114 HOMO V. DARWIN. 



if there be races of men so degraded that they have no 

 knowledge of God, their ignorance arises, far more pro- 

 bably, from their remote ancestors having lost this know- 

 ledge, than from man having been originally destitute of 

 it. I beg to say, further, that when Mr. Darwin affirms 

 there is no evidence that man originally possessed this 

 belief, he is, as usual, taking for granted what he ought 

 first to prove. 



Lord G. There can be no doubt that many of the highest 

 intellects that adorn our country would differ most de- 

 cidedly from Mr. Darwin in his opinion on this question. 

 But is it necessary for us to debate it ? 



Homo. Mr. Darwin, my Lord, does not debate it. He 

 satisfies himself with dogmatically settling it in favour of 

 his own side of the argument. Disbelieving, if not the 

 existence of God, yet the intervention of God in human 

 affairs, and maintaining that man is descended from an 

 ape, he believes also, of course, that when man emerged 

 from ape he was a savage. " The Creator and Ruler of the 

 universe, whose existence has been affirmed by the highest 

 intellects that ever lived," has never thought fit, according 

 to Mr. Darwin, to reveal himself to the only creature on 

 this earth capable, in some measure, of comprehending 

 Him. Man has, all unaided and uncared for by the 

 " Omnipotent God," struggled by his own efforts into the 

 light and knowledge he now possesses. It is, moreover, 

 altogether uncertain that the light which man possesses 

 on " God " and " religion " is true light, or that his 

 knowledge on these subjects is based on reality. Such 

 is the conclusion to which Darwinism points us, my 

 Lord ! 



Darwin. Allow me, my Lord, to state how it appears to 

 me that religion has come to exist among men. 



