fic
salvation.

EDWIN V. O'HARA.

St. Paul, Minn.

_INTRODUCTION._

During the last few years I have published under this title short
articles dealing with the present status of Darwinism. In view of the
kind reception which has been accorded to these articles by the reading
public I have thought it well to bring them together in pamphlet form.
Indeed, the Darwinian movement and its present status are eminently
deserving of consideration, especially on the part of those before whom
Darwinism has hitherto always been held up triumphantly as a scientific
disproof of the very foundations of the Christian faith.

By way of introduction and explanation some general preliminary remarks
may not be amiss here. Previous to twenty or thirty years ago, it was
justifiable to identify Darwinism with the doctrine of Descent, for at
that time Darwinism was the only doctrine of Descent which could claim
any general recognition. Consequently, one who was an adherent of the
doctrine of Descent was also a Darwinian. Those to whom this did not
apply were so few as to be easily counted. The dispute then hinged
primarily on Darwinism; hence, for those who did not admit the truth of
that theory, the doctrine of Descent was for the most part also a myth.

I say, for the most part; for there were already even at that time a
few clear-sighted naturalists (Wigand, Naegeli, Koelliker and others)
who saw plainly the residue of truth that would result from the
discussion. But to the overwhelming majority, the alternatives seemed
to be: Either Darwinism or no evolution at all. Today, however, the
state of things is considerably altered. The doctrine of Descent is
clearly and definitely distinguished from Darwinism at least by the
majority of naturalists. It is therefore of the utmost importance that
this luminous distinction should likewise become recognized in lay
circles.

My object in these pages is to show that Darwinism will soon be a thing
of the past, a matter of history; that we even now stand at its
death-bed, while its friends are solicitous only to secure for it a
decent burial.

Out of the chaos of controversy which has obtained during the last four
decades there has emerged an element of truth--for there lurks a germ
of truth in most errors--which has gained almost universal recognition
among contemporary men of science, namely, the doctrine of Descent. The
fact that living organisms form an ascending series from the l