DARWINISM AND CHRISTIANITY.
[TO TEE EDITOR OF THE " SPECT ATOR:]
you allow me to call your attention to one sentence in your very interesting review of Professor Asa Gray's " Natural Science and Religion P"—" Still, we have to confront the unquestionable fact that almost every thinker of eminence who has accepted Darwinism has rejected Christianity, and even Theism." There is room for doubt as to who would be in- cluded by your reviewer in the term "thinker of eminence ;" but, as far as regards naturalists of eminence, I venture to ex- press an opinion that so far from the " fact " being unquestion- able, the statement of your reviewer is very wide of the mark. It would be invidious to name those who are still living, and "Darwinism " is still too young for many of its apostles to have as yet passed from us; but among Darwinian Christians and thinkers, the name of Charles Kingsley naturally rises in one's thoughts. Indeed, among the most eminent English botanists, all of whom have accepted " Darwinism," I do not think there is one to whom your reviewer's remark would be more ap- plicable than it would have been to the great American botanist whose work he is reviewing. While every one who admires fear- lessness in the pursuit of truth and a divine humility of mind, combined with the most acute reasoning powers, is mourning by the grave of our loved and revered teacher, is not the time to at- tempt to estimate his influence on the history of thought ; but, at least, it is the time to protest against the assumption that his teachings are opposed to belief in God, or even in Christianity. —I am, Sir, &c.,
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