EVOLUTION AND THE DOCTRINE OF DESIGN, loi 



cated men as the most rational explanation of the j^henomena of the 

 universe. In the mean time the minds of many j^ersons are seriously- 

 disturbed by the supposed antagonism of any such theory to the idea 

 of a personal God, and therefore to the whole idea of natural and re- 

 vealed religion. It is very important, therefore, that, in anticipation 

 of the general acceptance of some such theory, it should be shown that 

 it not only does not militate against the idea of a personal God, but 

 that it is hostile to no interest of Christianity. 



In carrying out this purpose. Dr. Smith said that he should seek, 

 as a starting-point, some ground which could be held in common by 

 theists who are without prejudice in regard to scientific investigation, 

 and evolutionists who are ready to consider any evidence as to the 

 Infinite Being behind and beyond the phenomena of Nature. 



In seeking such common ground. Dr. Smith referred to tliat pe- 

 riod, in the history of Nature, when space was filled with a homoge- 

 neous mass which the Greeks called hyle. Whetlier this was what we 

 usually call matter, or immeasurably extended force-centres, made no 

 difference in the argument. Beyond this hyle^ and preceding it in the 

 order of thought, is absolute being. The theist, of course, holds this. 

 Mr. Herbert Spencer, the great leader of the evolutionists, holds it 

 also. We must postulate absolute being, he says, as the condition of 

 any conclusions as to phenomena. The evolutionist holds, however, 

 that every thing in regard to absolute being is unknowable. If it is 

 unknowable, then he can no more deny than aftirm any thing in regard 

 to it. Dr. Smith then said, that since the evolutionist, on his own 

 principles, could not deny it, he should suppose, for the present, re- 

 serving the evidence for it until later in the discussion, that absolute 

 being is personal being, with reason, afifection, and will. 



Dr. Smith then said that, having made this supposition, which no 

 evolutionist could deny, we were prepared to witness the process of 

 evolution, so far as such a process exists in Nature, remembering all 

 the time that the whole process and every step in the process are sim- 

 ply expressions, according to our supposition, of the will and agency 

 of the Absolute Being. 



We find certain laws in Nature (which is only another name for 

 methods of divine agency), by which this process of evolution is car- 

 ried on. Such are the laws of the persistence of force, the continuity 

 of motion, and the indestructibility of matter. The divine power, 

 working according to these laws, builds up the system of the universe. 

 Dr. Smith showed how, on the theory of evolution, the apparent chasm 

 between inorganic and organic Nature might be passed over without 

 disturbance or any different or peculiar divine agency. In other 

 words, the process might be continuous without militating at all 

 against the idea of the constant agency of a personal God. The evi- 

 dence alleged by evolutionists that this is the case, and that the pro- 

 cess comes finally to include men, was considered. The objections 



