STRAUSS AND MAGIC AND MYSTERY. 379 



concerning the probable nature of these earliest changes. 

 More profound and thoughtful writers assure us in all 

 seriousness they are " molecular ;" but it is difficult to dis- 

 cover the addition to our knowledge which is contributed 

 by the philosopher who informs us that all modifications 

 in structure are a consequence of "-molecular changes." 



But Strauss, who denies miracle, makes use of mystery, 

 and still exhibits a tendency to cling to magic instead of 

 explaining everything by " molecular changes." He speaks 

 of the " magic formulae " by which natural science solves 

 "the mystery of the universe," of the "talismans," by whose 

 aid she " naturally unlocks the portals formerly reputed to 

 fly asunder at the sole bidding of miracle." " Every mys- 

 tery" he remarks, " appears absurd " and yet, he argues, 

 " nothing profound, whether in life, in the arts, or in the 

 state is devoid of mystery." Nevertheless Strauss tells us 

 that miracle has been exterminated by Mr. Darwin, and 

 that the idea of living things having been created by God 

 must be abandoned in favour of the evolutional hypothesis. 

 But Strauss seems to think there is but one form of evolution, 

 while, in truth, several are held at this time by different autho- 

 rities, and many more have yet to be suggested and brought 

 into popular favour by rising advocates. It is not impro- 

 bable that at some future time it will be suggested that in 

 the first beginning, at the occurrence of that one great 

 miracle, the conversion of the non-living into the living, we 

 might reasonably suppose that the primordial life-stuff of 

 every kind of living thing that ever was to appear was formed, 

 and that each kind grew and multiplied during ages without 

 evolving the particular organism it was capable of pro- 

 ducing. It might be further surmised, that as the state of 



