glaucus-第14章

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say　again；　for　he　sees　no　reason　to　alter　his　words　…　in　speaking　

of　the　wonderful　variety　of　forms　in　the　Euphorbiaceae；　from　the　

weedy　English　Euphorbias；　the　Dog's　Mercuries；　and　the　Box；　to　the　

prickly…stemmed　Scarlet　Euphorbia　of　Madagascar；　the　succulent　

Cactus…like　Euphorbias　of　the　Canaries　and　elsewhere；　the　Gale…like　

Phyllanthus；　the　many…formed　Crotons；　the　Hemp…like　Maniocs；　

Physic…nuts；　Castor…oils；　the　scarlet　Poinsettia；　the　little　pink　

and　yellow　Dalechampia；　the　poisonous　Manchineel；　and　the　gigantic　

Hura；　or　sandbox　tree；　of　the　West　Indies；　…　all　so　different　in　

shape　and　size；　yet　all　alike　in　their　most　peculiar　and　complex　

fructification；　and　in　their　acrid　milky　juice；…　〃What　if　all　these　

forms　are　the　descendants　of　one　original　form？　　Would　that　be　one　

whit　the　more　wonderful　than　the　theory　that　they　were；　each　and　

all；　with　the　minute；　and　often　imaginary；　shades　of　difference　

between　certain　cognate　species　among　them；　created　separately　and　

at　once？　　But　if　it　be　so　…　which　I　cannot　allow　…　what　would　the　

theologian　have　to　say；　save　that　God's　works　are　even　more　

wonderful　than　he　always　believed　them　to　be？　　As　for　the　theory　

being　impossible　…　that　is　to　be　decided　by　men　of　science；　on　

strict　experimental　grounds。　　As　for　us　theologians；　who　are　we；　

that　we　should　limit；　？priori；　the　power　of　God？　　'Is　anything　too　

hard　for　the　Lord？'　asked　the　prophet　of　old；　and　we　have　a　right　

to　ask　it　as　long　as　the　world　shall　last。　　If　it　be　said　that　

'natural　selection；'　or；　as　Mr。　Herbert　Spencer　better　defines　it；　

the　'survival　of　the　fittest；'　is　too　simple　a　cause　to　produce　

such　fantastic　variety　…　that；　again；　is　a　question　to　be　settled　

exclusively　by　men　of　science；　on　their　own　grounds。　　We；　

meanwhile；　always　knew　that　God　works　by　very　simple；　or　seemingly　

simple；　means；　that　the　universe；　as　far　as　we　could　discern　it；　

was　one　organization　of　the　most　simple　means。　　It　was　wonderful　…　

or　should　have　been　…　in　our　eyes；　that　a　shower　of　rain　should　

make　the　grass　grow；　and　that　the　grass　should　become　flesh；　and　

the　flesh　food　for　the　thinking　brain　of　man。　　It　was　…　or　ought　to　

have　been　…　more　wonderful　yet　to　us　that　a　child　should　resemble　

its　parents；　or　even　a　butterfly　resemble；　if　not　always；　still　

usually；　its　parents　likewise。　　Ought　God　to　appear　less　or　more　

august　in　our　eyes　if　we　discover　that　the　means　are　even　simpler　

than　we　supposed？　　We　held　Him　to　be　Almighty　and　All…wise。　　Are　we　

to　reverence　Him　less　or　more　if　we　find　Him　to　be　so　much　

mightier；　so　much　wiser；　than　we　dreamed；　that　He　can　not　only　make　

all　things；　but　…　the　very　perfection　of　creative　power　…　MAKE　ALL　

THINGS　MAKE　THEMSELVES？　　We　believed　that　His　care　was　over　all　His　

works；　that　His　providence　worked　perpetually　over　the　universe。　　

We　were　taught　…　some　of　us　at　least　…　by　Holy　Scripture；　that　

without　Him　not　a　sparrow　fell　to　the　ground；　and　that　the　very　

hairs　of　our　head　were　all　numbered；　that　the　whole　history　of　the　

universe　was　made　up；　in　fact；　of　an　infinite　network　of　special　

providences。　　If；　then；　that　should　be　true　which　a　great　

naturalist　writes；　'It　may　be　metaphorically　said　that　natural　

selection　is　daily　and　hourly　scrutinizing；　throughout　the　world；　

every　variation；　even　the　slightest；　rejecting　that　which　is　bad；　

preserving　and　adding　up　all　that　is　good；　silently　and　insensibly　

working；　whenever　and　wherever　opportunity　offers；　at　the　

improvement　of　each　organic　being；　in　relation　to　its　organic　and　

inorganic　conditions　of　life；'　…　if　this；　I　say；　were　proved　to　be　

true；　ought　God's　care　and　God's　providence　to　seem　less　or　more　

magnificent　in　our　eyes？　　Of　old　it　was　said　by　Him　without　whom　

nothing　is　made　…　'My　Father　worketh　hitherto；　and　I　work。'　　Shall　

we　quarrel　with　physical　science；　if　she　gives　us　evidence　that　

those　words　are　true？〃



And　…　understand　it　well　…　the　grand　passage　I　have　just　quoted　

need　not　be　accused　of　substituting　〃natural　selection　for　God。〃　　

In　any　case　natural　selection　would　be　only　the　means　or　law　by　

which　God　works；　as　He　does　by　other　natural　laws。　　We　do　not　

substitute　gravitation　for　God；　when　we　say　that　the　planets　are　

sustained　in　their　orbits　by　the　law　of　gravitation。　　The　theory　

about　natural　selection　may　be　untrue；　or　imperfect；　as　may　the　

modern　theories　of　the　〃evolution　and　progress〃　of　organic　forms：　　

let　the　man　of　science　decide　that。　　But　if　true；　the　theories　seem　

to　me　perfectly　to　agree　with；　and　may　be　perfectly　explained　by；　

the　simple　old　belief　which　the　Bible　sets　before　us；　of　a　LIVING　

GOD：　　not　a　mere　past　will；　such　as　the　Koran　sets　forth；　creating　

once　and　for　all；　and　then　leaving　the　universe；　to　use　Goethe's　

simile；　〃to　spin　round　his　finger；〃　nor　again；　an　〃all…pervading　

spirit；〃　words　which　are　mere　contradictory　jargon；　concealing；　

from　those　who　utter　them；　blank　Materialism：　　but　One　who　works　in　

all　things　which　have　obeyed　Him　to　will　and　to　do　of　His　good　

pleasure；　keeping　His　abysmal　and　self…perfect　purpose；　yet　

altering　the　methods　by　which　that　purpose　is　attained；　from　aeon　

to　aeon；　ay；　from　moment　to　moment；　for　ever　various；　yet　for　ever　

the　same。　　This　great　and　yet　most　blessed　paradox　of　the　

Changeless　God；　who　yet　can　say　〃It　repenteth　me；〃　and　〃Behold；　I　

work　a　new　thing　on　the　earth；〃　is　revealed　no　less　by　nature　than　

by　Scripture；　the　changeableness；　not　of　caprice　or　imperfection；　

but　of　an　Infinite　Maker　and　〃Poietes；〃　drawing　ever　fresh　forms　

out　of　the　inexhaustible　treasury　of　His　primaeval　Mind；　and　yet　

never　throwing　away　a　conception　to　which　He　has　once　given　actual　

birth　in　time　and　space；　（but　to　compare　reverently　small　things　

and　great）　lovingly　repeating　it；　re…applying　it；　producing　the　

same　effects　by　endlessly　different　methods；　or　so　delicately　

modifying　the　method　that；　as　by　the　turn　of　a　hair；　it　shall　

produce　endlessly　diverse　effects；　looking　back；　as　it　were；　ever　

and　anon　over　the　great　work　of　all　the　ages；　to　retouch　it；　and　

fill　up　each　chasm　in　the　scheme；　which　for　some　good　purpose　had　

been　left　open　in　earlier　worlds；　or　leaving　some　open　（the　forms；　

for　instance；　necessary　to　connect　the　bimana　and　the　quadrumana）　

to　be　filled　up　perhaps　hereafter　when　the　world　needs　them；　the　

handiwork；　in　short；　of　a　living　and　loving　Mind；　perfect　in　His　

own　eternity；　but　stooping　to　work　in　time　and　space；　and　there　

rejoicing　Himself　in　the　work　of　His　own　hands；　and　in　His　eternal　

Sabbaths　ceasing　in　rest　ineffable；　that　He　may　look　on　that　which　

He　hath　made；　and　behold　it　is　very　good。



I　speak；　of　course；　under　correction；　for　this　conclusion　is　

emphatically　matter　of　induction；　and　must　be　verified　or　modified　

by　ever…fresh　facts：　　but　I　meet　with　many　a　Christian　passage　in　

scientific　books；　which　seems　to　me　to　go；　not　too　far；　but　rather　

not　far　enough；　in　asserting　the　God　of　the　Bible；　as　Saint　Paul　

says；　〃not　to　have　left　Himself　without　witness；〃　in　nature　itself；　

that　He　is　the　God　of　grace。　　Why　speak　of　the　God　of　nature　and　

the　God　of　grace　as　two　antithetical　terms？　The　Bible　never；　in　a　

single　instance；　makes　the　distinction；　and　surely；　if　God　be　（as　

He　is）　the　Eternal　and　Unchangeable　One；　and　if　（as　we　all　confess）　

the　universe　bears　the　impress　of　His　signet；　we　have　no　right；　in　

the　present　infantile　state　of　science；　to　put　arbitrary　limits　of　

our　own　to　the　revelation　which　He　may　have　thought　good　to　make　of　

Himself　in　nature。　　Nay；　rather；　let　us　believe　that；　if　our　eyes　

were　opened；　we　should　fulfil　the　requirement　of　Genius；　to　〃see　

the　universal　in　the　particular；〃　by　seeing　God's　whole　likeness；　

His　whole　glory；　reflected　as　in　a　mirror　even　in　the　meanest　

flower；　and　that　nothing　but　the　dulness　of　our　own　souls　prevents　

them　from　seeing　day　and　night　in　all　things；　h