42 HETEROGENESIS. 



in connection with the growth and development of 

 every class of living beings, tells against the doctrine 

 of heterogenesis. And many who have written in its 

 favour have convicted themselves of inconsistency, 

 unless it be consistent to believe at the same time in 

 the law of continuity and succession, and in a law 

 which involves discontinuity and interruption as applied 

 to the production of living forms at this present time. 

 I will, however, admit that upon such a question as 

 heterogenesis, any one acquainted with the facts and 

 arguments on both sides, and well accustomed to the 

 .marshalling of evidence in order, would, by a judicious 

 selection of his facts, soon adduce evidence which would 

 convince the unlearned of the truth of that view which 

 he chose to advocate. Just at this time many circum- 

 stances have fostered in the public mind a demand for 

 arguments in favour of the origin of living beings from 

 mere matter independent of a superintending will. 

 People have been so well educated that they do not 

 recognise the oft-repeated assertion, that living beings 

 are being continually made out of inanimate matter 

 without the aid of already existing living beings, as a 

 rnere dogma, in direct support of which well authen- 

 ticated facts and conclusive experiments cannot be 

 adduced. That with some heterogenesis is accepted as 

 an article of belief is not disputed here. There is no 

 harm in this, but it must be distinctly denied that there 

 is reasonable ground for the faith. And it is pro- 

 bable that the doctrine would have attracted very 



