254 THE GENESIS OF SPECIES. [Chap. 



This view of evolution harmonizes well with theistic con- 

 ceptions ; not, of course, that this harmony is brought for- 

 ward as an argument in its favor generally, but it will have 

 weight with those who are convinced that Tlicism rei)oses 

 upon solid grounds of reason as the rational view of the uni- 

 verse. To such it may be observed that, thus conceived, 

 the Divine action has that slight amount of resemblance to, 

 and tliat wide amount of divergence from, what human action 

 would be, which might be expected a priori— might be 

 expected, that is, from a Being whose nature and aims are 

 utterly beyond our power to imagine, however faintly, but 

 whose truth and goodness are the fountain and source of 

 our own perceptions of such qualities. 



The view of evolution maintained in this work, though 

 arrived at in complete independence, yet seems to agree in 

 many respects with the views advocated by Prof. Owen 

 in the last volume of his " Anatomy of Vertebrates," under 

 the term " derivation." He says : " " Derivation liolds that 

 every species changes in time, by virtue of inherent tenden- 

 cies thereto. * Natural Selection ' holds that no such change 

 can take place without the influence of altered external 

 circumstances." * Derivation ' sees among the eflects of the 

 innate tendency to change irrespective of altered circum- 

 stances, a .^^^lifestation of creative power in the variety and 

 beauty of the results ; and, in the ultimate forthcoming of 

 a being susceptible of appreciating such beauty, evidence 

 of the preordaining of such relation of power to the appre- 

 ciation. ' Natural Selection ' acknowledges that if ornament 

 or beauty, in itself, should be a purpose in creation, it would 

 be absoKitely fatal to it as a hypothesis." 



" ' Natural Selection ' sees grandeur in the view of life, 



'« Vol. iii., p. 808. 



'' Tliis is hardly an exact representation of Mr. Darwin's view. On 

 his theory, if a Hivorable variation happens to arise (the external ciicum- 

 stunces remaining the same), it will yet be preserved. 



