4G4 COSMIC PIIIL0S0FI1Y. [pt. ii. 



one species of sea-shell is peculiar to its shores." Similar 

 relations are found universally to hold between the organisms 

 which inhabit oceanic islands and those which inhabit neigh- 

 bouring continents. 



These facts of geographical distribution, when taken in 

 connection with the facts of geological succession above men- 

 tioned, speak very emphatically in favour of the derivation 

 theory. That theory affords a satisfactory explanation for 

 this entire class of facts, while the special-creation hypothesis 

 is incompetent to explain a single one of them. They are, 

 moreover, in perfect harmony with the prominent facts of 

 morphology, of embryology, and of classification ; so that the 

 evidence furnished by the four classes of facts taken together 

 becomes truly overwhelming. 



When in the next chapter we come to consider the specu- 

 lations and discoveries of Mr. Darwin, we shall see that the 

 case in favour of derivation is even stronger than as here 

 presented; for we shall see that certain agencies are un- 

 ceasingly at work, with the long continuance of which the 

 absolute stability of specific forms is incompatible. But, as 

 between the two hypotheses of special creation and of deriva- 

 tion, the arguments already brought forward are far more than 

 sufficient for a decisive verdict. The presumption raised at 

 the outset against the Doctrine of Special Creations is even 

 superfluously confirmed by the testimony of facts. Not only 

 is this doctrine discredited by its barbaric origin, and by the 

 absurd or impossible assumptions which it would require us 

 to make ; but it utterly fails to explain a single one of the 

 phenomena of the classification, embryology, morphology, 

 and distribution of extinct and living organisms. While, on 

 the other hand, the Doctrine of Derivation is not only accre- 

 dited by its scientific origin and by its appealing to none but 

 verifiable processes and agencies, but it affords an explana- 

 tion for each and all of the above-mentioned phenomena. 

 I think we may, therefore, without further ado, consign 



