Every atom in a cell is a physical body, like a brick, and must be moved by extraneous force, having no power to lift and move itself, automatically. It may be said that the heart and arteries of the mother furnish the energy, which moves the atoms to the building site of the cells, in the first instance. But the atoms are not only moved; they are carried at the proper time and deposited at the right place to build up the organ or part which is being constructed. We cannot believe that the mother has any knowledge of, nor power over, the distribution of the atoms and cells, which go to build up the embryo body; nor can we even imagine that the embryo itself distributes them. So it would be absurd to suppose that the atoms and cells move and distribute themselves, automatically, in such a manner as to build up the embryo.
How do the cells know when to begin the formation of the morula? How do they know when it has been completed and when to begin the construction of the blastula? How do they know when to take the form of the gastrula, and when to enter the next stage?
The forces and motions required to build up the morula (a solid ball) are different from those required to construct the blastula (a hollow ball) and the gastrula (a two-layered hollow group of cells with an aperture at one end of it); the morula, blastula and gastrula, each, requiring forces and motions peculiar to itself. Now, what psychic force stops the forces and motions, which build up the morula, and sets to work the forces which construct the blastula and afterward the gastrula?
It is obvious that these cells, (if there be enough of them), may be so grouped as to form a sphere, cube, cylinder, plate or any other figure; and that any of these may be solid, hollow or porous. The head, brain, heart, kidneys and some other parts of the embryo, approximate the form of a sphere; the trunk, arms, legs and many bones are approximately cylindrical; other bones take the form of a plate, for example the bones of the skull. The form and shape of the embryo, and of every organ and part of it, depends entirely upon the manner in which its component cells are grouped.
How is it possible for these unthinking microscopic cells to know at what point to begin, and in what direction to grow, and in what manner they shall group themselves, in order to construct the skeleton, brain, spinal cord, heart, lungs, stomach, liver, kidneys, etc.?
The only reasonable hypothesis is that the production and placing of cells in the embryo body are directed and controlled by a supernatural psychic and creative force.
After the formation of a rudimentary head and trunk, two “arm-buds” and two “leg-buds” appear on the surface of the trunk. At first these “buds” are slight swellings or projections, but they soon take the form of a cylinder and continue to grow mainly in length and slightly in diameter, until the man or woman has finished his or her growth. Every embryo that ever existed, grew and behaved in this same manner, thus showing that the same supernatural psychic and creative force directed and controlled the growth and deposit of cells in the body of every man and woman that ever lived.
How could the cells possibly know at what point, on the body of the embryo, to group themselves together in order to build up the arms and legs? How could they contrive to give the arms and legs the form of a cylinder, the length being several times as great as the diameter? How could the cells possibly know that there should be only one bone in each arm above the elbow and two below the elbow and the wrist? How could they know the number of bones that should be placed between the wrist and fingers? How could they know that there should be a thumb and four fingers in each hand and the number of joints in each finger? How could it be possible for the blind unthinking cells to build up the two legs and feet, with all their bones, processes, joints, muscles, nerves, arteries, veins, etc., without the aid and direction of a supernatural psychic and creative force?
We are, therefore, compelled to assume that the Creator generates, guides, and controls the forces which distribute and group the atoms and cells in the body of the embryo.