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PARTICULAR CONSIDERATIONS 



RESPECTING 



THE ORIGIN OF THE ANIMATED TRIBES. 



IT being thus shown that there is a general probability in 

 favour of organic creation as a natural event, it becomes 

 necessary to inquire whether this idea be supported or con- 

 tradicted by special facts connected with the constitution of 

 organic bodies 



Here the patrons of opposite views appear at first sight to 

 have an advantage. " Yes," they say, " it may appear that 

 the bodies of space have been formed and arranged in the 

 manner of natural law ; it may be admitted that all the 

 geognostic phenomena have had a similar history ; but when 

 you come to treat of life and organization, you find yourself 

 in a totally different field. These are mysteries, in the con- 

 sideration of which physical laws fail you, and you are forced 

 to make reference to causes of a different order. Before the 

 origin of life upon our planet could be supposed to have taken 

 place as a simply natural phenomenon, it would be necessary 

 to show that it can be produced at this moment out of inor- 

 ganic elements. But this cannot be shown ; and we must 

 therefore conclude that a special interference of deity was re- 

 quired at the commencement of every species." 



It is nevertheless true, that much of this is mere assump- 



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