THE PRIMORDIAL STATE OF ANIMALS. 105 



But now let us see what would be the natural consequence 

 of some of the arguments which have been urged pro et contra. 

 Although it may be admitted that all animals, except such as 

 arise by budding, reproduce themselves by eggs, yet it does not 

 follow that the first created animal, like its successors, was an 

 egg ; for to assert that would be to assume that eggs are not or 

 have not always been uniformly developed in a parent, since the 

 first egg could not then have had a parent ; but if it were true, 

 then, it would appear that some eggs have been altogether 

 dependent upon physical causes for their origin, at least for 

 their surroundings or matrix ; and if so once, why not again : 

 why should there be a change in the process of the original 

 creation ? 



Again, if, on the other hand, it is assumed that the first animals 

 were created full standing adults, then it is admitted that some 

 animals have originated without passing through the egg-stage, 

 and thus the probability is left open that more and other kinds 

 of animals have been created in the same way since the begin- 

 ning; and hence it follows, of necessity, that the advocate of this 

 theory must admit that spontaneous generation, that is, creation 

 without the preliminary inter- parental egg -state, is possible. 

 How, or by what causes, whether the primary creative or sec- 

 ondary, it matters not ; the question here is, does it happen ? 

 The essential point to be ascertained in such as Prof. Wyman's 

 flask experiments is, having so disposed matter in the apparatus 

 that one is sure that no living thing exists there, whether animate 

 beings do originate there ; and if they do, it must be without the 

 intervention of any previously existing animal; that is, they 

 must be created there either by direct fiat or according to the 

 laws of the Creator. The theory of spontaneous generation, as 

 a fact, has nothing to do with the how it is brought about; but 

 simply does it occur ; do individual animals ever originate totally 

 independent of other individuals? 



Now if the opposing theorists advocate the egg theory, then 

 they must admit that there has been a want of uniformity in 

 the mode of the creation of animals; seeing that eggs at one 



