24 The Destiny of Man. 



reaching this conclusion, the man of sci- 

 ence reasons upon the physical facts within 

 his reach, applying to them the same prin- 

 ciples of common-sense whereby our every- 

 day lives are successfully guided ; and he is 

 very apt to smile at the methods of those 

 people who, taking hold of the question at 

 the wrong end, begin by arguing about all 

 manner of fancied consequences. For his 

 knowledge of the history of human think- 

 ing assures him that such methods have 

 through all past time proved barren of 

 aught save strife, while his own bold yet 

 humble method is the only one through 

 which truth has ever been elicited. To 

 pursue unflinchingly the methods of sci- 

 ence requires dauntless courage and a faith 

 that nothing can shake. Such courage 

 and such loyalty to nature brings its own 

 reward. For when once the formidable 

 theory is really understood, when once its 

 implications are properly unfolded, it is 

 seen to have no such logical consequences 

 as were at first ascribed to it. As with 



