Haeckel, (Evolution of Man, p. 26), says the first one, or the first few, animals that appeared on our earth arose “by spontaneous generation from inorganic matter.” On the same page he says:
“Life is only a physical phenomenon. All the plants and animals, with man at their head, are to be explained in structure and life, by mechanical or efficient causes, without any appeal to final causes, just as in the case of minerals and other inorganic bodies. This applies equally to the origin of the various species. We must not assume any original creation … to explain this, but a natural, continuous and necessary evolution.”
Prior to the publication of Darwin’s Origin of Species in 1859, belief in the theory of special creation was well nigh universal among scientists as well as laymen. But immediately after the publication of that work the scientific world accepted Darwin’s theory as absolute truth, not only as to animals and plants, but extended the Darwinian principle of materialism to all other branches of science. Materialism permeated all literature and became a fad. It fostered “higher criticism,” agnosticism, infidelity and atheism. It destroyed human hope and enthroned despair. It shook and rent the church from the corner stone to the spire.
According to the materialist, there is no such thing as a personal God, nor a human soul. He maintains that life, intellect, memory and will-power are mere properties of the human body as a physical structure; and that death works the absolute annihilation of the body and the Ego. In his view, there is no life, punishment nor pleasure after death. He, therefore, resolves to make the most of his life, and to get all the ease, comfort and pleasure that it affords, without regard to anything that may happen after death. He has no fear of any final judgment, nor of God. He is not restrained by any moral law, nor by any religious obligation. He fears nothing but publicity, public opinion, and the criminal statutes. Hence, lying, cheating, fraud, perjury, theft, robbery, murder, suicide.
I admit that heredity, environment and other forces, which the evolutionist denominates, “the factors of organic evolution,” may affect, modify, or differentiate an animal or a plant, or its organs and parts, to a certain extent. But I deny that heredity, environment or any, or all, the “factors” combined, are adequate to evolve a new species of animal or plant; or even a new organ or part of one. On the contrary I maintain that heredity, environment and all other factors of evolution combined, are inadequate to produce a single animal or plant, without the aid of the Creator; and that each animal and plant is a new, direct and special creation by Almighty God.
In this little work, I shall make an humble effort to prove that there is a living personal God; that He directly and specially creates each human being; makes its body and endows it with life and with an immortal soul. If the reader shall think that I have made a creditable effort to accomplish this purpose, I shall have done my fellow man a good service by pointing the way to hope and happiness.
Sec. 3. Chemical Elements Composing the Human Body
“Of the elements known to chemists,” says Professor Martin, “only sixteen have been found to take part in the formation of the human body. These are (1) calcium, (2) carbon, (3) chlorine, (4) fluorine, (5) hydrogen, (6) iron, (7) lithium, (8) magnesium, (9) manganese, (10) nitrogen, (11) oxygen, (12) phosphorus, (13) potassium, (14) silicon, (15) sodium, and (16) sulphur. Copper and lead have sometimes been found in small quantities, but are probably accidental and occasional.” (Martin, Human Body, p. 7.)
It is clear that neither the nature nor the properties of these elementary substances, are changed by the fact that such substance has become a part of the body. For example, iron is iron whether in or out of the body.