HIS HISTORICAL RELATIONS. 113 



different languages, different styles of architecture, 

 and different forms of religious worship, all of which 

 must have taken thousands of years for their elabora- 

 tion, even at the ratio of existing progress, and 

 infinitely more in times when the arts and sciences, 

 mechanical appliances, and means of intercommuni- 

 cation were in their infancy as compared with those 

 of the present day. This slow evolution of new 

 peoples with new civilisations, new languages, new 

 religions, new customs, and new architectural ideas, is 

 seldom suflB.ciently thought over. Were it otherwise, 

 no other argument would be necessary to expose the 

 absurdity of a chronology that would limit the exist- 

 ence of man to the lapse of a few thousand years. 



Let the question be fairly and reasonably looked 

 at, as between men anxious and earnest to arrive at 

 the truth, and not bound to defend any bias or pre- 

 conception ! No matter in what state, intellectually 

 and morally, man originated (a matter which will be 

 considered under another section), it is clear that in 

 time past, as at present, his beginnings in every region 

 have been of a lowly and primitive kind. From this 

 primitive condition newer and advancing nationalities 

 have had to be evolved ; and as this has ever been 

 (we appeal to all history) a gradual and fluctuating 

 process, it must have required long time for its 

 accomplishment. Language has also had to be ela- 



