CHAPTER XI 



HOW LIFE APPEARED ON EARTH 



CONTINUING our application of science 

 to the Scripture account we now meet 

 with an apparent difficulty. Before the 

 sun is mentioned in the Sacred Text the creation 

 of plant-life is fully described for us. In ex- 

 planation we shall return once more to the series 

 of Yale lectures delivered with no purpose of 

 reconciling Scripture with science, a reconciliation, 

 be it here said, never objectively called for. The 

 supposed "warfare" between Scripture and science 

 can be based only upon a defective interpretation 

 of the Sacred Books or else upon the too-common 

 error constantly pointed out here, of mistaking 

 mere scientific theories for established facts. 



Lorande Loss Woodruff, professor of biology, 

 alluding to Osborn's theories, definitely refers to 

 the existence of life elements upon the earth "be- 

 fore the atmospheric vapors admitted a regular 

 supply of sunlight." 1 There is consequently no 

 reason for denying that lower forms of life may 

 well have existed before the sun was clearly 



1 "The Evolution of the Earth," p. 105. 

 124 



