SOME BOOKS OF. THE WEEK.
(Under this heading we no:ice such Books of the week as have not been reserved for review in other forms.]
Evolution. By Frank B. Jevons. (Methuen and Co. 8s. Gd.)— This volume, belonging to the series entitled "The Churchman's Library," appearing under the editorship of the Rev. J. H. Burn, contains a very able argument. Mr. Jevons retorts upon the scientific antagonists of theories of revelation what may be called the agnostic argument. " You speak," says the opponent to the believer, " about things that are really unknowable." " You do the same," answers the believer. "Nothing is really knowable." All scientific theories, for instance, demand as a postulate faith in the uniformity of Nature. But, says Mr. Jevons, for this uniformity of Nature there is really no evidence. Surely this is putting it very strongly. Possibly we do not quite take in what Mr. Jevons means, but when we can predict the very minute of an eclipse that is to happen a thousand years hence, there is some evidence for this uniformity. Generally, we should say that the argument bears too strong a resemblance to Dean Mansel's famous Bampton Lectures, an apology for belief which did not profit the cause for which it was urged. At the same time there is much force in Mr. Jevons's reasoning. But all these argu- ments convince us more and more that Theism is untenable, unless it is enforced by revelation. The physical past and future of man is an insoluble mystery, except indeed to the pessimist, unless it is illuminated by revelation.
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