60 Organic Evolution. CHAP. 



and every class in both the vegetable and the animal 

 kingdoms, are the descendants of a single organism, 

 having a structure as simple as that of the first germs 

 of the existing organisms ; into which life, with all its 

 powers and capacities, was in the beginning breathed 

 by the Creator. 



Supposing the fact of organic Evolution to be 

 proved, and I believe that it is amply proved, not 

 by demonstrative but by cumulative evidence; the 

 question next arises, by what agency it is effected : 

 and Darwin's theory is an attempt to answer this. 

 Supposing his theory to be true, which, on the whole, 

 I do not grant, it is related to the general doctrine 

 of Evolution as the explanation is related to the 

 facts to be explained ; as, for instance, Newton's 

 theory of gravitation to Kepler's laws of the celestial 

 motions : Kepler showed what in fact the motions 

 are ; Newton showed how they are the necessary 

 result of simple fundamental laws. 



The fundamental laws, or facts, whereon Darwin 

 has based his theory, are simple and familiar. With 

 all organisms, animal and vegetable alike, the rate of 

 increase by reproduction is very high, so that, if all 

 germs attained to maturity, there would not be room 

 for all, or nearly all, to live ; and hence is a necessity 

 for the premature destruction, mentioned in the 

 passage quoted above from Butler, of the vast 

 majority of the seeds of plants, and the eggs and 

 young of animals. 



Another fundamental fact is that, although all 



