bo 



fcstocl to us tlirongli all plicnomona, lias been growiiij:^ cvor 

 clearer. . . To this conclusion Science inevitably arrives 

 as it roaches its confines. ''* 



This is enough for my purpose. The limits of the ])rovinco 

 ol; SciencG are here drawn rigidly. Science shows tluit life is 

 an entity, a power, a]):tTt from and above m:itter, but thnt in 

 its essence it eludes the keen eye of the philosopher; tlutit it 

 cannot be discovc^red by the resenrchcs of the physiologist; 

 that it will not eujanato from the retort of the cliemist, how- 

 ever skilfully he may arrange and manipidato tho elements of 

 its physical basis ; that, in fact, it lies hid among those sul)limo 

 }nysteries of nature which human wisdom ui-tei'iy huls to 

 penetrate, and which the inhnite wisdom of tlio dlrojit Creator 

 can alone reveal to tlu; y(!arning spirit of IJis laitldul creature. 

 The whole teachings of Science are, so far as they go, in 

 harmony with that sublime record: — ''And tho Lord Cod 

 formed man of the dust of tho ground, and breathed into his 

 nostrils tho breath of life; and man became a living soul." 



III. Tnio OuiaiN oi'' Sj'ecies. 



Darwin is the Apostle of the doctrine of ilivohition, 

 though tho idea was broached by Lucretius nearly two 

 thousand years ago. To tho naturalist, Darwin^s book on Tkc 

 Oriijin of tijxxies is one of tho most important contributions to 

 modern Science. Asa scientific observer, an acute;, lab(n'ious, 

 profound stndcmt ol: n!i,tiire, Darwin has no suj)ei'ior. 'IMio 

 range of his researches, too, has been wonderful; he has 

 travelled over tho world to sift materials; he luis recorded tho 

 results with a lucidity which leaves nothing to bo desired ; 

 iind yet one can, with perfect logical consistency, admit tho 

 whole of his observed fads, ;uid reject tho whole <»f his 

 hypotheses, lie and his discipkis hiive a sti'augo w:iy of over- 

 looking what loglcinns call tlio middle term — tho connecting 

 link between tho fact established by scientific observation, 

 and tho conclusion which they profess to deduce from it. 

 Professor liuxley, who may bo regarded as Darwin's ii.blest 

 interpr(!ter, virtually Jicknowhidges this when he sjiys, "that 

 iKjtwilhstandiiig the clejtrness ol' the style, those wlu) attempt 

 iiiirly to digest the book iind nmch of it a sort of iiilcUccdiii! 

 I)emmican — amass of facts crushed and pounded into shape, 



* Firtl J'ruir!j>lcK, p. 108. 



