New-York tribune., 1894-10-09
MR.. HUXLEYS ESSAYS
NO ATTACK ON THE BIBLE-NO HArp..
OF CHRIsTrANITY-THE REAL Ann
THE ECCLESIASTICAL MOsEs-run
III

London. September n
Mr.. Huxley now repuhshes all the nan..
which he has contributed 10 the so-called 49,.
troversy between Science and Religion rh-
Is. perhaps, no book If his from which 49,.
antagonsm woul6 be thought by Church,..-
OF a generation ago. absent Two OF the pre....
volumes are entirely occupied with discuss,.~
In which theology and Biblical criticism hav.
foremost place. TIE two are Science and u.
brew Tradition" and Science and Chri.,..
Tradition" The Preface to this last !,
remarkable. In IT he meets once for all ~.
charge Of having ne cut Of his way to alta,
the Bible and tho charge OF hatred Of Christ,,
ty.' He denies both. AS to the latter 4.
draws just distinction between Chrstian,,.
and some OF the organization which call than,
selves Christian. Though they have peryer..
and disfigured the Christian religion ou. ~ an
likeness to the original" As to the Bible ~.
WAS the dominant ecclesiastcism Of my ea,,
days. which. as believe. without any warr.,.
from the Bible itself. thrust the book in M,
way" And he explains his meaning and IA.
course he followed oy the following metaphor:
had set out Oh journey with no other nm,
pose than that Of explOring n certain proyncs
of natural knowledge; strayed no hairs breadM
from the cause which II was my right and nv
duty TO pursue: and yet found that whateys,
i L "A
formidableooking fence. Confident as msh,
be in the existence Of an ancient and indefeasiN.
right Of way, before me stood the thorny barrier
with Its comminatory notice-board-"No Tho.
oughfare. BY Order. Moses" There seemed
way over; nor did the prospect Of creepns
round. as | saw some do. attract me- True
there was no longer any cause 10 fear the sprns
guns and mantraps So, by former lords Of th
manor; but one is apt TO get very dirty going On
all-fours The only alternatives were either "A
give up my journey-which I was not minded
TO door 10 breal the fence down and 70
through it.
Hence those inquiries irtO the origin and true
extent OF the authority of Moses. and into I'll.
pretensons Of the ecclesiastical Moses to exercis.
control over the operations Of the reasoning
faculty in the search after truth. thirty cenuris,
after his age" Hence his discovery that Moses
is responsible for nine-tonths Of the Pent,.
teuch. and that the fence "a heap
dry sticks and brushw Jod and might walk
through it with impunity" THE which did"
adds Mr.. Huxley clearing a way. II were al
this rubbish with sweep Of his pen. That n
the heat Of youth and u the contest he may
have used strong language. ne admits but he
lets 1t al, stand. nearly all. II is part q the
history OF the time. and n. VIII not now shrink
from his responsibilities. The less so since scien.
tlnc criticism Of the Old Testament since lsn
estimate Of the authority Of Moses TIe is mind.
full. also. Of the desperate attempt set atoot
to force biblical and post biblical mythology into
elementary obstruction" and this he desires u
counteract. 50 as 10 the existence cf the demon.
illogical world which he regards as the basis Of
primitive Christianity. and inextricably inter.
woven with the narrative Of the gospels. To hin
/, IS a quester Of evidence whether such q
world does or ever did xist. and the evidence 70
wanting The demonology of primitive Christi.
an!;y IL totally devoid of foundation: and he
aiirms that no man who ir guided by the rules
OF investigation which found TO lead TO the
discovery Of truth In other matters. not merely
of science but in the everyday affairs 4 lie
will arrive at any other conclusion"
Bbolatry in short. Is thing against With
the man Of science still protests vehemen,y.
The essays on Science and Hebrew Tradition"
are al! 50 many separate protests against
T. Yet Mr.. Huxley Is q opinion thu,
the doctrine II biblical iTalibll.;y. ORE
widely held and ST., defended by many
persons II unimpeachable p.ety. fey
~ learning and even some of intelligence can
hardly now produce a chamcion whose comrs.
tency and authority would be recognized beyonf
the limits # the sect or theological coter!e 70
which he belongs The doctrine of plenary In.
spiratlon has giver place to a doctrine Z In
splrati1n with limited liability" and the INIT
is "susreptible Of indefinite fuctuat.on in corre-
sponlerce with the demands II scientific crit.
clsrn" The pretenson to infa,iibiliiy in book
Is t. Mr.. Huxley the most mischievous y all
ecclesiastical pretensions Churches ard schools
If theology may retreat from positions that have
become untenable. while the dead hand Of .
book sets and stinens an ia 'exts ani fornulae
until IT becomes mere petrifaction." And
finally. We have this wide-reaching generaliza'
ton
Wherever biblioiatry has prevailed bigory ana
cruelty have accompanied II IL Hes AZ the root
~ the deep-seated sometimes disguised. but
never absent. antagOnism oF all the varieties d
ecclesiasticism 10 the freedom Of thought ana %
the spirit Of scientific investigation. For tnose
who look upon ignorance as one OF the chlef
sources II evil and hold veracty. NOT merely N
act but in thought. e BE- the one condition OF
true progress. whether moral or intellectual.
is clear that the biblical idol must go the wey
of all other Idols.
II may be- from these and other passages
what Mr. Huxley's attitude To Christianity and
To- the Bible and to the religious world In gen.
eral really Is Not certainly one OF hatred or OF
irreconcilabe hostility but rather one Of inquiry
Of criticism II need be. and of refusal 10 aS
cept authority. no matter whose. IN place OF {"
dence. over and over again You ind him re-
fusing 10 deny what many men OF less ludlcia'
minds deny but holding the balance even; walt
ing with more less patience for evidence 70
put in one scale the other. This Is. IN ohs
sense a negative attitude. oIt the believer VINO
demands positive statements will not rnd the"
wanting He will. In any case. II he reads wn
an open mind. md everywhere plenty of e'r
dence not only Of the purely scientific spirit III
which Mr. Huxley approache" these mixed que@
tions but OF the morality which Is an essen'i"
part Of his nature In the Preface 10 "Scieh"
and Christian Tradition" he quotes a long eS
tract from Strauss Der alte und der hew
Claude" strauss name is enough TO maA.
many a pous soul turn away In horror pu'
he can control himself so far as TO read wn''
that "protagons; OF the New Reformation ="