think it is unquestionable that,
upon the basis of this belief, the assumption is legitimate. That is to
say, if we start with the belief that all species of plants and animals
were originally introduced to the complex conditions of their several
environments suddenly and ready made (in some such manner as watches are
turned out from a manufactory), then I think we are reasonably entitled
to assume that no conceivable cause, other than that of intelligent
purpose, could possibly be assigned in explanation of the effects. It
is, of course, needless to observe that in so far as this previous
belief in special creation was thus allowed to affect the argument from
design, that argument became an instance of circular reasoning. And it
is, perhaps, equally needless to observe that the mere fact of
evolution, as distinguished from special creation--or of the gradual
development of living mechanisms, as distinguished from their sudden
and ready-made apparition--would not in any way affect the argument from
design, unless it could be shown that the process of evolution admits
the possibility of some other cause which is not admitted by the
hypothesis of special creation. But this is precisely what is shown by
the theory of evolution as propounded by Darwin. That is to say, the
theory of the gradual development of living mechanisms propounded by
Darwin, is something more than a theory of gradual development as
distinguished from sudden creation. It is this, but it is also a theory
of a purely scientific kind which seeks to explain the purely physical
causes of that development. And this is the point where natural science
begins to exert her influence upon natural theology--or the point where
the theory of evolution begins to affect the theory of design. As this
is a most important part of our subject, and one upon which an
extraordinary amount of confusion at the present time prevails, I shall
in my next paper carefully consider it in all its bearings.
FOOTNOTES:
[19] [The third paper is not published because Romanes' views on the
relation between science and faith in Revealed Religion are better and
more maturely expressed in the Notes.--ED.]
[20] To avoid misunderstanding I may observe that in the above
definitions I am considering Religion and Science under the conditions
in which they actually exist. It is conceivable that under other
conditions these two departments of thought might not be so sharply
separated. Thus,
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