354 LESSONS FEOM NATURE. [CHAP. XI. 



positive time required for the occurrence of certain phenomena 

 in no way involves an inability to fix a minimum period for 

 their development. 



&quot;Again, in criticising the use of the words contrivance 

 and purpose, Mr. Wright tells us, the relations of a ma 

 chine to its uses may be considered in good sound English as 

 contrivances and purposes without thinking of what the in 

 ventor intended. Now I deny that we can so speak without 

 implicit reference of the kind, though we need not make 

 direct or explicit reference. We are also told that the 

 proper meaning of the word &quot; intention &quot; is concentration, and 

 the not intending of something else. I should be glad of 

 some reference to authorities as regards this assertion. As 

 a fact the word is used in the sense I have assigned to it. 

 Finally Mr. Wright gives us the application of these new 

 definitions. He affirms that Mr. Darwin is not irrational in 

 asking whether the Creator intentionally ordered certain 

 phenomena because we cannot reasonably make use of the 

 term * intention in reference to the Creator at all. 



&quot; It is evident, however, that in Mr. Darwin s opinion we 

 can speak of Divine intention in some things, otherwise he 

 would not ask whether we could do so or not even in these. 

 It would be quite superfluous for any one who believed we 

 could do so in no case to ask the question with regard to 

 certain special cases. The criticism merely amounts to saying 

 that both Mr. Darwin and I, instead of using the word 

 intention, should employ some other word, possibly ad 

 vertence. This leaves the substance of my remarks and 

 my criticism of Mr. Darwin quite unimpaired and in full 



force. 



&quot; Thus I venture to urge, in opposition to my critic, that 



far from misinterpreting Mr. Darwin, I have been 



enabled to bring out more clearly what are his exact 



position and teaching now, by denning more exactly what 



was his original theory of the origin of species. 



&quot; Also, that though by no means necessarily involving 

 irreligious or anti-teleological conceptions, there is no slight 



