CHAPTER III. 



GENERAL ASPECTS OF THE EVOLUTION-HYPOTHESIS. 



116. JUST as the supposition that races of organisms 

 have been specially created, is discredited by its origin; so, 

 conversely, the supposition that races of organisms have 

 been evolved, is credited by its origin. Instead of being 

 a conception suggested and accepted when mankind were 

 profoundly ignorant, it is a conception born in times of com 

 parative enlightenment. Moreover, the belief that plants 

 and animals have arisen in pursuance of uniform laws, instead 

 of through breaches of uniform laws, is a belief which has 

 come into existence in the most-instructed class, living in 

 these better-instructed times. Not among those who have 

 disregarded the order of Nature, has this idea made its 

 appearance; but among those who have familiarized them 

 selves with the order of Nature. Thus the derivation of this 

 modern hypothesis is as favourable as that of the ancient 

 hypothesis is unfavourable. 



117. A kindred antithesis exists between the two fami 

 lies of beliefs, to which the beliefs we are comparing severally 

 belong. While the one family has been dying out the other 

 family has been multiplying. As fast as men have ceased to 

 regard different classes of phenomena as caused by special 

 personal agents, acting irregularly; so fast have they come 

 to regard these different classes of phenomena as caused by 

 a general agency acting uniformly the two changes being 



431 



