DARWINISM AND MALTHUS. 229 
most of us would consider objectionable, as well as for having 
suggested to Darwin and Wallace their conceptions regarding organic 
evolution. With Mr. White’s views regarding parental responsibility 
I am in entire accord, and they require to be enforced at the 
present time, when legislation, modern habits amongst the poor, and 
mawkish sentimentality are tending to undermine the high moral 
duty of parental responsibility. When the State steps in, and 
removes the education, the upkeep, and the supervision of the child 
from the parent to itself, the effect on both is disastrous ; it with- 
draws from the parent one of his greatest incentives to industrious 
labour, and from the child, the feeling of affection which has been 
implanted by nature, and is an incentive to a virtuous life. 
Scripture is absolutely opposed to this aspect of State Socialism, 
which commands the child to honour his father and mother, and the 
parent to provide for those of his own house, including his 
offspring. 
DISCUSSION. 
Dr. W. Woops SmyTH said :—Our hearty thanks are due to Mr. J. 
White for his excellent paper. I entirely differ from Professor Hull 
and Dr. Irving upon their strictures on the Doctrine of Evolution. 
It is not contended that one species has ever been transmuted into 
another. We are a Christian Institute and as we believe and 
reverence the Bible we must acknowledge, as the Scriptures say, that 
the creative evolution of the several forms of life was finished ages 
ago. This leaves no room for new species to arise to-day. But 
when we glance into the past geologic ages we perceive symbolic 
types in the fields of life. In one instance there is a creature 
combining the formations of the deer, the hog, and the camel. 
Now in the finished forms these have become differentiated into the 
three familiar creatures known to us to-day. 
The Bible is on the side of evolution, Haeckel acknowledges this 
to its credit, and even Dr. Irving has contributed a paper to the 
Institute pointing out evolutionary ideas in the creation story. I 
have shown that the scriptural expression, “ Let the earth bring forth 
