12 Teachings of ThomasHltxley 



should not be taken to represent twenty-four 

 hour periods, but thousands or tens of thousands 

 of years. This would do very well were it not 

 true that the order in which animals are said 

 to have appeared is also utterly confused and 

 incorrect For this we have to depend upon the 

 records of geology, which are complete enough 

 to build up a perfect order of events, and from 

 which there has been no dissension in the geo- 

 logicaJ camp, — a fact in itself of the greatest 

 importance in determining the accuracy of the 

 deductions. 



Concerning the existence of a First Cause 

 there can be no reasonable doubt. A finite 

 mind must begin Bomewhere, and since spon- 

 taneity of origin is so contrary to all that we 

 know of the working out of natural causes one 

 is compelled to believe with Huxley "That 

 'Creation* in the ordinary sense of the word is 



» 



perfectly conceivable." Continuing he says, 

 "I find no difficulty in conceiving that at some 



mer period this universe was not in exist- 

 ence; and that it made its appearance in con- 



uence of the volition of Borne pre-existing 

 Beii ;." 



The past history of Nature is presented by 



Huxley in the form of three hypotheses which 



seem rer all the possibility 8. I have en- 



deavored to paraphrase them as follow-: 



1. 1 f" I nivi rse has existed through all eter- 



