THE LAWS OF DESCENT 101 



Now this is demonstrated by the science of Embryology, 

 which illustrates the laws of descent in the manner we have 

 already hinted at. God does not destroy the plans of the 

 houses he builds because he has produced more perfect designs 

 but starts with the first plan and rebuilds each one as an outer 

 covering till he arrives at the final design. This is done be- 

 cause he wishes these facts to be a lasting memorial of instruc- 

 tion to illustrate to us the infinity of life and existence, and the 

 immortality of creation, and the perfection and indestructibility 

 of the scheme His Almighty Wisdom has propounded, and to 

 impress upon us how insignificant a portion of creation we are. 

 Now to show how the science of Embryology demonstrates 

 the laws of descent : first the ova are produced in the male 

 and female parent by the partitioning of the original ovum 

 into cells. In this manner one ovum after another is pro- 

 duced behind the other so that the vital chain of life is not 

 a fresh life but only a new link in the old chain, or an extended 

 multiplication, reduplication or extension of continuous exist- 

 ence. So at the back of each ovum another is formed which 

 is the exact duplicate of the ova already formed, so at the back 

 of each, another comes into existence endowed with the same 

 powers and vitality as its predecessors but without in any way 

 impairing the strength, vitality, or life of its predecessors. 

 The first spermatozoon so formed is ejected, then the second, 

 third and fourth and so on, the last germ so formed remaining 

 behind to recreate itself in others, after which it must follow its 

 predecessors. These germs, coming into contact with the female 

 germ, the two unite, the male carrying with it the power to re- 

 produce the germs of mind, spirit and soul, the female granting 

 to the united birth, love, life, body, shape and form. Then 

 in the womb of the mother the embryo in each animal birth 

 goes through in succession the process of reproduction of 

 many, if not all, of the forms of its previous animal existences 

 that it possessed or passed through in its course of evolutions, 

 each of which tended to decide what form of animal life, 

 species, form or shape it was ultimately to attain. These 

 varied changes occupy for a short time during the first days 

 of pregnancy their place and order in the life of each one of 

 us before the ultimate form of man becomes completely evolved 

 in the womb. Thus the body of every man passes through 

 some, if not all of the varied forms of his previous existences, 



