Father Antony, O.S.F.,' at St. Antony's, Forest Gate. Being himself a man of wide reading and philosophical acumen, gifted, moreover, with an unusual command of language and a fervid temperament, the German work lost nothing in his English reproduction of it. Indeed, the very title of the book as issued in this country displays the keenness of his personal advocacy, seeing that it is neither justified by the original nor by the facts involved. Die Welträthsel, as every schoolboy knows, does not signify in English 'The Riddle of the Universe.' With a view to popular impression, it is a very shrewd mistranslation. It assumes that Professor Haeckel is entirely justified in his assertion that only one comprehensive riddle of the universe now remains the problem of substance.' This, however, is not only a bald and bold affirmation without scientific warrant, but it is flatly contradicted by some of the most eminent expounders of modern science. Of these, by way of specimen, may be mentioned Professor Du Bois Reymond (whose wellknown Ignorabimus address, on the 'boundaries of natural knowledge,' is mentioned as influential by Professor Haeckel himself) and, in this country, Professor Sir Oliver Lodge, not to speak of a host of others whose authoritative words might easily be quoted. But they are not necessary, seeing that Professor Haeckel himself not merely retains the plural, Die Welträthsel, for his own latest popular editions, but in regard even to physical problemswhich form after all but a fractional part of the

'riddles' of our human existence-he himself acknowledges that the 'solution of these fundamental questions still lies as yet beyond the limits of our knowledge of nature, and we shall be obliged for a long time yet to come to content ourselves with an "ignoramus"-if not even with an "ignorabimus." The desire of the translator undoubtedly is to impress upon the mass of English readers that his master's monism has solved all riddles but one; and seeing that this one is not worth troubling about,1 nothing remains for the anxious inquirer but to accept such a monism and be content. This may do very well for the 'rationalist,' but it is far from satisfactory to the rational man." Nor do we need any other comment upon the unwarrantableness of this translator's presumptuous advocacy than his own words: 'There are, every biologist admits, scores of phenomena which are not as yet capable of explanation by mechanical forces.'' When these are explained, it will be time to begin to think of reducing all the other problems of being to one. Meanwhile the Monism for which this new convert so strenuously pleads is, to quote a favourite expression of his own, a philosophy of gaps.'

But to return to the time sequence of this latest

1 Riddle, p. 134. The cheap edition is quoted throughout.

2 Hereupon Professor Schoeler well says, Also nach Haeckel sind die Welträthselgelöst, und es giebt keine Probleme mehr! Difficile est satiram non scribere.'-Probleme kritische Studien über den Monismus (Leipzig: Engelman), Pref. p. vii.

Haeckel's Critics Answered, p. 111.

'rationalist' propaganda in the name of modern science. The eagerness of the advocacy which the accomplished translator condensed into a a wilful mistranslation naturally craved a wider channel for its expression. So, in the following year, we find Mr. McCabe flinging himself with dashing chivalry into the arena, as Haeckel's English champion, in the sixpenny brochure, published by the Rationalist Press Association, entitled Haeckel's Critics Answered. In this work all and sundry who have dared to express opinions contrary to the findings of the Jena professor, are summoned for rigorous inquisition, severely castigated, and contemptuously dismissed. It is exceedingly difficult to characterize this issue fairly, for the manifest ability and apparent sincerity with which its thorough-going atheism is set forth, are so commingled with petty personalities and brow-beating assumptions of infallibility, as to make it unique even in the annals of 'rationalism.' Its popular effectiveness will probably be great amongst the 'audience of uneducated persons' to which, as Sir Oliver Lodge rightly says, such philosophy must chiefly be acceptable.

In the latest popular edition of his work in Germany, Professor Haeckel adds a 'Nachwort' in which he summarizes the effect produced by his writings, and makes brief though pointed reference to Professors Paulsen, Adickes, Nippold, Loofs, and Dennert, as the leading opponents of his position. At the 1 Hibbert Journal, January, 1905, p. 273.

same time he reaffirms his former attitude with all

possible emphasis.1

Following closely upon this comes now another volume, bulkier even than its predecessor, and expressly intended by the author to be 'not only a necessary supplement to The Riddle, but at the same time my last philosophic work.' It is to be regarded as 'a final reply to opponents,' and 'a thorough exposition of my own monistic and causative system.' It is divided into four parts: '(1) Methodological section, knowledge of life; (2) Morphological section, nature of life: (3) Physiological section, functions of life; (4) Genealogical section, history of life.' These lead up to the final avowal that 'Every year increases my conviction that the dualism of Kant and the prevalent metaphysical school must give way to the monism of Goethe and the rising pantheistic tendency.' In the work as a whole, there cannot be said to be anything new; but it is a detailed elaboration, with a few noticeable additions, of the previous thesis. Thus it unhesitatingly affirms and seeks to prove that the human mind is nothing more than 'a function of the phronema'; it adopts the latest chemical suggestions as to the origin of life; reiterates the contemptuous distinction between Kant I andKant II;

Mr. McCabe is perfectly justified in affixing to his brochure a definite protest against the attempts made, by some Christian speakers and writers, to spread groundless reports concerning Haeckel's personal vacillation as to the validity of his own theories. Nothing is gained for the cause of Christian truth by such careless and unwarranted advocacy.

* Wonders of Life, p. 343, unabridged edition.

and concludes with two chapters in whichthe author's monism is further extolled at the expense of dualism.

Although Wonders of Life is said to be the author's last philosophic work, it does not represent the final effort to popularize his views, seeing that special efforts are being made to advertise a forthcoming translation of the new edition of Professor Haeckel's Anthropogenie. This is said to be 'a complete, comprehensive, and constructive presentment, in a popular form, of the now irresistible evidence for the evolution of man.' This, from the practised hands of the translator of The Riddle, will doubtless be an exceedingly able and attractive restatement of the whole grounds of Haeckel's doctrine of man.

Now, it stands to common sense that such a series of vigorous and skilfully directed efforts as is represented in the above summary, cannot be without effect. It is confessedly difficult to estimate, from our insular position, what is the real result of this 'monistic' campaign upon the Continent, although there would appear to be good reasons for thinking it by no means small. But in this country there. are only too good grounds for believing that the influence of the foregoing publications, is much more considerable than is usually acknowledged in Christian circles. It may be true that the majority of those who are actually identified with the Churches are

In a private note, Dr. Dennert, the accomplished author of Die Wahrheit über Ernst Haeckel und seine Welträtsel-a work well worthy of careful perusaf-says, 'Sein Einfluss bei jungen und kritiklosen Leuten ist in Deutschland leider sehr gross.' And this writer has certainly abundant opportunities for judging fairly.