from technical Ian
guage, and by the luminous treatment
which IS fitted to commend it to the
favor Of thoughtful persons not specially
addicted to metaphysical reading. 1t is