1868. | Darwin and Pangenesis. 313 
that respect. And furthermore, instead of enabling us to dispense 
with the theory of an immediate, constant, and designing Providence, 
this minute subdivision of vitality, so to speak, adds, in our humble 
opinion, to the necessity for a still more immediate and constant 
association between the invisible Spirit and his visible Universe. 
We can conceive of Man being entrusted with powers of selecting 
small differences, and by wise adaptation creating new types; we 
can conceive of “ Nature” influencing the plastic forms of the lower 
animals, and causing the fittest to survive; but when we descend to 
cells and gemmules, the very atoms which constitute the unconscious 
elements of reproduction, we can conceive of no force except the 
Prime Force which shall determine their nature and operations, and - 
decide what great results shall spring from such insignificant causes. 
Of the author’s rare merits as an observer; of his undeviating 
adherence to the truth so far as he can perceive it, and at whatever 
cost to his feelings; of his bold avowal of his tenets, without re- 
garding the spirit in which they are likely to be received by a 
half-educated and theologically-prejudiced public, it is unnecessary 
for us to speak ; his works answer for themselves. 
Darwin stands side by side with Galileo ; he is not only figura- 
tively, but actually, as great a philosopher. Happily in our day 
retractations can no longer be enforced; and no such mental or 
bodily sacrifices to the cause of truth are required now as formerly. 
There may be thousands who, reading by proxy or thinking by 
substitute, would like to see him incarcerated for blasphemy ; but 
there. are myriads of intelligent men, lay as well as clerical, 
who look forward anxiously to each new revelation of his mind 
and pen, and love and admire the bold pioneer of truth as though 
they were his intimate friends and associates. But though Darwin 
has once more told the world that Nature moves, as Galileo pro- 
claimed that the earth moves, yet he has only partially discovered 
the secret of its motien; and judging from the persistency with 
which he seeks in nature only the causes of nature’s change 
(a feeling resulting no doubt from too close observation of details), 
we believe it is left for some other eye to see the apple fall, and 
solve the great mystery of vital gravitation. Some day the mind 
will no doubt visit us which can grasp the whole range of vital 
phenomena, and at a glance comprehend the action of those mys- 
terious forces which cause physical atoms of like constitution to 
seek each other amid varying external conditions; the opening 
flower to follow the sun in its course; which produce the wonderful 
affinity between the unconscious elements of reproduction; which 
lead the bird to seek its mate; the weaker mind to lean upon the 
stronger; the soul to search for, to expand, and to change its own 
nature by association with its God. 
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