388 EVOLUTION AND DOGMA. 



That the task will be accomplished sooner or later ; 

 that we shall ultimately have a satisfactory explana- 

 tion of evolutionary processes; and that the theory 

 of Evolution will at length be established on a firm 

 and logical basis, no reasonable man can doubt. 

 Numerous and great difficulties have been removed 

 during the past few decades, and one need not be a 

 seer to foretell, that even more effective work will be 

 accomplished during the same period of time in the 

 years to come. The world has proceeded too far to 

 admit of retrogression. Advance is the order of the 

 hour, and final triumph is inevitable. 



Evolution Not Antagonistic to Religion. 



Yet more. In proportion as Evolution shall be 

 placed on a solider foundation, and the objections 

 which are now urged against it shall disappear, so 

 also will it be evinced, that far from being an enemy 

 of religion, it is, on the contrary, its strongest and 

 most natural ally. Even those who have no sym- 

 pathy with the traditional forms of belief, who are, 

 in principle* if not personally, opposed to the Church 

 and her dogmas, perceive that there is no necessary 

 antagonism between Evolution and faith, between 

 the conclusions of science and the declarations of 

 revelation. Indeed, so avowed an opponent of 

 Church and Dogma as Huxley informs us that : " The 

 doctrine of Evolution does not even come into con- 

 tact with Theism, considered as a philosophical doc- 

 trine. That with which it does collide, and with 

 which it is absolutely inconsistent, is the conception 

 of creation which theological speculators have based 



