xvn THE EVIDENCES OF EVOLUTION 345 



tion has been demonstrated, that living organisms arise 

 from pre-existent organisms Omne vivum e vivo. But 

 it may not always have been so. 



It is believed by some that life began independently 

 of those natural conditions which come within the ken of 

 scientific inquirers ; in other words, it is believed that 

 the first living things were created. But this is foreclos- 

 ing scientific inquiry in unjustifiable haste. 



It has been suggested that germs of life reached this 

 earth in the bosom of meteorites or otherwise from some- 

 where else. But this merely shifts the responsibility of 

 the problem off the shoulders of this planet. 



It is also suggested that organisms may have arisen 

 from not-living matter on the earth's surface. But it is 

 very difficult to think out concretely how such a mar- 

 vellous step might be taken. If we accept the sugges- 

 tion, we must suppose that in not-living matter the 

 qualities characteristic of living organisms are somehow 

 implicit. The evolutionist's common denominator is 

 then as inexpressibly marvellous as the philosopher's 

 greatest common measure. For there is nothing in the 

 end which was not in kind in the beginning also. 



