DBWAB ON SPONTANEOUS GENERATION. 35 



who look at and discuss the subjects brought before them from no 

 other than a scientific point of view, we desire to claim your 

 attention for a short time to the much debated question of spon- 

 taneous generation. 



"We do not come before you with any new experiments to illus- 

 trate the subject, for we are of opinion that so far as experiments 

 are valuable, no new ones can be performed that would materially 

 alter the position of affairs, or give a further insight into the begin- 

 nings of life. Such have been made scores of times and by as many 

 different men. Besides, no one would put faith in experiments 

 performed in such a benighted country as Nova Scotia. 



Sceptics on the subject are of opinion that a microscope will yet 

 be made which will enable us to see the very evolution of life ; but it 

 must be apparent to any one, that until we can see an atom separate 

 and distinct as an individual — a result which of course can never 

 ensue as the very atmosphere we look through is composed of atoms 

 — we can never see two atoms coming together and exhibiting life ; 

 thus the birth of life will remain for ever a phenomenon buried in 

 infinity. But this should be no hindrance to our reasoning out 

 the modus operandi by analogy, a proceeding which, under the 

 circumstances, is perfectly allowable and scientific. 



The general meaning of the term Spontaneous Generation is, 

 that matter of itself and by itself, without seed, egg, or antecedent 

 vegetable and animal life, creates out of its own substance a living 

 plant or animal. 



Taking this as our groundwork, we proceed to state that we 

 believe in Spontaneous Generation, in so far as that life may be 

 originated in matter without seed, egg, or antecedent life, but with 

 this essential difference that we believe in a power higher than 

 matter or the force implanted in matter, and that it is this power 

 which is the original source of life in matter. 



Instead of Spontaneous Generation therefore, we would rather 

 say Predestinated Generation, because when a new creation is 

 formed, it has only come into being by the exertion of a law 

 implanted in matter in the beginning, by which it was ordained 

 that when certain atoms of matter came into a certain position and 



