majority would be in favour of whichever theory should eventually appear 
to be true, and that at present they suspended their judgment, and did not 
give any preference to the various theories of man’s origin. 
Dr. Hunt frankly says this, though individually he consi- 
ders, “ under all the circumstances, that the polygenist theory 
is the most reasonable/" while at the same time he also admits 
“it is an assumption of no ^great scientific value.” Now, 
surely in such cases, when “ science ” gives no certain sound, 
if we have any rational grounds for accepting the Scriptures 
at all, and for holding the Christian faith, it is impossible but 
that what the Scriptures seem most obviously to teach as 
regards man’s origin and history, and which has been, the 
universal tradition among those to whom were first committed 
the oracles of God, must be received without doubt or 
hesitation. 
The precise position for which I am now contending was 
well brought out in the third paper read before the Insti- 
tute, On Comparative Philology, by the Rev. Dr. Robinson 
Thornton. Scripture not only teaches us of the creation of 
the world and of man’s origin, but tells us of the origin also 
of that marvellous human faculty and instrument of reason, 
language or speech; or rather it narrates the origin of that 
variety of languages which we find throughout the .world. 
Now, the investigation of this subject is a perfectly, legitim ate 
matter for rational inquiry. It is almost impossible, indeed, for 
thinking men to refrain from speculating on the subject. The 
variety of tongues among mankind is perfectly analogous to 
the varieties we find in the world as regards man’s mental and 
physical development. We cannot help wondering how the 
present state of things could have come about. We see slight 
variations in outward appearance, in mental capacity, and m 
manner of speech, even in every family and village and city. 
We find greater differences still, and more marked characteris- 
tics, in different races and nationalities and countries. We see 
the work of variation and divergence on a small scale, witnm 
certain limits, going on before our eyes. We reflect, and look 
back and around us, and we discover that we are face to xace 
with a great and intricate problem. And what do we find i W e 
find that the most eminent philologist of our day, the accom- 
plished Professor Max Muller, has come to the conclusion, 
from inductive reasoning upon the internal evidence furnished 
by analyzing the roots and structure of all the various 
languages of the world, that they must have had one common 
origin.° Now, comparative philology, remember, is quite a 
modern science. How marvellous, then, to say the least, it is 
