WHAT IS DARWINISM? 61 



It will be observed that every step in his 

 account of the formation of the eye is an ar- 

 bitrary assumption. We must first assume a 

 thick layer of tissue ; then that the tissue is 

 transparent ; then that it has cavities filled 

 with fluid ; that beneath the tissue is a nerve 

 sensitive to light; then that the fluid is con- 

 stantly varying in density and thickness ; that 

 its surfaces are constantly changing their con- 

 tour ; that its different portions are ever shift- 

 ing their relative distances; that every favor- 

 able change is seized upon and rendered per- 

 manent, — thus after millions of years we may 

 get an eye as perfect as that of an eagle. In 

 like manner we may suppose a man to sit down 

 to account for the origin and contents of the 

 Bible, assuming as his " working hypothesis," 

 that it is not the product of mind either hu- 

 man or divine, but that it was made by a type- 

 setting machine worked by steam, and picking 

 out type hap-hazard. In this way in a thou- 

 sand years one sentence might be produced, in 

 another thousand a second, and in ten thousand 

 more, the two might get together in the right 

 position. Thus in the course of " millions of 

 years " the Bible might have been produced, 

 with all its historical details, all its elevated 



