RELIGION. 



285 



work. You would not probably expect any one fully to agree 

 with you on so many abstruse subjects ; and there are some 

 points in your book which I cannot digest. The chief one is 

 that the existence of so-called natural laws implies purpose. 

 I cannot see this. Not to mention that many expect that 

 the several great laws will some day be found to follow 

 inevitably from some one single law, yet taking the laws as 

 we now know them, and look at the moon, where the law of 

 gravitation — and no doubt of the conservation of energy — of 

 the atomic theory, &c. &c., hold good, and I cannot see that 

 there is then necessarily any purpose. Would there be pur- 

 pose if the lowest organisms alone, destitute of consciousness 

 existed in the moon ? But I have had no practice in abstract 

 reasoning, and I may be all astray. Nevertheless you have 

 expressed my inward conviction, though far more vividly and 

 clearly than I could have done, that the Universe is not the 

 result of chance.* But then with me the horrid doubt always 

 arises whether the convictions of man's mind, which has been 

 developed from the mind of the lower animals, are of any 

 value or at all trustworthy. Would any one trust in the con- 

 victions of a monkey's mind, if there are any convictions in 

 such a mind ? Secondly, I think that I could make some- 

 what of a case against the enormous importance which you 

 attribute to our greatest men ; I have been accustomed to 

 think, second, third, and fourth rate men of very high im- 

 portance, at least in the case of Science. Lastly, I could 

 show fight on natural selection having done and doing more 



* The Duke of Argyll (* Good Words,' Ap. 18S5, p. 244) has recorded 

 a few words on this subject, spoken by my father in the last year of his life. 

 "... in the course of that conversation I said to Mr. Darwin, with refer- 

 ence to some of his own remarkable works on the ' Fertilization of Orchids,* 

 and upon ' The Earthworms,' and various other observations he made of 

 the wonderful contrivances for certain purposes in nature — I said it was 

 impossible to look at these without seeing that they were the effect and 

 the expression of mind. I shall never forget Mr. Darwin's answer. He 

 looked at me very hard and said, ' Well, that often comes over me with 

 overwhelming force ; but at other times,' and he shook his head vaguely, 

 adding, * it seems to go away.' " 



