ON GEOLOGIC HISTORY. 289 



^*^race of degraded men and of degraded angels. 



Now, it is truly wonderful how thoroughly, in its general 

 scope, the revealed pieces on to the geologic record. We 

 know, as geologists, that the dynasty of the fish was suc- 

 ceeded by that of the reptile, — that the dynasty of the rep- 

 tile was succeeded by that of the mammiferous quadruped, 

 — and that the dynasty of the mammiferous quadruped was 

 succeeded by that of man as man now exists, — a creature oi 

 mixed character, and subject, in all conditions, to wide alter- 

 nations of enjoyment and suffering. We know, further, — 

 so far at least as we have yet succeeded in deciphering the 

 record, — that the several dynasties were introduced, not in 

 the'r lower, but in their higher forms; — that, in short, in 

 the imposing programme of creation, it was arranged, as a 

 general rule, that in each of the great divisions of the pro- 

 cession the magnates should walk first. We recognise yet 

 further the fact of degradation specially exemplified in the 

 fish and the reptile. And then, passing on to the revealed 

 record, we learn that the dynasty of man in the mixed state 

 and character is not the final one, but that there is to be yet 

 another creation, or, more properly, re-creation, known theo- 

 logically as the Resurrection, which shall be connected in its 

 physical components, by bonds of mysterious paternity, with 

 the dynasty which now reigns, and be bound to it mentally 

 by the chain of identity, conscious and actual ; but which, in 

 all that constitutes superiority, shall be as vastly its superior 

 as the dynasty of responsible man is superior to even the 

 lowest of the preliminary dynasties. We are further taught, 

 that at the commencement of this last of the dynasties, there 

 will be a re-creation of not only elevated, but also of degraded 

 beings, — a re-creation of the lost. We are taught yet further, 

 that though the present dynasty be that of a lapsed race, 

 which at their first introduction were placed on higher ground 



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