each other's necessities. Organic species might then have been likened
to a countless multitude of voices all singing in one harmonious psalm
of praise. But, as it is, we see no vestige of such co-ordination; every
species is for itself, and for itself alone--an outcome of the always
and everywhere fiercely raging struggle for life[29].'

The large and general fact thus stated constitutes, in my opinion, the
strongest of all arguments in favour of Mr. Darwin's theory of natural
selection, and therefore we can see the probable reason why it is what
it is, so far as the question of its physical causation is concerned.
But where the question is, Supposing the physical causation ultimately
due to Mind, what are we to infer concerning the character of the Mind
which has adopted this method of causation?--then we again reach the
answer that, so far as we can judge from a conscientious examination of
these facts, this Mind does not show that it is of a nature which in man
we should call moral. Of course behind the physical appearances there
may be a moral justification, so that from these appearances we are not
entitled to say more than that from the fact of its having chosen a
method of physical causation leading to these results, it has presented
to us the appearance, as before observed, of caring for animal
perfection to the exclusion of animal enjoyment, and even to the total
disregard of animal suffering.

In conclusion, it is of importance to insist upon a truth which in
discussions of this kind is too often disregarded--viz. that all our
reasonings being of a character relative to our knowledge, our
inferences are uncertain in a degree proportionate to the extent of our
ignorance; and that as with reference to the topics which we have been
considering our ignorance is of immeasurable extent, any conclusions
that we may have formed are, as Bishop Butler would say, 'infinitely