l system of natural causation has for its eventual result "a fair
order of Nature," cannot of itself be a fact inimical to the hypothesis
of Design in Nature, even though it be true that such causation entails
the continual elimination of the less efficient types.

'To the best of my judgement, then, this argument from failure, random
trial, blind blundering, or in whatever other terminology the argument
may be presented, is only valid as against the theory of what Mr.
Alexander alludes to as a "Carpenter-God," i.e. that if there be Design
in Nature at all, it must everywhere be _special_ Design; so that the
evidence of it may as well be tested by any given minute fragment of
Nature--such as one individual organism or class of organisms--as by
having regard to the whole Cosmos. The evidence of Design in this sense
I fully allow has been totally destroyed by the proof of natural
selection. But such destruction has only brought into clearer relief the
much larger question that rises behind, viz. as before phrased, Is there
anything about the method of natural causation, considered as a whole,
that is inimical to the theory of Design in Nature, considered as a
whole?'

It is true that this argument does not bear directly upon the
_character_ of the God whose 'design' Nature exhibits: but indirectly it
does[33]. For instance, such an argument as that found above (on p. 79:
'we see a rabbit, &c.') seems to be only valid on the postulate here
described as that of the 'Carpenter-God.'

It is also probable that Romanes felt the difficulty arising from the
cruelty of nature less, as he was led to dwell more on humanity as the
most important part of nature, and perceived the function of suffering
in the economy of human life (pp. 142, 154): and also as he became more
impressed with the positive evidences for Christianity as at once the
religion of sorrow and the revelation of God as Love (pp. 163, ff.). The
Christian Faith supplies believers not only with an argument against
pessimism from general results, but also with such an insight into the
Divine character and method as enables them at least to bear hopefully
the awful perplexities which arise from the spectacle of individuals
suffering.

In the last year or two of his life he read very attentively a great
number of books on 'Christian Evidences,' from Pascal's _Pensees_
downwards, and studied carefully the appearance of 'plan' in the
Biblical Revelation considered as