THE SIMIAN ORIGIN OF MAN. 367 



time, more in accordance with the teachings of na- 

 ture and the spirit of Divine revelation. 



It is possible, although highly improbable, that 

 the evolutionary theory of the origin of Adam's cor- 

 poreal frame is one of such cases. And it is possible, 

 too, that our successors in the enjoyment of light 

 that is not vouchsafed to ourselves, may be willing 

 to admit as a scientific doctrine, what we, at present, 

 are not justified in considering as more than a fanci- 

 ful and unwarranted hypothesis. Nevertheless, be 

 this as it may, we must not forget what has already 

 been adverted to when discussing the derivative ori- 

 gin of animals and plants, viz., that Evolution is 

 not a theory of creation or cause, but one of order 

 ; and method ; a modus creandi which the Deity was 

 pleased to adopt. Of the origin of matter, of life, 

 of spirit, science, as such, can give us no information. 

 As to the origin of matter, Evolution, as a doc- 

 trine, is confessedly mute. " Of the origin of life it 

 does not profess to have the slightest knowledge ; of 

 the character of the in-dwelling force, which out of 

 the one original cell develops the marvelous diversity 

 of architecture in the individual beings, of the 

 variations which gave a start to the process of nat- 

 ural selection in the differentiation of species, it can 

 tell us nothing; of the marvelous adaptation of the 

 external conditions of the inorganic world to the 

 growth and differentiation of organic life, it gives no 

 account ; the unity of all this infinite variety of de- 

 velopment in one great order, having a continual 

 progress towards a higher perfection, it sees clearly, 

 but it cannot find a cause. No wonder that, as we 



