ORGANIC E VOL UTION. 1 3 



adaptations which we see; and if so, the law of 

 parsimony excludes the rival hypothesis of intelli- 

 gent design. Thus the whole question as between 

 natural selection and supernatural design resolves 

 itself into this — Were all the species of plants and 

 animals separately created, or were they slowly- 

 evolved ? For if they were specially created, 

 the evidence of supernatural design remains 

 unrefuted and irrefutable ; whereas if they were 

 slowly evolved, that evidence has been utterly 

 and for ever destroyed. The doctrine of natural 

 selection therefore depends for its validity on the 

 doctrine of organic evolution ; for if once the fact 

 of organic evolution were established, no one 

 would dispute that much of the adaptation was 

 probably effected by natural selection. How 

 much we cannot say — probably never shall be 

 able to say ; for even Mr. Darwin himself does 

 not doubt that other causes besides that of 

 natural selection have assisted in the modifying 



