COMPARISON BETWEEN ANIMALS AND PLANTS. 335 



like a homogeneous mass, having no appearance of any limbs 

 whatever ; these are either angular, oval, or globular. 



LECTURE XLVIII. 



Man at the Jiead of the Kingdoms of Nature. Comparison 

 between Animals and Plants. Conclusion. 



IN our last lecture, after a glance upward to the heavenly 

 bodies, we returned to our globe, and considered its various 

 substances ; here we found two classes of bodies, inorganized 

 and organized substances ; the former including minerals, the 

 latter embracing the animal and vegetable kingdoms. We 

 then took a brief view of the animal creation. 



At the head 6f the animal kingdom, we found man, suffi- 

 ciently resembling brute animals in his material frame, to con- 

 stitute part of an extensive class, embracing the ape, elephant, 

 and dog ; yet between the lowest degree of intelligence in the 

 human race, and the highest faculties of brutes, there is a line 

 of distinction marked by the hand of the Almighty, in charac- 

 ters too obvious for doubt. God said, " let us make man in 

 our own image, and he breathed into him the breath of life, 

 and man became a living soul." 



Some writers have attempted to show that man differs only 

 from the inferior order of animals in possessing a greater va- 

 riety of instincts. But however wonderful may appear the 

 instinctive perceptions of brutes, they are destitute of reason ; 

 and incapable of being the subjects of moral government ; we' 

 must, therefore, both from our own observation and the decla- 

 rations of scripture, infer, that the faculties of man differ, not 

 in degree only, but distinctly in their nature, from those of all 

 other beings upon our globe. 



" Man (says Buffon), by his form and the perfection of his 

 organs, and as the only being on earth endowed with reason, 

 seems properly placed at the head of the kingdoms of nature. 

 All in him announces the lord of the earth ; his form marks 

 his superiority over all living beings ; he stands erect, in the 

 attitude of command, he can gaze* upon the heavens ; on his 

 face is imprinted the character of dignity ; the image of his 

 soul is painted upon his features, and the excellence of his na- 

 ture penetrates through his material organs, and animates the 

 expression ofhis countenance." 



Man at the head of the animal kingdom How resembling inferior animals 

 How differing from them Buffon's description of man. 



