, 1876-10-14

=
World Millions View Incapable Of
f'roaf-Ihe Evidences Of Evolution Dis
cusSCC.
LANES AND GENTIEMEN-We liTe and
form a part OF II system of immense dI7er>l'y,
which Ue call nature, aud 1t i matter of
The deepest interest 70 all Of ~ that We should
form Just cHnc-piiOa of the constitution oi
that system and is past history 10 Relation
to this universe, man Is IN This state llule
more lhan mathematical point in duration
but leeting shadow. He Is reed shaken
IN the wind ui forms; although a reed, he Is
thinking reed, and N virtue CT That Won
derfal capacity OF thcu;.At, he has ;he power
of framing 10 himself syin6G.icai section o!
the universe which, although doubtless
highly imperfect, aud sl'housh wholly IL
adequate A. a picture Of tha; great future,
vet l. sufficiently accurate 10 serve him as
gulde-bruk and n map in his praci ical affairs.
; l, hss taken long aSss aud accommodations Ot
} great labor 10 enable man 10 look steadily al
/ the varied phantasmngUr:a Cf nature 10 dis
] ceru what l. stable among her fluctuations
/ and what = regular among her torres. L Is
1 only mpara,Ively latsly-wi'hIa tie last
, two c,nturlls-that has emerged the eoacrp-
! non Of q peIva9;ug Orior and definite cause
( Of things, which We term the course Of na-
! ture. Bat out of this contemplation of
nature, and out Of mans thought coaarr;tug
hrr, Ilsr- h.l Ia these later times arisen that
CONCEPTION Of ;be cousi-ttuUy Of nature TO
| which have referred, auG 1t length ,hGt has
! become guiding conception OF modern
/ thought. II has ceased 70 b. almost uUnceIV-
/ able 70 any person wLo has paid attention 10
! modem thought that chauce should hive
any place III the universe, ur that events
! should follow III but tho natuTul order vi
causs and effect. We have cone 10 look upon
/ the present a. the child # the pas. aud the
/ parent Of the future, and a. We have ezclul-
! ed chance from any share or part IN the order
/ Of things, - in The present order Of natu:e
men have come to neglect ever: possibility
the notion Of any interference with that
order. Aud whatever may be men : persJual
notions upon these subjects, It Is quite Ger ain
/ that every intelligent p-r-On SuIdes his lights
and risks bis fortune upon Jhe belief that the
! order Of nature Is constant ami the relation
uf cause and eff a. UueEaEst.5-e- In fact,
| there Is no belief which We entertain which
! has - complete aud logical q b.sis as that to
/ which have Just referred. Itunlerlas racIt-
1 ly every process OF reason, II l. the tounda-
/ non Of every ac If tie Will; it Is based mp
on the urladest induction It Is verified by
! the most cons ant and regular and universal
/ Of the dr1uc'ivs processes. Bat NE must
/ rrcollect that any human belief, however
/ broad Is basic, however dependable Il may
I seem, Is, after ali, only probable belief, and
! that our hrDd~sr gru-raiiztr!onS axe Simply
/ the IiBba-t 1rgret, of pTObab!lItV.
| VIEWS KEGAHDING TIE ORDER Or NATURE
~ rHg PAST
| viii. il the irs- Qi4Cr, state to you Ghat
I are The views which have been eatrr'aiuc.!
/ resp eng he order of nature in the pas,
aud lhru Nil! CONSIDER hat evidence ls IL
/ aur possession 5earIu- upon the question,
and Gy What he evidence is 10 BE- Integ-Ts-
! ted. s. f,r a. I know, there are only three
! yiew~-rhree hypo'h-~.~-wbich have ever
| been entertained, OF which we'll can be eu'er-
I raiu,G, resp citing be pas history Of uatU-e.
( Upon the first ot these the assumption = that
The order Of nature which now obtains hss
always obtajuei-ip other words, that The
! ur.s,t.t cos.r-e f nature the pre--u; order Of
/ ghIug-, has sustained from ali eternity. The
| second hypothesis l., thai the present state ul
things which We nOw know substantially,
| though not, Of course, III all details, Ia; the
I state Of things which We now know, arose
! aud came INTO existence without any Fr,ce-
| dcut similar CONDITION from which i pIo
cerIei. The third hypothesis also assumes
! that The present order u nature has had but
:, limited duration, bu5 It supposrs that The
! present order Of thinEs proceeds by natural
process rom an ant,cr8sut order, aud SO ON.
! And on 'his hyppth-si- the attempt TO fix
| any limit Al which we can assign the con
mencenent Of this series Of changes i given
up am yyry aEz.oas that yOn should real
( " what these t.ree hyPOthess mean; that
! Is TO say, what they involve. Ii yon a.un,
! Imagine a spectator 10 have been present dur
no.. ia period to which they refer. On the
/ fret hypothesis, however lar back IN lirae
YOU place that spectator, be would have seen
| u world essentially, though not perhaps II al
/ H. details, similar 70 bat which now exists.
! The animals which exist would b. the anees-
/ tors Of hose which NOW exiS', and ike them
/ The plants IL like manner would be such a.
We new have. and like them. And the sup
| position Is, that Al however distant period
/ IN time you place your observer, he would
/ -uIl fiud mo7nraius and dry land, and seas
! and rivers, and animal and vegetable pro-
( due, fiourishiug upon them or sporting: IN
! Them. lust as he fiuds noE. That view has
! been held l. was a favorite fancy Of anti
quiry, and has survived along down toward
the Pr. sent day.
THE HYPOTHESIS or SUDDEN ORIGIN.
The second hypothesis, that to which
AYE. referred a. tie hypothesis which sup
ros,.s thai this order OF thugs had at some
N ~ remote per;ci of time sudden
n-i.,;,, such - II nov, i, that i the doctrine
Which Won will find stated mo-. fully and
cle,rlv IN the imrDurr1l poem # Joho MIr,on'
n. Ensli.h D.rirc L07Tasiia. ''Paradiss Lost.
I b,llrve II Is largely through tn InHarnce
OF that remarkable work, combined with
dai'y teachings to which We have all lis
r-pe3 IN our childhood, that this hypY hesIs
owes irs general wide diffusion a one OF The
currenr b-lief that Eug,I>h-speaklnZ people.
I; you turn TO The seventh book Of g Paradise
J.sr Won Will fad there stated the hyPo-
thesis to which ! refer.
TIE HYPOTHESIS or EVOLUTION.
And then esnes the third hypo,hesis,
which Is the hypothesis Of evolution That
.up,os-s that at any given period in the past
We should meet with a stale OF things more
or rs similar 10 the prr--n'. bat les SiInliA.
ia proportion as We 70 back in tine that
he physical frame Of the earth c5lln oe
rod back in this way - eond!tIJn n
which H. paris were separated IH'o li;'ie
more than nebu!ous cloud, making part oi
he e5rnulonsr substance into which Sr should
End The sun and the other planetary bodies
al-o resolved; and that Il Ne 'Esoe back 'ns
,uimsl world, or vegetable world. Te should
I'D Drss-dlrs the przs=nt fauna and f1'a,
animals sui piants-uor iiea zeal van ,hsii'
b., lie rhem-only increasing their differ
enoes as yoa 20 back IL time, aud Al The
-,rpe time, becoming simpler and simpler
until even ually We should arrive 1t nat
.,rla,iuous mas which, 80 far as oar pIe77ns