it will, decide that for himself. But ignorant or dishonest,
we affirm, is every one of them who still teaches the Creation Story as
a record of actual facts, or as anything but a Hebrew myth.

The origin of the human race is far different from that recorded in
Genesis. Man has undoubtedly been developed from a lower form of life.
The rude remains of primitive men show that they were vastly inferior to
the present civilised inhabitants of the world, and even inferior to
the lowest savages with whom we are now acquainted. Their physical and
mental condition was not far removed from that of the higher apes; and
the general opinion of biologists is that they were descended from
the Old World branch of the great Simian family. There is, indeed, no
_absolute_ proof of this, nor is it probable that there ever will be, as
the fossil links between primitive man and his Simian progenitor,
if they exist at all, are most likely buried in that sunken continent
over which roll the waters of the South Pacific Ocean. But as the line
of natural development can be carried back so far without break, there
is no reason why it should not be carried farther. The evolution theory
is now almost universally accepted by men of science, and few of them
suppose that man can be exempted from the general laws of biology. At
any rate, the Bible account of Creation is thoroughly exploded, and when
that is gone there is nothing to hinder our complete acceptance of the
only theory of man's origin which is consistent with the facts of his
history, and explains the peculiarities of his physical structure.

NOAH'S FLOOD.

BIBLE ROMANCES--2.

By G. W. FOOTE.

The Bible story of the Deluge is at once the biggest and the most
ridiculous in the whole volume. Any person who reads it with the eyes of
common sense, and some slight knowledge of science, must admit that it
is altogether incredible and absurd, and that the book which contains it
cannot be the Word of God.

About 1,656 years after God created Adam, and placed him in the garden
of Eden, the world had become populous and extremely wicked; indeed,
every thought and imagination of man's heart was evil continually. What
was the cause of all this wickedness we are not informed; but we are
told that the sons of God took unto them wives of the daughters of men
because they were fair, and we are led to suppose that these matches
produced giants and other incurably wicked offspring. No physiologi