l view of language, reads into
their utterances his own wishes, and then exclaims, "So singularly do
their labours confirm the literal truth of Scripture."

Two years later this contention was echoed from the American
Presbyterian Church, and Dr. B. W. Dwight, having stigmatized as
"infidels" those who had not incorporated into their science the literal
acceptance of Hebrew legend, declared that "chronology, ethnography,
and etymology have all been tortured in vain to make them contradict the
Mosaic account of the early history of man." Twelve years later this was
re-echoed from England. The Rev. Dr. Baylee, Principal of the College of
St. Aidan's, declared, "With regard to the varieties of human language,
the account of the confusion of tongues is receiving daily confirmation
by all the recent discoveries in comparative philology." So, too, in
the same year (1870), in the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland,
Dr. John Eadie, Professor of Biblical Literature and Exegesis, declared,
"Comparative philology has established the miracle of Babel."

A skill in theology and casuistry so exquisite as to contrive such
assertions, and a faith so robust as to accept them, certainly leave
nothing to be desired. But how baseless these contentions are is shown,
first, by the simple history of the attitude of the Church toward this
question; and, secondly, by the fact that comparative philology now
reveals beyond a doubt that not only is Hebrew not the original or
oldest language upon earth, but that it is not even the oldest form in
the Semitic group to which it belongs. To use the words of one of the
most eminent modern authorities, "It is now generally recognised that
in grammatical structure the Arabic preserves much more of the original
forms than either the Hebrew or Aramaic."

History, ethnology, and philology now combine inexorably to place the
account of the confusion of tongues and the dispersion of races at Babel
among the myths; but their work has not been merely destructive: more
and more strong are the grounds for belief in an evolution of language.

A very complete acceptance of the scientific doctrines has been made
by Archdeacon Farrar, Canon of Westminster. With a boldness which in an
earlier period might have cost him dear, and which merits praise even
now for its courage, he says: "For all reasoners except that portion of
the clergy who in all ages have been found among the bitterest enemies
of scientific disc