ON THE 



HYPOTHESIS OF EVOLUTION: 



PHYSICAL AND METAPHYSICAL. 



" Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that pro- 

 ceedeth out of the mouth of God shall man live." 



There is apparently considerable repugnance in the 

 minds of many excellent people to the acceptance, or 

 even consideration, of the hypothesis of development, 

 or that of the gradual creation by descent, with modifi- 

 cation from the simplest beginnings, of the different 

 forms of the organic world. This objection probably 

 results from two considerations : first, that the human 

 species is certainly involved, and man's descent from 

 "an ape asserted ; and, secondly, that the scheme in 

 general seems to conflict with that presented by the 

 Mosaic account of the Creation, which is regarded as 

 communicated to its author by an infallible inspiration. 



As the truth of the hypothesis is held to be infinitely 

 probable by a majority of the exponents of the natural 

 sciences at the present day, and is held as absolutely 

 demonstrated by another portion, it behooves those in- 

 terested to restrain their condemnation, and on the 

 other hand to examine its evidences, and look any con- 

 sequent necessary modification of our metaphysical or 

 theological views squarely in the face. 



