THE THEORY OF EVOLUTION. 381 



manifestly erroneous, and are the results of human interpretations 

 of the text of Scripture ; which writings were inspired, not to teach 

 man what he might find out for himself, not to instruct in natural 

 science, but to reveal how the creature may approach the Creator. 

 In each case, therefore, the apologists of party have argued 

 from the known to the unknown, and the result has been a con- 

 fusion of ideas — generally, if not invariably, the result of a warped 

 or bigoted intellect. 



It is, however, only so far as we receive God's revealed truth 

 that we can really appreciate the wonders of the natural world. 



Unity in design, variety in carrying out that design, is evident 

 throughout the whole of organic and inorganic nature. 



It is not e-volution, but re-volution. All revolves in a circle : 

 the solar system, among the ten thousands of others, coursing 

 rapidly through space; the earth, with its marvellous duplex 

 motion, at once revolving on its axis (which has not only the 

 movement which produces the seasons, but a far more complex 

 one — the precession of the equinoxes), and also revolving round 

 the sun, to all of which we are absolutely insensible; organic 

 life, in our world, the germ, growth, reproduction, decay. The 

 theory of evolution as applied to these phenomena is far more 

 inconceivable than that which theology presents. As touching 

 organic life, I may quote a sentence I came across some years 

 ago : " Supposing the cycle of life to be a spiral instead of a 

 circle, it may ascend or descend, expand or contract ; but this does 

 not connect it with other similar spirals, the separate origin of 

 which is to be separately accounted for." 



It is a fundamental axiom of evolutionists that organisms have 

 gone on improving in complexity and form. The inspired record 

 of creation states the fact, which geological scientists have only 

 recently proved, of the successive introduction of higher forms, 

 concluding with man. But the original families continue to-day 

 more or less in the same conditions as when first introduced. 

 There has been multiplication of genera, of species ; also infinite 

 degradation and degeneration ; but no evolution in the real sense 

 of a lower producing a higher type. 



It is surprising to me that thinking men, scientific workers, 

 who refuse to accept anything unless it be actually proven, should 



