Page:Divine Selection or The Survival of the Useful.djvu/11



T HAS been the work of the last century to present a nearly complete theory of Evolution, and to formulate a chain of reasoning that upholds the doctrine that every genus and species of plants and animals are derived from simple forms through gradual modification of functions.

The first suggestion of this doctrine threw the religious world into consternation. At first its advocates did not openly attack the fundamentals of religion, but with ominous reticence in regard to the spiritual and the Divine, or with the subtlety of cautious but factitious wisdom pleading them unknown, they proceeded to elaborate a theory that, if true, not only undermines all religion, but so thoroughly denies God as to render Him unnecessary.