NATURAL HISTORY OF CREATION. 177 



there being anything ridiculous or degrading in the 

 theor}^ — how absurd does it appear when we remember 

 that every individual amongst us actually passes through 

 the characters of the insect, the fish, and reptile (to 

 speak nothing of others), before he is permitted to 

 breathe the breath of life I But such notions are mere 

 emanations of false pride and ignorant prejudice. He 

 who conceives them little reflects that they, in reality, 

 involve a contempt for the works and ways of God. For 

 it may be asked, if he, as appears, has chosen to employ 

 inferior organisms as a genei-ative medium for the pro- 

 duction of higher ones, even including ourselves, what 

 right have we, his humble creatures, to find fault % There 

 is, also, in this prejudice, an element of unkindliness 

 towards the lower animals, which is utterly out of place. 

 These creatures are all of them part products of the 

 Almighty Conception, as well as ourselves. All of them 

 display wondrous evidences of his wisdom and benevolence. 

 All of them have had assigned to them by their Gi-eat 

 Father a part in the drama of the organic world, as well 

 as ourselves. Why should they be held in such contempt? 

 Let us regard them in a proper spirit, as parts of the 

 grand plan, instead of contemplating them in the light 

 of frivolous prejudices, and we shall be altogether at a 

 loss to see how there should be any degradation in the 

 idea of our race having been genealogically connected 

 with them. 



