THE WONDEES OF THE SHORE. 85 



unwiUingness to allow it, that there would be aught 

 in it, if proved, contrary to Christianity. 



Let us, therefore, say boldly, that there has been 

 a " progress of species," and that there may be 

 again, in the true sense of that term : but say, as 

 boldly, that the Transmutation theory is not one of 

 a progress of species at all, which would be a change 

 in the idea of the species, taking place in the Divine 

 Mind, — in plain words, the creation of a new species. 

 What the Transmutationists really mean, if they 

 would express themselves clearly, or carefully ana- 

 lyse their own notions, is a physical and actual 

 change, not of species, but of individuals, of already 

 existing living beings created according to one idea, 

 into other living beings created according to another 

 idea. And of this, in spite of the apparent change 

 of species in the marvellous metamorphoses of lower 

 animals, Nature has as yet given us no instance 

 among all the facts which have been observed ; and 

 there is, therefore, an almost infinite inductive pro- 

 bability against it. As far as we know yet, though 

 all the dreams of the Transmutationists are outdone 



