Excerpt from Dr. Girardeau's Anti-Evolution: The Logic of His Reply

Encouraged by the friendly spirit of Dr. Girardeau's "Reply, " I make this second attempt. Thus may each of us promote, not only our mutual edification, but that of the Church at large, and by advancing her purity secure her peace, and at the same time give all due encouragement to sound learning, whether derived from the works or from the word of God. Let it be borne in mind, that both formerly and now, my attack is not against Dr. Girardeau - the logician - but against his logic , not his knowledge of the principles of logic, but his application of these principles, lie being not infallible. My argument, therefore, if it be in any sense a "torpedo1, (the Dr.'s simile), is intended not "for blowing up an argument and its "author, " but for blowing up the "argument, " and thereby saving the "author." To this task I address myself all the more cheerfully because, as I trust, both he and I desire to seek after, to know, and to "walk in the truth."

There arc many sources of error, such as prejudice, passion, sloth, and pride, even where the knowledge of the laws of Logic may be perfect. Logic is blind - it is "necessary" thinking - it must, if true to itself, go whithersoever its premises lead: it can only conclude from the given premises. If, therefore, the "Regulative" (or any other) faculty be at fault, whilst this would seriously cripple (not theoretically but practically) the success of the "Elaborative" faculty, still it would not necessarily prove the ignorance or even the false application of the rules of Logic. E. g., All men are quadrupeds, Cæsar is a man, therefore Caesar is a quadruped. Here the Logic is perfect, but the man who accepts the major premise would thereby prove that his Regulative faculty was sadly disjointed. Logic determines, in and of itself, not the truth or falsity of the premises, but the validity or invalidity of the conclusion. The insane reason logically: their regulative faculty is at fault, not their elaborative. Hence inconsistency is sometimes a proof of feigning insanity, and consistency a proof of real insanity.

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