200 EVOLUTION AND DOGMA. 



Brooks is an attempt to combine the theories of some 

 of his predecessors, especially those of Darwin and 

 Weismann. 



From the preceding paragraphs, therefore, it is 

 clear that, as yet, we have no theory of Evolution 

 which is competent to coordinate all the facts that 

 Evolution is supposed to embrace. Neither singly 

 nor collectively do the theories just discussed meet 

 the many objections urged against them. All of 

 them, doubtless, contain an element of truth, but 

 how far they can be relied upon as guides in re- 

 search it is still impossible to say. The same may 

 be said concerning the so-called factors of Evolution. 

 All of them, there is reason to believe, are more or 

 less potent in organic development, but it is gener- 

 ally admitted that other factors, factors probably 

 more important than any of those yet mentioned, 

 remain to be discovered before we can properly un- 

 derstand the working of Evolution, and account for 

 numberless phenomena of the organic world which 

 are still involved in mystery. 



The Ideal Theory. 



The discovery of a true, comprehensive, irrefraga- 

 ble theory of Evolution ; of a theory of the " or- 

 dained becoming " of new species by the operation 

 of secondary causes ; of a theory which will admit 

 a preconceived progress "towards a foreseen goal;" 1 

 of a theory which in its " broad features " will disclose 

 the unmistakable evidence and the certain impress of 

 a Divine intelligence and purpose this is something 



1 Cf. Owen's " Anatomy of Vertebrates," vol. Ill, ch. XL, 



