ARGUMENT OF DESIGN. 337 



am sure that people ought not to allow themselves to con- 

 clude that by the discovery of new scientific facts, it has 

 been rendered impossible that the idea of design can at this 

 time be accepted. Far be it from me -to affirm that design 

 has been demonstrated. Not only, however, do I deny that 

 the argument has been proved to be erroneous, but I main- 

 tain that of new evidence, more may be adduced in its sup- 

 port than can be brought forward against it. 



The same old fight has to be fought over and over 

 again, upon different ground, with different weapons and 

 under different auspices. The argument of design, it seems 

 to me, ought long ago to have been considered from 

 a new point of view. The modern investigator has dis- 

 covered, not a living instrument, having definite wheels 

 made to revolve for a particular purpose by the uncoiling 

 of a spring which he can isolate and study. He does not 

 pick up in the field of nature an apparatus like that which 

 he makes of metal, and composed of parts which he can 

 separate from one another, and determine by experiment 

 what office each serves, and which if he so desires he can 

 imitate. But he finds a little structureless stuff which gradu- 

 ally undergoes change, he knows not how, he knows not 

 why. Organs appear, and at length work is performed, but 

 the most clever man can neither imitate the organs nor 

 make anything to work as they work. After the state of 

 activity has continued for a time, all work ceases and the 

 apparatus can never be made to act again. Its parts 

 are gradually formed or form themselves and become mu- 

 tually adapted, so that when they are formed all fit together 

 and work together without interference. And every new 

 being that is formed is derived in the same way from struc- 



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