42 THE HISTORY OF CREATION. 
first time, it became possible to arrange the immense mass of 
different organic forms according to their greater or less 
degree of resemblance, and to obtain an easy survey of the 
general outlines of such a “system.” Linnzeus facilitated 
the tabulation and survey of this “system” of plants and 
animals still more by placing together the most nearly 
similar genera into so-called orders (ordines); and by 
uniting the most nearly similar orders into still more com- 
prehensive main divisions or classes. Thus, according to 
Linneeus, each of the two organic kingdoms were broken up 
into a number of classes, the vegetable kingdom into twenty- 
four, and the animal kingdom into six. Each class again 
contains several orders. Every single order may contain 
a number of genera, and, again, every single genus several 
species. 
Valuable as was Linnzeus’ binary nomenclature in a prac- 
tical way, in bringing about a comprehensive systematic 
distinction, designation, arrangement, and division of the 
organic world of forms, yet the incalculable theoretical 
influence which it gained forthwith in relation to the 
history of creation was no less important. Even now all 
the important fundamental questions as to the history of 
creation turn finally upon the decision of the very 
remote and unimportant question, What really are kinds or 
species? Even now the idea of organic species may be 
termed the central point of the whole question of creation, 
the disputed centre, about the different conceptions of 
which Darwinists and Anti-Darwinists fight. 
According to Darwin’s opinion, and that of his adherents, 
the different species of one and the same genus of animals 
and plants are nothing else than differently developed 
