I VALUE OF THESE ARGUMENTS 41 



on a firm basis ? Can we consider the doctrine of 

 the transmutation of species as firmly established, as 

 demonstrated by fact in an unmistakable manner ? 

 Certainly not. Evolutionists are convinced of the 

 truth of their doctrine, they can point to a number of 

 facts which fit with it, but they cannot give the re- 

 quired demonstration. The situation of the creation- 

 ists is different. If they accept the view and they 

 must do so that every species and variety has been 

 specially created, they may say that things stand as 

 they ought to, if special creation has existed ; and as 

 none of them claim that special creation is going on 

 now we cannot ask of them to show us a creation of that 

 sort. On the other hand, evolutionists cannot claim 

 that evolution is a process of the past. They believe 

 in its present existence, not only in organic structure, 

 but in mental organization, and also in the inorganic 

 world, and they point to the facts of psychology, 

 zoology, and astronomy, as illustrating the pro- 

 cess of evolution. And creationists may rightly 

 demand of them to show precise and unmistakable 

 instances of transmutation. 



Are evolutionists prepared to meet this difficulty, 

 this requirement ? They may answer that the astron- 

 omical facts are not under their control, and that an 

 enormous amount of time is required to yield a single 

 instance of evolution, so that all they can do is to 



