74 PLAIlSr FACTS FOE OLD AND YOUNG 



known as germs, or bacteria, which were at first sup- 

 posed to be of spontaneous origin ; but careful scientific 

 investigation has shown that even these mere specks 

 of life are not independent of parentage. First, M. 

 Pasteur and, later, Professor Tyndall, with many other 

 distinguished scientists, demonstrated this fact beyond 

 all reasonable chance for question. 



One fact which gave rise to the belief in the sponta- 

 neous origin of germs, is their remarkable vitality. 

 These microscopic specks of life have been known to 

 stand a temperature of ten degrees below zero, and 

 considerably above the boiling point of water. A suf- 

 ficiently high degree of heat, however, or long-con- 

 tinued boiling, was proved by M. Pasteur to be fatal 

 to them, and by this means the doctrine of spontaneous 

 generation was overthrown. 



It is, then, an established law, that every living or- 

 ganism originates ivith some previously existing living 

 organism or organisms. 



Origin of Life. —The testimony of all nature, as 

 almost universally admitted by scientific men, is that 

 life originated through a creative act by the first great 

 Cause, who gave to certain bodies the requisite ar- 

 rangement or organization to enable them to perform 

 certain functions, and delegated to them the power to 

 transmit the same to other matter, and thus to perpet- 

 uate life. The Creator alone has the power to origi- 

 nate life. Man, with all his wisdom and attainments, 

 cannot discover the secret of organization. He may 

 become familiar with its phenomena, but he cannot 

 unravel, further, the mystery of life. The organiza- 

 tion of dead matter into living substance is carried on 

 through the lower class of living or organized bodies, 

 those known as vegetable organisms, or plants. 



