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the fact, that a Cherokee Indian — a Soudan Negro — a native 
Australian — a Mongol Tartar, and an Anglo-Saxon can all 
be descended from a common parentage. And yet, when we 
come to examine things more closely, there is no greater 
difficulty in believing in the unity of the human race, than 
in the variations of plants and flowers, propagated from the 
same seed-capsule, as seen especially in the case of orchids, 
to which I shall refer in the sequel. W e are distinctly told 
that, “by the Sons of Noah were the nations divided in 
the earth after the flood . ” It would require a considerable 
amount of the most unimpeachable testimony to set aside this 
plain declaration of Scripture. As yet, nothing approaching 
to reliable evidence has been adduced to negative the Mosaic 
record, 
17. The present manifold variety of the human family 
appears, at first sight, to present irreconcilable difficulties 
and confusion ; yet, that confusion is merely the unknown inter » 
'mixture of laws , and if we were in a position to understand 
the whole of the case, the problem that all human creatures 
now living have descended from a single pair, and from a 
common type, might not seem so difficult of solution. That 
the fact is so, we simply believe, not only from the declaration 
of Scripture, but from the analogy of Nature. 
18. The great Archetype of creative skill on earth is — - 
Man. During the long succession of ages that preceded him, 
all the creatures that existed upon the globe were gradually 
coming nearer and nearer to the perfect type which, in the 
counsels of the Most High, was to wind up the series when 
man appeared. The four ages of Nature may be classified as 
follows : — 
1. The Reign of Fishes. 
2. The Reign of Reptiles. 
3. The Reign of Mammals. 
4. The Reign of Man. 
19. During the first age. Fishes were the masters of creation. 
Then the air-breathing animals were very few. During the 
second age Reptiles assume the chief place and authority over 
the other classes. The air-breathing animals were more nume- 
rous. During the third age terrestrial animals of colossal 
dimensions abound, and then the Mammals obtain the mastery, 
and occupy the most prominent position. Finally, comes the 
chief work of the great Master-Builder, the most perfect of all 
created beings on this earth — for whom all the others were 
merely preparing the way — Man ! All the creatures that 
came before man were so many symbols, as it were, of the 
future model after which by anticipation they were already 
VOL. VII.. 2 D 
