342 ORGANIC EVOLUTION CONSIDERED 



by destroying the high faith and sacred hopes which 

 alone can inspire man to the noblest living. 



In conclusion, I will say that whether or not the 

 doctrine of evolution be accepted, yet to my mind 

 the universe as it exists is but the expression of the 

 thought, wisdom, power and will of the Divine Archi- 

 tect whose working extends through the eternal ages. 



That the theory of Theistic evolution by which 

 through the long ages God is represented as perpet- 

 ually creating new forms of living beings from those 

 already existing is fascinating and sublime I can easi- 

 ly admit, and the force of the arguments in favor of 

 this view I have deeply felt, yet the difficulties in- 

 volved in creating the present order of things are, in 

 my estimation, too great to be explained without 

 assuming miracles, or exceptional acts, which cannot 

 have been caused by the ordinary agencies of crea- 

 tion. 



The vital question at issue in this whole matter is 

 not the method of creation, but the nature of the 

 power that creates. Method is of interest in so far 

 only as it reveals the Creator. 



Miracles, to my mind, are no more divine than the 

 ordinary events of nature, for both are due to the 

 power of the Creator, yet, as evidence of the exhibi- 

 tion of such power, the miracle is far more convinc- 

 ing. 



Lastly, I cannot hold to any theory of the universe 

 that degrades man and burdens his soul with darkness 

 and despair. I do not, of course, charge that Theis- 

 tic evolution does this, but I do believe that this is 

 the result of Atheism and Agnosticism. 



I believe that the facts of the universe must tend 

 to man's highest good; that they are consistent with 



