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deprecated。 Still； the wretched creatures stand there；
importunately demanding notice； and； however different may be
the practice in that contentious atmosphere with which Mr。
Gladstone expresses and laments his familiarity； in the
atmosphere of science it really is of no avail whatever to shut
one's eyes to facts； or to try to bury them out of sight under a
tumulus of rhetoric。 That is my experience of the 〃Elysian
regions of Science；〃 wherein it is a pleasure to me to think
that a man of Mr。 Gladstone's intimate knowledge of English
life； during the last quarter of a century； believes my
philosophic existence to have been rounded off in
unbroken equanimity。
However reprehensible； and indeed contemptible； terrestrial
reptiles may be； the only question which appears to me to be
relevant to my argument is whether these creatures are or are
not comprised under the denomination of 〃everything that
creepeth upon the ground。〃
Mr。 Gladstone speaks of the author of the first chapter of
Genesis as 〃the Mosaic writer〃； I suppose； therefore； that he
will admit that it is equally proper to speak of the author of
Leviticus as the 〃Mosaic writer。〃 Whether such a phrase would be
used by any one who had an adequate conception of the assured
results of modern Biblical criticism is another matter； but； at
any rate； it cannot be denied that Leviticus has as much claim
to Mosaic authorship as Genesis。 Therefore； if one wants to know
the sense of a phrase used in Genesis； it will be well to see
what Leviticus has to say on the matter。 Hence； I commend the
following extract from the eleventh chapter of Leviticus to Mr。
Gladstone's serious attention：
And these are they which are unclean unto you among the creeping
things that creep upon the earth： the weasel； and the mouse； and
the great lizard after its kind； and the gecko； and the land
crocodile； and the sand…lizard； and the chameleon。 These are
they which are unclean to you among all that creep （v。 29…3l）。
The merest Sunday…school exegesis therefore suffices to prove
that when the 〃Mosaic writer〃 in Genesis i。 24 speaks of
〃creeping things；〃 he means to include lizards among them。
This being so； it is agreed； on all hands； that terrestrial
lizards； and other reptiles allied to lizards； occur in the
Permian strata。 It is further agreed that the Triassic strata
were deposited after these。 Moreover； it is well known that；
even if certain footprints are to be taken as unquestionable
evidence of the existence of birds； they are not known to occur
in rocks earlier than the Trias； while indubitable remains of
birds are to be met with only much later。 Hence it follows that
natural science does not 〃affirm〃 the statement that birds were
made on the fifth day； and 〃everything that creepeth on the
ground〃 on the sixth； on which Mr。 Gladstone rests his order；
for； as is shown by Leviticus； the 〃Mosaic writer〃 includes
lizards among his 〃creeping things。〃
Perhaps I have given myself superfluous trouble in the preceding
argument； for I find that Mr。 Gladstone is willing to assume （he
does not say to admit） that the statement in the text of Genesis
as to reptiles cannot 〃in all points be sustained〃 （p。 16）。 But
my position is that it cannot be sustained in any point； so
that； after all； it has perhaps been as well to go over the
evidence again。 And then Mr。 Gladstone proceeds as if nothing
had happened to tell us that
There remain great unshaken facts to be weighed。 First； the fact
that such a record should have been made at all。
As most peoples have their cosmogonies； this 〃fact〃 does not
strike me as having much value。
Secondly； the fact that； instead of dwelling in generalities； it
has placed itself under the severe conditions of a chronological
order reaching from the first nisus of chaotic matter to
the consummated production of a fair and goodly； a furnished and
a peopled world。
This 〃fact〃 can be regarded as of value only by ignoring the
fact demonstrated in my previous paper； that natural science
does not confirm the order asserted so far as living things are
concerned； and by upsetting a fact to be brought to light
presently； to wit； that； in regard to the rest of the
pentateuchal cosmogony； prudent science has very little to say
one way or the other。
Thirdly； the fact that its cosmogony seems； in the light of the
nineteenth century； to draw more and more of countenance from
the best natural philosophy。
I have already questioned the accuracy of this statement； and I
do not observe that mere repetition adds to its value。
And； fourthly； that it has described the successive origins of
the five great categories of present life with which human
experience was and is conversant； in that order which geological
authority confirms。
By comparison with a sentence on page 14； in which a fivefold
order is substituted for the 〃fourfold order；〃 on which the
〃plea for revelation〃 was originally founded； it appears that
these five categories are 〃plants； fishes； birds； mammals； and
man；〃 which； Mr。 Gladstone affirms； 〃are given to us in Genesis
in the order of succession in which they are also given by the
latest geological authorities。〃
I must venture to demur to this statement。 I showed； in my
previous paper； that there is no reason to doubt that the term
〃great sea monster〃 （used in Gen。 i。 21） includes the most
conspicuous of great sea animalsnamely； whales； dolphins；
porpoises； manatees； and dugongs； and； as these are
indubitable mammals； it is impossible to affirm that mammals
come after birds； which are said to have been created on the
same day。 Moreover； I pointed out that as these Cetacea and
Sirenia are certainly modified land animals； their existence
implies the antecedent existence of land mammals。
Furthermore； I have to remark that the term 〃fishes；〃 as used；
technically； in zoology； by no means covers all the moving
creatures that have life； which are bidden to 〃fill the waters
in the seas〃 （Gen。 i。 20…22。） Marine mollusks and crustacea；
echinoderms； corals； and foraminifera are not technically
fishes。 But they are abundant in the palaeozoic rocks； ages upon
ages older than those in which the first evidences of true
fishes appear。 And if； in a geological book； Mr。 Gladstone finds
the quite true statement that plants appeared before fishes； it
is only by a complete misunderstanding that he can be led to
imagine it serves his purpose。 As a matter of fact； at the
present moment； it is a question whether； on the bare evidence
afforded by fossils； the marine creeping thing or the marine
plant has the seniority。 No cautious palaeontologist would
express a decided opinion on the matter。 But； if we are to read
the pentateuchal statement as a scientific document （and； in
sp