CHAPTER X 



THE ABANDONED ARGUMENT OF DESIGN 



With regard to this subject, the doctrine of Evolution 

 has quite altered our perspective. Nevertheless, Paley's 

 well-known argument of the watch only requires readjust- 

 ment to be as sound as ever. 



Huxley said that the argument had received its death- 

 blow, on the appearance of Darwin's Origin of Species by 

 Means of Natural Selection. Possibly such might have 

 been the case, if Natural Selection had anything to do with 

 the Origin of Species. 



A remarkable anticipation of Darwinism even in the 

 use of the word " indefinite " occurs in Paley's Natural 

 Theology (chap, v.). 



" The division of organised substances into animals and 

 vegetables, and the distribution and subdistribution of 

 each into genera and species, which distribution is not an 

 arbitrary act of the mind, but founded in the order which 

 prevails in external nature, appear to me to contradict 

 the supposition of the present world being the re^nains of 

 an indefi?tite variety of existence [here Darwin would say 

 'the survival of the fittest from " indefinite varieties,"'] ; 

 of a variety which rejects all plan. The hypothesis 

 teaches that every possible variety of being hath, at one 

 time or another, found its way into existence (by what 

 cause or in what manner is not said), and that those which 

 were badly formed [Darwin's ' injurious variations '] 



(94) 



