8o Natural Theology. 



understood the structure of an animal as to feel that 

 we have reached the fundamental idea in his creation, 

 we expect all subsequent study will realize that idea 

 more perfectly. If the fundamental idea is a fish, 

 an animal to live in water, and breathe by gills, then 

 every possible variation which we can find will never 

 be a defect, but some modification of the leading 

 plan for carrying out more fully the main idea in 

 connection with some special condition of life. No 

 kind can be found so apparently abnormal in form as 

 not to show wisdom in its fitness for some particular 

 condition of life; no modification of organs so 

 strange, that the naturalist will not look at once for 

 its purpose, and expect to find conditions of life for 

 that animal fully indicating the wisdom of the change 

 in structure. Since there is perfect adaptation for 

 each species and each variety, the number of forms 

 specially provided for thus becomes so great, that 

 anything like chance is excluded. That five 

 hundred thousand different kinds of beings could 

 be perfectly provided for, so that the ingenuity of 

 man cannot suggest a single improvement in refer- 

 ence to any one of them, not only proves design ori- 

 ginating from a high intelligence, but leaves no plau- 

 sible ground for any other explanation. 



We have seen that the world is either fitted for 

 man as a sentient being, or he is so adapted to it 

 as to secure enjoyment by the very process of 

 living. In this respect he does not diffeV essen- 

 tially from the other members of the animal king- 

 dom. But his enjoyment as a physical being 



