As the embryo of man has no more of the ape in it than of any other mammal, but contains in itself _the totality of the kingdoms of nature_, and since it seems to be a “persistent type” of life, far more so than even the Foraminifera, it seems as illogical to make him evolve from the ape as it would be to trace his origin to the frog or the dog. Both Occult and Eastern Philosophies believe in Evolution, which Manu and Kapila(589) give with far more clearness than any Scientist does at present. No need to repeat what has been fully debated in _Isis Unveiled_, as the reader may find all these arguments and the description of the basis on which all the Eastern doctrines of Evolution rest, in our earlier volumes.(590) But no Occultist can accept the unreasonable proposition that all the now existing forms, “from the structureless Amœba to man,” are the direct lineal descendants of organisms which lived millions and millions of years before the birth of man, in the pre‐Silurian epochs, in the sea or land‐ mud. The Occultists believe in an _Inherent Law of Progressive Development_.(591) Mr. Darwin never did, and says so himself; for we find him stating that, since _there can be no advantage_ “to the infusorian animalcule or an intestinal worm ... to become highly organized,” therefore, “natural selection,” _not necessarily including progressive development_—leaves the animalcule and the worm, the “persistent types,” quiet.(592) There does not appear much _uniform_ law in such behaviour of Nature; and it looks more like the discriminative action of some _super_‐physical selection; perhaps, that aspect of Karma, which Eastern Occultists would call the “Law of Retardation,” may have something to do with it. But there is every reason to doubt whether Mr. Darwin himself ever gave such an importance to his law as is now given to it by his atheistic followers. The knowledge of the various living forms in the geological periods that have gone by is very meagre. The reasons given for this by Dr. Bastian are very suggestive: