12 ORGANIC EVOLUTION CONSIDERED 



lost sight of that a belief in the former is consistem 

 with a belief in the latter. 



If it can be shown that the theory of Evolution ii 

 not true, then Theism will, to most minds, be the nee 

 essary alternative. To my own mind, Theism is noi 

 an alternative to Evolution at all, for I believe thai 

 whether the latter has taken place or not, Theism ii 

 the only explanation of the present order of things. 



Starting with the present distribution of matte] 

 and energy in the universe, and accepting the theory 

 of the indestructibility of matter and the conserva 

 tion and correlation of energy, the belief in the con 

 tinuity of natural processes necessarily follows, so fai 

 as these processes can be explained in terms of Mat 

 ter and Force, but I do not believe that all phenomens 

 can be explained in the above terms. 



I believe that Matter, Force and Mind are manr 

 festations of the Creator, but I do not think thai 

 either of these can be explained in terms of the othei 

 two. It is the prerogative of Mind to interfere wit! 

 the course of events in Nature. 



The presence of Mind in Nature is the primary fad 

 of human knowledge. To construct a Teleology 

 which excludes Mind as a permanent factor froir 

 Nature is to annihilate the one thing of the existence 

 of which we are most certain. 



If Matter and Force are a part of Nature, so is 

 Mind, and we have no reason to believe that the lattei 

 is less enduring than the former. 



To assume the continuity of natural causes through 

 the infinite past, at the same time eliminating Mine 

 as a factor of Evolution, and regarding it simply as i 

 transient phase of a small part of Nature, is not justi- 

 fied by the facts. I believe that if the truth of the 

 theory of Evolution can ever be established, it can be 

 done only on the basis of Theism. 



