56 ORGANIC EVOLUTION CONSIDERED 



elements, are essentially alike. He denies that man 

 can be explained in terms of the mammal, and so on 

 back till all are explained in terms of a common soil 

 and sunshine. 



He believes that as we ascend the scale, whether by 

 evolution or otherwise, something more than dyna- 

 mics must be appealed to in order to account for the 

 marvelous progress. 



If we knew that man was made directly from inor- 

 ganic matter, then there could be no question as to 

 the existence of an intelligent Creator. The miracle 

 is evidence of supernatural power. 



A miracle producing a small change is as strong 

 proof as one producing a great change, but in the 

 former case there is more room to question the fact 

 as to its being a miracle. For example, the creation 

 of a single living cell — an amoeba — directly from in- 

 organic matter might possibly be regarded as a case 

 of spontaneous generation, while the creation of a 

 man in a similar way would be an undoubted miracle. 

 On account of the doubts thus arising as to the cause 

 of small changes, which constitute the method of 

 evolution, the Theist is slow to accept this as a sub- 

 stitute for the older belief. My own conviction is 

 that, whatever the method, it is Divine. Equal 

 results require equal causes, whether produced sud- 

 denly or prolonged through the ages. 



