XII.J THEOLOGY AND EVOLUTION. 



conceptions of the nature and attributes of the First Cause. 

 But what conceptions does he offer us ! Nothing but that 

 low anthropomorphism which, unfortunately, he so often 

 seems to treat as the necessary result of Theism. Here 

 we have again the dummy, helpless and deformed, set up 

 merely for the purpose of being knocked down. 



It must once more be insisted on, that though man is 

 indeed compelled to conceive of God in human terms, and 

 to speak of Him by epithets objectively false, from their 

 hopeless inadequacy, yet nevertheless the Christian thinker 

 declares that inadequacy in the strongest manner, and 

 vehemently rejects from his idea of God all terms dis- 

 tinctly implying infirmity or limitation. 



Now, Mr. Darwin speaks as if all who believe in the 

 Almighty were compelled to accept as really applicable to 

 the Deity conceptions which affirm limits and imperfec- 

 tions. Thus he says : " Can it be reasonably maintained 

 that the Creator intentionally ordered " " that certain frag- 

 ments of rock should assume certain shapes, so that the 

 builder might erect his edifice ? " 



Why, surely every theist must maintain that in the first 

 foundation of the universe — the primary and absolute 

 creation — God saw and knew every purpose which every 

 atom and particle of matter should ^ever subserve in all 

 suns and systems, and throughout all coming teons of time. 

 It is almost incredible, Ijut nevertheless it seems necessary 

 to think that the difficulty thus j)i'oposed rests on a sort of 

 notion that amidst the boundless profusion of nature there 

 is too much for God to superintend; that the number of 

 objects is too great for an infinite and omntijresent Being to 

 attend singly to each and all in their due proportions and 

 needs ! In the same way ]\Ir. Darwin asks whether God 



