94 From Matter to Man. 



ception would involve the contradictory hypothesis of 

 the creation of conditioned substance from no-sub- 

 stance by an immaterial and unconditioned Creator, 

 yet we can frame a theory by which motion of uni- 

 versal matter appears inevitable under present con- 

 ditions, and absolute rest impossible. 



Firstly : If we suppose the beginning of the universe 

 to be a mere void, absolute emptiness, there would 

 then be neither matter nor motion, Creator nor 

 universe. 



Secondly : Assume, for argument's sake, the exist- 

 ence of the void, and further, that a planet, such as 

 our earth, with all its present properties, introduced 

 itself or grew (Topsy-like) in this void. This new- 

 born planet, alone in the universe, would be motion- 

 less' — at absolute rest ; because in a void, with neither 

 top nor bottom, nothing to fall to or revolve around, 

 and nothing to reciprocate with or call into action its 

 potential energies, it could not move. If, on the 

 other hand, it plunged into the void from nowhere, it 

 would maintain the same speed and the same direction 

 eternally.* 



Thirdly : Suppose another planet to plunge or 

 introduce itself into the void- at a distance from the 

 first, an element of disturbance would then pervade 

 the universe — a point of attraction to both planets, 

 virtually a bottom to both planets, hence something 

 to which both would fall by gravity or reciprocal 



* Both hypotheses are, of course, utterly ridiculous, but not more 

 so than the orthodox theory of creation. 



