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cause of that deterioration, then I think we arrive at one great, if not the 
greatest answer, to the whole theory. I mean this : I pass from that one idea 
which has been prevalent in my mind, to another, — to the idea Mr. Manners 
struck the chord of, when he spoke of our ignoring any idea of there being 
a great Saviour-man come to recover man’s lost estate. I consider this 
theory may be good to apply to vegetables and animals and fish, and all the 
various species with which this world is stocked. There may be causes in 
climates, in various temperatures, to bring about changes ; but when you 
come to man, you are applying it to a being to whom no law that you can in 
any way bring to bear ought to be applied. I mean this ; that the law of 
man’s fall, the law of man’s own self-will, what we Christians call free-will, 
has deteriorated mankind. Let us take the case of man coming from the 
ark, I mean Noah and his three sons. We have a distinct proof in my mind 
of the fact that there was a deterioration from that day forth on account 
of the sin of one man. They came out of the ark, and we find that the 
descendants of Ham have ever since gone back because of man’s sin. It 
appears that that is ignored, excepting that Mr. Manners alluded to it once 
to-night. I think, therefore, that this theory is one which ought not to be 
applied to mankind or what may happen to man. 
The Chairman. — As the time is so far advanced, I shall not call upon any 
other gentleman to speak ; and I think it is only fair as Mr. Warington has 
been replied to in writing, and the discussion to-night has been so long,— 
that Mr. Warington should have the same opportunity of consulting Mr. 
Reddie’s written Reply that he had of reading Mr. Warington’s paper. This 
is also Mr. Reddie’s own wish ; and I shall therefore, with your permission, 
adjourn the discussion to our next meeting. 
The Meeting was then adjourned. 
