366 THE DEVELOPMENT HYPOTHESIS. 



existing, on the Earth, at not less than ten millions. Well, 

 which is the most rational theory about these ten millions 

 of species ? Is it most likely that there have been ten mil- 

 lions of special creations ? or is it most likely that by con- 

 tinual moclijBcations, due to change of circumstances, ten 

 millions of varieties have been produced, as varieties are 

 being produced still ? 



Doubtless many will reply that they can more easily 

 conceive ten millions of special creations to have taken 

 place, than they can conceive that ten millions of varieties 

 have arisen by successive modifications. All such, howev- 

 er, will find, on inquiry, that they are under an illusion. 

 This is one of the many cases in which men do not really 

 believe, but rather believe they believe. It is not that they 

 can truly conceive ten millions of special creations to have 

 taken place, but that they think they can do so. Careful 

 introspection will show them that they have never yet real- 

 ized to themselves the creation of even o?ie species. If 

 they have formed a definite conception of the process, let 

 them tell us how a new species is constructed, and how it 

 makes its appearance. Is it thrown down from the clouds? 

 or must we hold to the notion that it struggles up out of 

 the ground ? Do its limbs and viscera rush together from 

 all the points of the compass ? or must we receive the old 

 Hebrew idea, that God takes clay and moulds a new crea- 

 ture ? If they say that a new creature is produced in none 

 of these modes, which are too absurd to be believed ; then 

 they are required to describe the mode in which a new 

 creature may be produced — a mode which does not seem 

 absurd : and such a mode they will find that they neither 

 have conceived nor can conceive. 



Should the believers in special creations consider it un- 

 fair thus to call uj3on them to describe how special creations 

 take place, I reply, that this is far less than they demand 

 from the supporters of the Development Hypothesis. They 



