The subject is one of such widespread interest as to make it probable that a plain and brief presentation of it will be acceptable, both to enable those who are evolutionists in principle to learn on what grounds their acceptance of this phase of evolution stands, and to aid those who are at sea on the whole subject of man's origin to reach some fixed conclusion. For these purposes this little book has been set afloat, with the hope that it may carry some doubters to solid land and teach some believers the fundamental elements of their faith. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. EVOLUTION VERSUS CREATION 1 II. VESTIGES OF MAN'S ANCESTRY 5 III. RELICS OF ANCIENT MAN 21 IV. FROM QUADRUPED TO BIPED 39 V. THE FREEDOM OF THE ARMS 54 VI. THE DEVELOPMENT OF INTELLIGENCE 68 VII. THE ORIGIN OF LANGUAGE 100 VIII. HOW THE CHASM WAS BRIDGED 111 IX. THE FIRST STAGE OF HUMAN EVOLUTION 130 X. THE CONFLICT WITH NATURE 158 XI. WARFARE AND CIVILIZATION 195 XII. THE EVOLUTION OF MORALITY 206 XIII. MAN'S RELATION TO THE SPIRITUAL 225 MAN AND HIS ANCESTOR I EVOLUTION VERSUS CREATION In any consideration of the origin of man we are necessarily restricted to two views: one, that he is the outcome of a development from the lower animals; the other, that he came into existence through direct creation. No third mode of origin can be conceived, and we may safely confine ourselves to a review of these two claims. They are the opposites of each other in every particular. The creation doctrine is as old almost as thinking man; the evolutionary doctrine belongs in effect to our own generation. The former is not open to evidence; the latter depends solely upon evidence. The former is based on authority; the latter on investigation. The doctrine of direct creation can merely be asserted, it cannot be argued; the statement once made, there is nothing more to be said; it is an _ipse dixit_ pure and simple. The doctrine of evolution, on the contrary, founded as it must be on ascertained facts, is fully open to argument, and depends for its acceptance on the strength and validity of the evidence in its favor.