Recent advances in natural science in their relation to the Christian faith : a paper read at the Reading Church Congress, October, 1883 / by Professor Flower.

  • Flower, William Henry, 1831-1899.
Date:
[1883]
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Recent advances in natural science in their relation to the Christian faith : a paper read at the Reading Church Congress, October, 1883 / by Professor Flower. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    so often described, beginning in the short-necked, heavy-limbed many-toed tapir-like animal, of the Eocene period, and ending in the graceful, long-necked, light-limbed, single-toed horse of our own age, and numerous others which time will not allow me even to mention. It would be impossible here to trace the history of the effect of this enormous influx of knowledge upon the doctrine of the separate origin and fixed characters of species ; to narrate the scattered efforts of philosophical minds, discontented with the former views, but not yet clearly seeing the light j to describe the slow and struggling growth of the new views, amid difficulties arising from imperfections of know- ledge, and the opposition of prejudice, or to apportion to each of those who by their labours have contributed to the final result, his exact share in bringing it about. How much, for instance, is due to the work and the writings of our illustrious countryman. Darwin ? and how much to those who have preceded or followed him ? All this forms an episode in the history of the progress of human knowledge which has been abundantly chronicled elsewhere. The result may, however, be briefly stated to be, that the opinion now almost, if not quite, universal among skilled and thoughtful naturalists of all countries, and whatever their beliefs upon other subjects, is that the various forms of life which we see around us, and the existence of which we know from their fossil remains, are the product, not of independent creations, but of descent, with gradual modification from pre-existing forms. In short, the law of the natural descent of individuals, of varieties, races, or breeds (which being within the limits of the previous powers of observation, was already universally admitted) has been extended to the still greater modifications constitut- ing what we call species, and consequently to the higher groups called genera, families and orders. The barrier fancied to exist between so- called varieties and so-called species has broken down. ^ Anyone commencing the study of the subject at the present time without prejudice, and carefully investigating the evidence upon which to form his conclusions, bearing in mind that he must look for his proofs, not so much in direct experiments or absolute demonstrations, which from the nature of the case are impossible, but in the convergence of the indications furnished by the interpretations of multitudinous facts of most diverse kinds, must find it extremely difficult to place himself in the position of those who held the older view, so much more reasonable, so much more in accordance with all that we know of the general phenomena of nature does this new one seem. In fact the onus probandi now appears entirely to lie with those who make the assertion that species have been separately created. Where, it may be asked, is the shadow of a scientific proof that the first individual of any species has come into being without pre-existing parents ? Has any competent observer at any time witnessed such an occurrence ? The apparent advent of a new species in geological history, a common event enough, has certainly been cited as such. As well might the presence of a horse in a field, with no sign of other animals of the same kind near it, be quoted as evidence of the fallacy of the common view of the descent of individuals. Ordinary observation tells us of the numerous causes which may have isolated that horse from its parents and kindred. Geologists know equally well how slight the chances of more than a