ON THE CREATION AND GOD. 43 



to be subject to laws of evolution and coexistence. In 

 fact, wherever Science discovers the reign of law, whether 

 in physical, physiological, or social phenomena, there too 

 reigns purpose ; and wherever she discovers powerful 

 tendencies that will yet become facts and future laws, 

 there the delayed purpose of the universe is still mani- 

 fested, while awaiting fulfilment. 



It is said, however, by Professor Haeckel that there 

 is not any overruling purpose, and that there never was 

 a purpose, in the sense of an intelligent one that aimed 

 at special ends in the evolution of organized beings ; 

 that neither Nature nor any Power behind or immanent 

 in Nature ever knew or cared what should come even- 

 tually out of the course of evolution ; for to this extreme 

 goes his total proscription of Final Causes and of the 

 doctrine " of Providence or vague idealist pantheisms of 

 Hegel, Schopenhauer, and Hartmami." And to this we 

 can only reply that in that case, if there was no purpose, 

 then all was the result of chance, and a blind mechanical 

 necessity. It was chance that brought about the meeting 

 of the right atoms, even if the inherent properties of 

 matter were competent to evolve life from them. And 

 even if necessity and physico-chemical laws produced the 

 organs of animals, it was chance again which determined 

 the " favourable variations " that were seized upon by 

 natural selection ; and it was only as the result of a 

 thousand fortunate chances that man eventually emerged 

 from the prolonged organic strife and hurly-burly. It 

 was chance that presided over his cradle, and that 

 favoured his further development; and, in a word, if 

 we do not allow some principle, with Hartmann, that 

 was ever powerfully pushing towards a goal some 

 power that, though not conscious as we are, yet had a 

 most decided end to attain, and took the sure road to 



