61 
thought of Scripture than Darwin ; but, deep in the founda- 
tions of his thinking, the Infinite One has such a place as 
constrains him ever to see that Almighty Spirit as not only the 
first, but the constant cause of the great harmonies of life. 
Agassiz sees that this Infinite One has such a place as is 
inconsistent utterly with the theory of evolution. On this 
point he is at antipodes with Darwin. He sees species among 
mankind, as clearly defined as among any other of the genera 
of earth. He imagines a considerable number of creations of 
“ first parents ” for the human race, as well as for other races, 
each pair made suitable to a particular “ province,” and placed 
there along with suitable types of life associated with them. 
He says, — “ The diversity among animals is a fact determined 
b} 7 ’ the will of the Creator, and their geographical distribution 
part of the general plan which unites all organized beings 
into one great organic conception; whence it follows that 
what are called human races, down to their specialization as 
nations, are distinct primordial forms of the type of man.”* 
Starting from a period when he holds that this globe was 
unsuited to the existence of life, he says (logically enough) 
that when this ceased and life began, origin by development 
was impossible, because there were no “ ancestors ” from 
which living creatures could be developed. Here Darwin 
admits the creation of “a few forms, or one,” into which 
ff several powers ” were “ originally breathed.” But Agassiz 
insists on the continued action, not of these powers, in which 
he has no faith, but of that power which gave origin to all 
primordial beings. He says, “ Until we have some facts to 
prove that the power, whatever it was, which originated the 
first animals, has ceased to act, I can see no reason for referring 
the origin of life to any other cause.” f By the “ origin 
of life ” here he cannot mean the first animals created merely. 
He clearly means the origin of life in every individual creature. 
It is in such ideas we see the immense divergence of his 
thoughts from those of Darwin ; and here, I must confess, I 
cordially agree with Agassiz. I am not sure about his “ evi- 
dence ” of a state of the earth when it was impossible for 
living beings of any sort to exist on it ; but I am fully con- 
vinced with him that there was a time when life began, and 
that He who gave it origin gives it continuity . 
But now comes the testing point in the doctrine of Agassiz, 
when he divides the human family into distinct species, and 
seeks to place his proof for this division before us. In the 
Types of Mankind, by Nott and Gliddon, from which we have 
* Types of Mankind , p. 76. + Travels in Brazil, p. 43. 
