XI PHENOMENA OF ORGANIC NATURE 



pledge themselves to creeds ; they are bound by 

 articles of no sort ; there is not a single belief that 

 it is not a bounden duty with them to hold with 

 a light hand and to part with cheerfully, the 

 moment it is really proved to be contrary to any 

 fact, great or small. And if, in course of time I 

 see good reasons for such a proceeding, I shall have 

 no hesitation in coming before you, and pointing 

 out any change in my opinion without finding the 

 slightest occasion to blush for so doing. So I say 

 that we accept this view as we accept any other, 

 so long as it will help us, and we feel bound to 

 retain it only so long as it will serve our great 

 purpose the improvement of Man's estate and 

 the widening of his knowledge. The moment 

 this, or any other conception, ceases to be useful 

 for these purposes, away with it to the four winds ; 

 we care not what becomes of it ! 



But to say truth, although it has been my busi- 

 ness to attend closely to the controversies ro.used 

 by the publication of Mr. Darwin's book, I think 

 that not one of the enormous mass of objections 

 and obstacles which have been raised is of any 

 very great value, except that sterility case which 

 I brought before you just now. All the rest are 

 misunderstandings of some sort, arising either 

 from prejudice, or want of knowledge, or still 

 more from want of patience and care in reading 

 the work. 



For you must recollect that it is not a book to 



