The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-01-22

existence OF a God. I think that generally
land more and more ~ I grow older. but not
always, that an aRnostic would be the more
correct description OF my state OF mind
Darwin seems to have shrunk from wounding
the sensibllitios Of others In religious matters.
and no was also influenced BY the conscious
ness that q man ought not to publish on a
subject to which he has not given special and
continuous thought. That he felt this caution
to apply to himself In the matter OF religion is
shown in a letter to DR.. F. L. Abbott OF Cam
bridge, United States. After explaining that
the weakness arising from bad health pre-
vsnted him from feeling equal to deep re-
Election ON the deepest subject which can I'LL q
mans mind.' he goea on to say: with re-
spect to my former notes to you. / quite forget
their contents. Ihave to write many letters.
and can reflect but little on what l write; but
l fully believe and hope that l have never
written a word which ut the time l did not
think: but l think you will agree with me that
anything which IL to be given to tho public
ought to tie materially weighed and cautiously
put" What follows Is from another letter to
DR.. Abbott. in which Darwin gives more fully
his reasons for not feeling competent to write
on religious and moral subjects: Il can say
with entire truth that I feel honored by your
request that l should become a contributor to
tho Inder, but I cannot comply with your rr
quest for the following reasons and excuse mo
for giving them in some detail. as l should DO
very sorry to appear In your eyes unCrarlous.
| Ny health ia very weak. never pass twenty
four hours without many hours OF discomfort.
when I can do nothing whatever. Owing to
this weakness and my head being often giddy.
I am unable to master new subjects requiring
much thought. and can deal only with old
material. At no time am l O quick thinker or
writer; whatever I have done in science has
solely been BY long pondering. patience. and
industry. Now. l have never systematicaliy
thought much on religion in relation TO
science. or on morals In relation 10 society;
and. without steadily keeping my mind on
such subjects for a long period. l am really
incapable OF writing anything worth sending
to tho IndeI." Nevertheless. lie had. as a rule.
no objection to giving his views on religion In
n private letter. Thus. in answer to Il Dutch
student. he wrote April 2. 1879: Il am
sure you will excuse my writing at length.
whom l tell you l have long been out OF health
and an now staying nway from my home for
rest. 1t is impossible to answer your question
briefly. and | am not sure that l could do SO
even IL 1 wrote at some length. But l mny say
that the impossibility Of coneeiring that this
grand and wondrous universe with our con-
scious selves arose through chance, seems to
mo tho chief argument for the existence OF
God: but whether. this is m argument of renl
value l have nevor been able to decide. Lam
aware TINT II we admit a first cause the mind
still Graves to know whence it came and how
1t arose. Nor can l overlook the difficulty from
the immense amount OF suffering through the
world. / am. on the other hand. induced to de-
fer to q certain extcnt to tho Judgment OF the
many able men who have fully believed In
God: but here again l see how poor an arGu-
ment this is. The safest conclusion seems
to mo that the subject Is beyond the scope OF
...,s, ;at,lIn,t. Ink ma N on n din his Auty'
In 1870. when Darwin was applied to br a
German student in II similar manner. he
answered: Il am much engaged. an old man.
and out OF health. and l cannot spare time to
answe your questions fully. nor. indeed. can
they be answered. Science hns nothing to do
with Christ. except in SO far Ms the habit OF
scientific research makes a man cautious in
admitting evidence. For myself. l do not be-
lieve that there ever has been my revelation.
As for r future life. every man must Judge for
himsolf between conflicting probabilities"
".
The compiler OF this biography aprends GER
tain extracts not heretofore printed from OAR
wins autobiography. but written In 1876. In
which his father gives up to that time the
history Of his religious views: During these
two years October. 1885. to January. 1882 I
was led to think much about religion. Whilst
on board the Beagle I was quito orthodox. and
remember being heartily laughed at by sew
eral OF the officers. though themselves ortho-
dox. for quoting the Bible us an unanswerabls
authority on some point OF morality. l had
gradually come ny this time to see that tho
Old Testament was no more to be trust
ed than tho sacred books OF the Hin
docs. The question then continual rose
before my mind. and would not be ban
ished. is it credible that II God were now
to mako a revelation to the Hindoos he would
permit 1t to be connected with tho belief in
Vishnu. silva. &C.. as Christianity ia connected
with the Old Testament? This appeared to
me utterly incredible. By further rejecting
that the clearest evidence would be requisite
to make any sane nan believe in the miracles
by which Christianity Ia supported. and that
the moro we know Of the fixed law OF nature
tho more incredible do miracles becomes: that
tho men Of that time were ignorant and credu-
lous to n degree almost ircomprehensible to
us: that tho Gospels cannot be proved to have
been written sim ltaneously with the events:
that they differ in many important details. far
toe important to be admitted rs the usual
inaccuracies OF eyewi.nesses: ty such refiec-
lions rs these. / gradually came 10 dishelievo
in Christianity MS r divine revelation. Tho fact
that many false religions have spread over
large portions OF tho earth like wildQre had
some weight with me. But" adds Darwin.
II was very unwilling to give up my belief.
feel sure OF this. for I can we'll remember
often and often inventinE day dreams OF old
letters between distinguished Romans and
manuscripts being discovered at PompeiI or
elsewhere which confirmed in the most strik-
ing piannor all Tint was written 10 the Gospel.
But l found it more and more difficult. with
free scope given to my Imagination. to invent
evidence which would suffice to convince me.
Thus unbelief crept over mo ut n very slow