"SPECIAL CREATION" 151 



cell to initiate the line of invertebrates ; another 

 that of fishes, let us say ; another of mammals : 

 the number varying according to the views of 

 the theorist on phylogeny. Let us not forget 

 that the cell or cells which accidentally acquired 

 the attributes of life, had accidentally to shape 

 themselves from dead materials into something 

 of a character wholly unknown in the inorganic 

 world. If one seriously considers the matter it is 

 so it seems to me utterly impossible to 

 subscribe to the accidental theory of which the 

 immanent god the blind god of Bergs on is a 

 mere variant. One must agree with the late 

 Lord Kelvin that " science positively affirms 

 creative power . . . which (she) compels us to 

 accept as an article of belief." But what are we 

 to say with regard to the series of repeated 

 accidents which the polyphyletic hypothesis would 

 seem to demand ? Is it really possible that any 

 man could bring himself to place credence in 

 such a marvellous series of occurrences ? Mono- 

 phyletic or polyphyletic evolution, whichever, if 

 either, it may have been, presents no difficulty 

 on the creation hypothesis. 



The Divine plan might have embraced either 

 method. It is not merely revelation but ordinary 

 reason which shows us that the wonderful things 

 which we know, not to speak of the far more 

 wonderful things at which we can only guess, 

 cannot possibly be explained on any other hypo- 

 thesis than that of a Free First Cause a Creator. 



