reply to this evidence that the land had been gradually rising, he 
might -well have argued that had such been the case, there must 
have been a continuous deposit of beach material, from the existing 
sea-level to the highest point at which the shells and sand could be 
observed, whereas the presumed beaches were now seen to be wholly 
unconnected with each other. Urging that nothing but demon- 
strative evidence would ever convince him of the truth of that 
which was, without such proof, merely an hypothesis, and 
remarking, “ hypotheses non Jingo,” he would probably have 
gone on to say, “ 1 cling to the time-honoured belief of my 
ancestors, that tho world was created as we find it.” 
It seems to me that the present position of the anti-evolutionist is 
precisely similar to this. He is willing to admit that the organic 
world is subject to change — that small differences have arisen among 
living forms, which naturalists call varieties — but he will not believe 
anything of which he cannot have ocular proof. He is not satisfied 
with such connecting links as those to which I have called your 
attention, any more than we may suppose the anti-geologists were 
with the fragments of the ancient beach deposits along the shores 
of the Norway fiords. Although tho evolution hypothesis is 
supported by an enormous and concurrent mass of evidence, which 
not only affords a simple and rational explanation of the facts of 
zoology up to any particular date, but equally accords with, and 
as a rule, receives new strength from, fresh discoveries as they 
come to light ; although the alternative hypothesis is one for 
which no evidence ever has been, or ever can be offered, he is not 
convinced. Under such circumstances, the advocates of evolution 
may well be content to bide their time. As assuredly as the 
opposition to geology collapsed and died out, because there was no 
real force in the arguments by which it was carried on, which 
were merely of the nature of trivial objections, so will, I have 
little doubt, and for a similar reason, the opposition to the hypo- 
thesis wo have been this night considering. 
And it seems to me that, looking through the current literature 
of tho day, except from one quarter, active opposition to it has 
almost ceased already. I say from one quarter, for had it not been 
