Scientific Sophisms. 63 



enquire as to the amount and character of 

 evidence produced or producible, in favour of 

 " Spontaneous Generation," we are compelled 

 to regard it as a hypothesis still more puerile. 



Speaking of evolution at large, and in com- 

 prehensive terms, Professor Whewell justly 

 says, " The system ought to be described as a 

 System of Order in which life grows out of dead 

 matter, the higher out of tJte lower animals, and 

 man out of brutes" * 



To begin then at the beginning. Is "The 

 System," in its first postulate, true or false ? Is 

 it matter of fact, or merely matter of fiction ? 

 Does "life grow out of dead matter?" 



Let us give the place of honour to "the 

 Abraham of scientific men." Mr. Darwin, writ- 

 ing to the Athenceum, says "I hope you will 

 permit me to add a few remarks on Heterogeny, 

 as the old doctrine of spontaneous generation 

 is now called, to those given by Dr. Carpenter, 

 who, however, is probably better fitted to dis- 

 cuss the question than any other man in Eng- 

 land. Your reviewer believes that certain lowly 

 organized animals have been generated spon- 

 taneously that is, without pre-existing parents 

 during each geological period in slimy ooze. 

 A mass of mud with matter decaying and under- 



1 Whewell's " Indications." Second Edition, p. 12. 



