212 THE PROBLEM OF EVOLUTION 



was not an ecclesiastical problem. As soon as 

 science can demonstrate to us that spontaneous 

 generation actually occurs, and that it does not 

 contradict the facts of biology, we shall willingly 

 surrender the postulate, that some special action on 

 the part of the Creator upon primitive matter was 

 required for the origin of the first organisms. This 

 is only an extremely conditional postulate. It 

 cannot be said that in denying spontaneous genera- 

 tion I was influenced by ecclesiastical prejudice 

 on the contrary, I spoke as a scientist ; and many 

 other scientists, who care nothing for Christianity, 

 have taken the same view, and have regarded the 

 theory of spontaneous generation as one that could 

 not be adopted from the point of view of natural 

 science. It is clear that it cannot be adopted; 

 but some one comes and says that it is a philo- 

 sophical postulate for the scientist ! This is a real 

 contradiction. How can anything, which is at 

 variance with scientific facts, be a postulate in the 

 domain of philosophy ? This is a contradiction in 

 terms. 



With regard to the existence of matter and to the 

 idea of creation, a great deal has been said by 

 Professor Plate and others, which shows clearly 

 that the philosophical arguments in my second 

 lecture were not understood by them. 1 



The lateness of the hour prevents me from 



1 My opponents have an opportunity of referring again to the lecture, 

 now that it is printed. 



