2S4 DEVELOPMENT AND HEREDITY. 



phasise this conclusion, and to exclude utterly chance 

 as an agent of development. If we apply the the- 

 ory to our own development, we must recognise 

 ourselves and our actions as the result of a def- 

 inite, accurate activity of creative force ; and if we 

 believe there is what we call "purpose" or "intelli- 

 gence " in our actions, which are the latter end 

 of the causal series, then we must believe that pur- 

 pose or intelligence was displayed in all other parts 

 of the causal series, for they appear to be all of 

 the same nature. There is here a suggestion as to 

 the nature and relations of the creative power and 

 the creation. 



As before observed, this theory of development 

 and life, as a series of necessary causes and effects, 

 makes our ideas of our free will and moral i^espon- 

 sibilities seem paradoxical. This is not the place 

 to attempt the solution of this problem, though I 

 believe it capable of satisfactory solution. There 

 need be no haste to reach a final conclusion in 

 the matter, for we are all convinced that we have 

 a certain degree of freedom of will. According 

 to this theory of heredity, there is a great re- 

 sponsibility resting upon each generation, since 

 its actions are helping to mould the character of 

 its posterity. There is a hopeful thought also 

 in the idea that heredity is not all powerful. 



