The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-11-08
whereby we may reckon up the millen-
nfums which cover the life OF man in
Europe.

Europe.
7.
II Is no great feat OF memory TO recall
the period when this and other truisms
OF science were the battle ground of
polemics. We regard ourselves az
scarcely more than mature. by no means
old, who remember when we listened 20
the Mortified debate OF our elders who
found in the revolutionary tendencies
OF science direct assault delivered
upon faith, when after some fashion we
felt that II was impossible to be scen-
tidc and to be good. II seemed to
be diabolic malice that the worst
blows addressed upon the Westminster
Confession and its Shorter Catechism
with proofs annexed came from Scot
land, the very home OF that doctrine.
First there was Hugh Miller, a gentle
cracker OF rocks and always timorous
Of upsetting revealed religion, struggling
To reconcile the positive proof of the
fossil with his revered religious text.
| Finally no compromised in the rev
| erential title OF Footprints Of the Crca-
tor. or tho Asterolepis OF Stromness."
and that was only sixty-seven years
ago. Compromise was generously met
half way. theology revised its knowl
edge OF the Hebrew and decided that
the days OF the six days Of creation
might he quite as satisfactorily rendered
periods.
Next came Geiltie IN 1874 with thi. at
tack upon the sixth day OF creation. for
he offered the proof that the antiquity
OF man might be measured by something
! like 100000 years. The pulpit knew the
uncertainty OF the chronology of the
| Scriptures, but faith in the pew went
| aghast when II turned to the first chap
ter OF Genesis and found Adam dated
r. G. 1904. IL had gone hard with faith
( to give up the less important things OF
creation, TO accept the agility Of the
/ spiritual pastors and masters in Jump
/ ing to the translation OF days by periods.
but these minor things. after all. were
| but vegetables and animals. But Adam
and Eve were different matter. the
| whole plan 81 salvation seemed To de-
| pend upon tho unfortunate habits OF tho
/ FIRST parents Of mankind. II was impos-
sihle to sacrifice the wretched cXles
. from Paradise. The FIRST thing To 70
was the marginal chronology in the
/ Bibles, yet TO many II was a decide
| wrench to learn that II. G. 40O4 was not
revelation but tho work ~ Archbishop
/ FISHER and he no older than Sir Walter
| Raleigh. Next came n compromise Of
fered by faith. Finding that tho evil
| dence Of anthropology as presented by
Geikls could not he controverted II be-
came necessary 10 establish the prehla-
tory Of man in such fashion that Il
would not upset revelation. as revelation
was comprehended. n was Just about
this period that apologies for .gion
and apologies for knowledge engaged
the earnest effort OF our best lntelli-
gences. as witness Diapers History OF
the Conflict Between Religion and
Science which was considered the fore
most work Of American scholarship In
tho very year OF Geikie's studies OF the
Ice. A race OF preadamites was pro-
posed. race consensually quite as re-
mote from the scheme OF morals az
their domestic nammoths. and they
spent unoonsidered lives in providing re-
mains for the biologists TO discover.
their highest purpose the supply OF
specimens" The compromise was all
the more readily acceptable to faith by
reason OF the ease with which II pro-
vided Cain with a wife In the land OF
Nod. for parthenogenesis. even II II had
tltn DttH discovered, obviously CoulO
not he made to apply.
This epoch making study OF the pre-
historic man OF Europe appeared just
forty years ago. In the following space
of little more than generation the
science OF prehistory has become so
firmly established that the author OF
tho tentative proposal In 1874 80 able
IN 1914 20 take that which was sec
, ondary in his title forty years ago and
make II the whole title OF to-day. In
any work OF science Il is as rare as Il
must he delightful TO survey the theme
after all the winds OF controversy have
blown themselves out and 20 rcstate
with full confidence that which with
/ fear and trembling was offered with
hesitation and fear Of contradiction
This has been the pleasure Of DIR. Geillie
in these Munro lectures.