varieties of mankind will pass away, and the highest 

 be superseded by others more highly organised and 

 more nobly endowed, would be to shut our eyes 

 against all the teachings of the past, and obstinately 

 to resist the clearest deductions of reason. 



We are aware that many, influenced by old beliefs, 

 regard the whole scheme of vitality as culminating 

 and terminating with their own race. In their view 

 creation was an act rather than a work — a thing ac- 

 complished within a given time rather than a process 

 which has been going on from the beginning and is 

 still going forward. As man was the latest effort of 

 creation, so to their minds he must be the last ; and 

 as he was formed, according to the Hebrew cosmogony, 

 "in the image of his Maker," so none other can transcend 

 him. But to what section of mankind shall we apply 

 this statement ? To the dusky Negro or to the fair 

 Caucasian'? to the savage Australian or to the en- 

 lightened European ? As a broad generalised demar 

 cation between man and the lower animals, this 

 statement, which is only in harmony with the whole 

 anthropomorphising tendency of the Hebrew cos- 

 mogony, may be received without dissent ; but as 

 implying a limit to creative law it was never meant 

 and cannot be accepted. Physically and mentally 

 there are vast differences between existing races, and 

 consequently equally wide capabilities of rising to 



