duced all these varieties, what might be accomplished on the
boundless scale of nature, during the measureless ages of the geologic
periods.

Secondly, he uses the word natural as antithetical to supernatural.
Natural selection is a selection made by natural laws, working without
intention and design. It is, therefore, opposed not only to artificial
selection, which is made by the wisdom and skill of man to accomplish a
given purpose, but also to supernatural selection, which means either a
selection originally intended by a power higher than nature; or which is
carried out by such power. In using the expression Natural Selection,
Mr. Darwin intends to exclude design, or final causes. All the changes
in structure, instinct, or intelligence, in the plants or animals,
including man, descended from the primordial germ, or animalcule, have
been brought about by unintelligent physical causes. On this point he
leaves us in no doubt. He defines nature to be "the aggregate action and
product of natural laws; and laws are the sequence of events as
ascertained by us." It had been objected that he often uses teleological
language, speaking of purpose, intention, contrivance, adaptation, etc.
In answer to this objection, he says: "It has been said, that I speak of
natural selection as a power or deity; but who objects to an author
speaking of the attraction of gravity as ruling the movements of the
planet?" He admits that in the literal sense of the words, natural
selection is a false term; but "who ever objected to chemists, speaking
of the elective affinities of various elements?--and yet an acid cannot
strictly be said to elect the base with which it in preference
combines." (p. 93) We have here an affirmation and a negation. It is
affirmed that natural selection is the operation of natural laws,
analogous to the action of gravitation and of chemical affinities. It is
denied that it is a process originally designed, or guided by
intelligence, such as the activity which foresees an end and consciously
selects and controls the means of its accomplishment. Artificial
selection, then, is an intelligent process; natural selection is not.

There are in the animal and vegetable worlds innumerable instances of at
least apparent contrivance, which have excited the admiration of men in
all ages. There are three ways of accounting for them. The first is the
Scriptural doctrine, namely, that God is a Spirit, a personal,
self-conscious, int