They who study even only such portion of the works of God as can,
seemingly, to some extent be examined by the human mind, never fail to
discover a singular affinity between all things, the creation of his
hand. This, to us, would be proof, independent of inspiration, that one
Creator made the whole world and all things therein.
So great is the affinity between the vegetable and animal kingdoms, that
it is to this day a doubt where the one terminates or where the other
begins. Naturalists all agree that they both spring from “slightly
developed forms, perhaps varied, yet closely connected;” true, “starting
away in different directions of life,” but ever preserving, it may be an
obscure, yet a strict analogy to each other.
These analogies are sufficiently obvious to prove that one power, one
and the same general law, has brought them both into existence. Thus the
devout worshipper of God may, in some sense, view the vegetable
inhabitants of the earth as his brethren.
The animal kingdom may be considered as divisible into five groups. The
vertebreta, annulosa, (the articulata of Cuvier,) the radiata, the
acrita, (in part the radiata of Cuvier,) and the molusca.
Each one of these groups will be found divisible into five classes. Let
us take, for example, the vertebreta, and it is readily divided into the
mammalia, reptilia, pisces, amphibia, and aves.
So each one of these classes is divisible into five orders. Let us take,
for example, the mammalia; and it is readily divided into the
cheirotheria, (animals with more or less perfect hands,) feræ, cetacea,
glires, and ungulata.
So each one of these orders is divisible into five genera. Let us take,
for example, the cheirotheria, and it is readily divided into the bimana
or homo, the quadrumana or simiadæ, the natatorials or vespertilionidæ,
the suctorials or lemuridæ, the rasorials or cebidæ.
So each one of these genera is divided in five species. Let us take, for
example, the bimana or homo, and it is readily divided into the
Caucasian or Indo-European, the Mongolian, the Malayan, the Indian or
aboriginal American, and the Negro or African.
Thus we behold man in his relation to the animal world: true, far in
advance as to his physical and mental development; yet the natural
philosopher finds traces of all his mental powers among the inferior
animals, as does the comparative anatomist those of his physical
structure.
Does he feel degraded by the fact that God has been pleased to order
this relation of brotherhood with the lower orders of creation? Or will
he for ever suffer his pride to hedge up the way of progress by the
impassable darkness of his own ignorance.
The uniformity of these penta-legal ramifications, which reach down from
man through all the orders and groups of the animal world, gives
evidence of a preconceived design—of an arrangement by Almighty power—of
a God whose thought is law!—while the analogy of animal formation, the
traces of affinity in the mental qualities found in all, in proportion
as those qualities are more or less developed, and the apparent
adaptation of each one to the condition in which it is found,
demonstrate the unity of the law which governs their physical being.
These analogies, found to exist between all the individuals of the
animal world, and particularly striking and more and more obvious as we
proceed from a particular group to its genera and species, have led some
philosophers to suppose that the more perfectly developed species have
been progressively produced by some instance of an improved development,
as an offshoot from the genera, and so on back to its original form of
animal life, in obedience to the laws of the great First Cause. But we
wish to disturb no man’s philosophy. We deem it of little importance to
us what method God pursued in the creation of our species; whether we
were spoken instantly into life, as was the light, or whether ages were
spent in reproducing improved developments from the earlier forms of
animal life.
In either case we see nothing contradictory to the inspired writings of
Moses. Man is as much the creation of God through one means as another.
The wisdom and power required are the same; for his existence alone
demonstrates him to be the work of a God. The fact of the existence of
these analogies is alone what we propose to notice. And we offer them
merely as indications of a course of study that may lead to some
important results in elucidation of the mental and physical relations
between the different varieties of man.
In further illustration, let us for a moment look at the bovine species,
from the genus ruminantia, from the order ungulata, and we find the ox,
the bison, the buffalo, the elk, and the goat.
Like the five species of homo, we find the bovine species divided into a
great number of families or varieties, of which we need take no further
notice. Does any one fail to perceive the analogy between these species
of the bos? Are they more obscure, more aberrant than are the relations
between the species of man? Examine the high physical development of the
most intellectual Caucasian; trace down the line to the diminutive and
ill-formed cannibal savage of Africa, the habits and mental development
of whom would seem rather allied to the lower orders of animals than to
the Caucasian! How will it comport with the general laws manifested by
the condition of the animal world and of the obvious inferiority and
influence of one over another, in proportion to their apparent
superiority in physical and mental development, to place the lowest
grade of the African in equal power or in control of the Caucasian
brother? Is there any manifestation of the Creator of an arrangement
like this, even through the eternity of his own work?
On the contrary, through the whole animal race, we find power and
control lodged everywhere in proportion as we find an advance towards
perfection in the development bestowed.
In conformity to this law, God gave Adam “dominion” over every living
thing that moved upon earth.
It is known to most men, that, under certain circumstances, the race of
any animal will improve: so also, under adverse, they degenerate. We see
these facts daily in the breeds of domestic animals. We see these
changes even in the families of all the species of man. Nor is it a
matter of the least importance to our inquiry, whether these species of
the race have been produced by an upward movement from the lowest, or a
downward degenerating movement from the most elevated. It is sufficient
that they exist from some cause; for an individual having been, say an
equal, but now degenerate, falls under the influence and control of his
superior. And in conformity to this law, it was announced to Eve, the
helpmate of Adam, that “he shall rule over thee.”
But if these particles of inspiration had never been proclaimed, man
would have discovered this law from its constant operation, not only on
the family of man, but on every branch of the animal world.
We can spend but little time with such infidel principles as lead some
men to say, “Down with your Bible that teaches slavery.” “If the
religion of Jesus Christ allows slavery, the New Testament is the
greatest curse that could be inflicted on man.” “Down with your God who
upholds slavery; he shall be no God of mine.” “Jesus Christ was himself
a negro!” Our hearts bleed when we see such evidence of a destroyed
intellect. The maniac in his ravings excites our extreme sorrow. We feel
no harshness. He has sunk far below resentment. Can we administer to
such mental deformity any relief? Will it be absurd to ask him to deduce
from nature, as it is found to operate, that the various grades of
subjection spread through the animal world exist in conformity to the
natural law?
But, says the querist, “Your remarks have a tendency towards the
conclusion,—upon the supposition that Adam was created with a perfect,
or rather with a very high order of physical organization and mental
development,—that the facts of the greater or less degeneration of the
people of the world, since his fall, now exhibited by the different
species of man upon the earth, had their origin in his transgression.
Now, by parity of argument, we may conclude, if such high physical
elevation was the original condition of Adam, that each genus of the
brute creation also was originally created on a proportional scale. If
so, their degeneration is quite as visible as that of man. Yet we have
no account that they committed sin and ‘fell.’”
We do not say that such was the original condition of the first man. We
say, the creation of the animal world was upon principles compatible
with progressive improvement; and that as far as these principles are
not obeyed, but changed or reversed by the practice of the animal world,
that the effect is to remain stationary, or to retrograde and
deteriorate.
It is a matter of no importance to our argument what was the first
condition of Adam. But allow it to be as querist has stated: We answer,
the Bible was given to man for his moral government; not to teach him
geology, chemistry, or other sciences. Such matters were left for him to
attain by progressive improvement. A minute history of the brute
creation, or any portion of it, from the earliest dawn of animal life up
to the time of revelation, other than the announcement of their creation
and subjection to him, was irrelevant. But man was the very head and
governor of the whole animal race. Now, who is to say that the
degeneration of the ruler will not produce a change of conduct in the
ruled? Who is to say that the poisoned moral feeling of him in command,
breaking forth in acts of violence on all around, will not produce a
corresponding effect on the animate objects under him? Witness the
effect, we need not say on children, but on domestic animals, of the
rash, cruel, and crazy treatment of a wicked and inconsistent man?
The idea that the brute creation were injured in condition by the fall
of man is put forth by St. Paul, in _Rom._ viii. 9–22, where the word
“creature” is translated from the Greek term that implies the whole
animal or the whole created world. But no answer to querist is
necessary. The fact is sufficient that animals, under habits ill-adapted
to their organization, do degenerate.
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