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how wide an acceptance the theory is receiving, how is it being used ? 

 By some in a very mild way — merely making the word species a more 

 pliable word, and using it to cover much more than it did heretofore, 

 and so simplyfying classification. But others go much further than 

 this, and make the theory account for all living things (except man) ; 

 that is, they say that all living things have come from one simple 

 living germ, which simple living germ, by virtue of the influence of 

 the laws of evolution, has evolved all the varied forms of things we 

 see in Nature. Others again shut out the creation of the living germ, 

 and lay down spontaneous generation as an all-sufficient account of 

 the origin of life and the laws we have been considering as an 

 explanation of its variations. 



Had this been all I should not have called your attention to this 

 matter this evening ; it might well have been left to those who take 

 pleasure therein, but the more advanced disciples make evolution 

 account for everything, not only man as an animal, but man as a 

 speaking, reasoning, and moral creature, a view of it which comes 

 close home to us all, tending, as it does, to sweep away what some of 

 us hold to be very precious, and which certainly ought not to be parted 

 with by us without good cause shown. Now seeing that this theory 

 is so important in its consequences, and is gaining such ground, what 

 attitude ought we take up with regard to it ? It seems to me that it is 

 one of those things that we cannot simply ignore, that is, if we are 

 thoughtful men. We want to get at the truth about all these higher 

 problems dealing with our " whence " and " whether " ; whether we 

 will or not the time is coming when some thought and attention will 

 have to be given to the subject ; it is pressing on, its advocates have 

 just started an able quarterly, the avowed object of which is to base 

 psychology upon physiology ; it comes before us with all the power 

 and fascination of what it calls, and which to a large extent 

 undoubtedly are, verifiable facts as its proofs. It will be seen, on 

 examining it more fully, that a large number of its proofs are drawn 

 from natural phenomena. 



How many of us have a sufficient acquaintance with these things 

 to be able to understand whether the facts are correctly stated, and 

 more especially whether the right deductions are made from them ? I 

 fear but few, and I want you to join our Society, and be real workers 

 therein, as it seems to me extremely desirable that all truthseekers in 



