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388 BKITISH ASSOCIATION, MEETING AT EXKTER.
beware of placing them prematurely in the rank of ascertained truths,
and building further conclusions on them as if they were.
When from the phenomena of life we pass on to those of mind, we
enter a region still more profoundly mysterious. We can readily
imagine that we may here be dealing with phenomena altogether tran-
scending those of mere life, iu some such way of those of life transcend,
as I have endeavoured to infer, those of chemistry and molecular
attractions, or as the laws of chemical affinity iu their turn transcend
those of mere mechanics. Science can be expected to do but little to
aid us here, since the instrument of research is itself the object of in-
vestigation. It can but enlighten us as to the depth of our ignonmce,
and lead us to look to a higher aid for that which most nearly concerns
our well-being.
In the Biological Section the following papers have been read :
" Man and the Animals, being a comiier-theory to Mr. Darwin as to
the Oriyin of Species.'" By Archdeacon Freeman. The autlior said,
" This question was one of the widest interest, and had become the
battle-field of nations. In England opinion was divided. France was
generally against the theory, and Germany in its favour. The only
way to reply to Darwinism satisfactorily was to assert a counter-
theory. It was suicidal to ignore in this inquiry the statements of the
Bible. Mr. Darwin's theory was, that unity of type was explained by
unity of descent, and that all living creatures had graduated one from
another, anrl probably from one parent. Natural selection was only
one means by which he believed this had been brought about. But
had the plan of the universe aim or cause? Why should all the
higher animals be so closely allied? Why should the beast have so
many correspondences in structure with man ? To these questions the
Biblical record supplied an answer. According to the account given
tiiere, no sooner \vas the creation over and the Fall accomplished, than
there appeared on the scene mysterious beings—the cherubim, whose
name signified forms and figures. Now either these were made after
the six days' creation in imitation of the animals, or, what was more
probable^ the animals were formed in imitation of them. To believe
that all creatures were formed alter pre-existent ideas in the divine
mind was largely entertained by Plato. Thus, then. Scripture was
seen to anticipate the conclusion of science, and to establish the pro-
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