Sir John Lubbock, in a graceful speech, referred to the
loss sustained by all learned bodies, and one the grievous character of which had been specially recognised by the Convocation of the- University of London, in the death of Mr. Darwin ; and he con- trasted, as we ourselves did, the universal reverence paid re- cently to his great name with the feeling which, only ten years- ago, the same event would certainly have elicited. At the same time, Sir John Lubbock went, we think, a little farther than the truth, when he spoke of the writings of Darwin as inspired by a reverence " which was truly religious in the highest sense of the word." There at least we cannot follow him. Mr. Darwin's writings were inspired by a manly and simple love of the very truth of fact, which we quite admit to be reverent and religious, for every revolt of the mind against Creation's actual laws, as though it could be more religious to disguise them from ourselves, than to recognise them, is clearly wanting in reverence. That we heartily admit. But we deny that the calm and painstaking investigation of all facts is neces- sarily religious " in the highest sense of the word." The highest sense of the word "religious " has reference to a class of facts with which Mr. Darwin probably concerned himself very little, and of his interest in which, at all events, his writings bear little trace. We ought not to confound that true science which is only religious because it is sincere enough to ignore nothing actual in the Universe, with that religion which is religion " in the highest sense of the word," since it dwells chiefly on those highest aspects of history, life, and character, that inspire men with veneration, and move them to worship.
Previous page
