Page:Some Mistakes of Moses.djvu/73

Rh not a single living, breathing thing upon the earth. Plenty of grass, a great variety of herbs, an abundance of fruit, but not a mouth in all the world. If Moses is right, this state of things lasted only two days; but if the modern theologians are correct, it continued for millions of ages.

"It is now well known that the organic history of the earth can be properly divided into five epochs — the Primordial, Primary, Secondary, Tertiary, and Quaternary. Each of these epochs is characterized by animal and vegetable life peculiar to itself. In the will be found Algae and Skull-less Vertebrates, in the, Ferns and Fishes, in the , Pine Forests and Reptiles, in the , Foliaceous Forests and Mammals, and in the , Man."

How much more reasonable this is than the idea that the earth was covered with grass, and herbs, and trees loaded with fruit for millions of years before an animal existed.

There is, in Nature, an even balance forever kept between the total amounts of animal and vegetable life. "In her wonderful economy she must form and bountifully nourish her vegetable progeny — twin-brother life to her, with that of animals. The perfect balance between plant existences and animal