Part 5

There is no such thing as making _any thing_ out of _nothing_. Every thing is made of some other thing. The body of the horse is made of corn, hay and other vegetable and mineral substances. So the human body is made of bread, meat and other food-stuffs, eaten by the mother before birth and by the individual, himself, after birth. The germ-cell is deposited in the womb of its mother. It cannot develop nor grow, unless it receive nourishment from her body. She eats bread, meat and other things, these are converted into blood, and a portion of it is carried, by the force of her heart and arteries, to the germ-cell; it absorbs and assimilates a portion of the blood; produces cells; and these are so distributed and grouped as to form the embryo body with all its organs and parts.

It is obvious that the father has nothing to do with the circulation of the mother’s blood, which conveys nourishment to the embryo; it is equally clear that she has no conscious part in the circulation of her own blood, and that she has no power nor control over the development nor the growth of the embryo, except such as she may exert indirectly by the food which she eats.

The embryo begins life as a germ-cell. Atoms of building material must be conveyed, by the blood of the mother, to this cell, otherwise, it cannot develop nor grow. As new cells are produced, they are so distributed and grouped as to form the several organs and parts of the embryo body; or it may be said that new cells are produced and added to older cells, at such points as to build up the embryo organs and parts. For example, arm-buds and leg-buds appear on the surface of the trunk, as slight swellings or projections; new cells are added to these buds; they grow, in length, by the addition of cells at the distal (outer) ends, until they have attained the proper length, terminating in the fingers and toes. So the arms and legs grow to some extent in diameter by the addition of new cells; but the number of cells, which go to extend the length of the arms and legs, greatly exceeds the number which go to increase the diameter.

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.

Sec. 26. Distribution and Grouping of Cells in the Embryo Body, Continued

The atoms and cells of which the embryo body is built up, and those of which each organ and part is made, are carried to “the building site” and there grouped by force. This force, whatever it may be, must be sufficient to overcome the force of gravity and the friction, which one atom or cell encounters in moving on the surface of another. This force must be guided and controlled by a Being with a conscious intellect, memory and will-power in order to build up the embryo body, or one of its organs, and give it the proper form and size; for the right number of atoms or cells must be carried to “the building site” of each organ and part, or it will be too large or too small, and out of proportion to the other parts of the body; and these atoms or cells must be so grouped as to give the organ or part the correct form--not too long, too wide nor too thick; else it will not fit into its place, nor be in harmony with the other parts of the body. Intellect, memory and judgment are necessary to construct the body or any part of it with atoms or cells, for the builder must know the anatomy of the body; must know the time when each part of the work must be done; must know the relation of each part to every other part; must know the proper form and size of each part, and the present form and size; must compare each part with every other in order to preserve harmony and due proportion among all the parts, in form, size and function.

The atoms of lime, phosphorus, carbon and oxygen, are assembled in the body of the embryo and combined in such manner as to make the rudimentary bones rigid and stable; others are assembled, combined and so grouped as to form the muscles; others to form the brain, spinal cord and nerves; others to form the arteries, veins, etc.; each of these tissues has its own chemical composition and molecular structure, radically different from the composition and structure of every other tissue. Moreover, these chemical and molecular changes (specializations) are made side by side at the same time, all at once, the muscles being attached to the bones, and the nerves, arteries and veins, ramifying through the muscles, bones, etc. Not only so, but the atoms and cells, which form the bones, muscles, nerves, arteries, veins, etc., are assembled, grouped and specialized at the exact points, at which these tissues are needed to build up the embryo body.

What force or agency does this miraculous work? Surely, it is not the father, nor the mother. It is not done by accident nor by chance, for the same things happen in the development and growth of every normal embryo body in every age and country the world over. All this wonderful work is done in every embryo body by the same psychic and creative force, whose work is uniform, continuous and everlasting.

The evolutionist says the development and growth of an embryo results from “heredity;” that the child develops and grows as it does because its father and mother and all their ancestors, for thousands of generations developed and grew in the same manner; and that the embryo develops and grows by “a natural continuous and necessary evolution.”--(Haeckel, Ev. Man, p. 26.)

This is absurd, for the cells which build up the embryo, are new combinations of the atoms of which they are composed; each embryo develops and grows anew for itself; neither the germ-cell nor any of its daughter-cells has any knowledge of the father, nor of the mother; nor of their mode of development and growth; nor of their organs and parts; nor has the embryo any power nor control over its own development and growth, nor to imitate the development and growth of its parents, even if it knew how they developed and grew.

Sec. 27. Differentiation (Metamorphosis) of Simple-Cells Into Bone-Cells, Muscle-Cells, Nerve-Cells, Vascular-Cells, Gland-Cells, Etc.

A cell is said to be “a simple-cell,” when it is composed of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen, with a possible trace of phosphorus and sulphur,--when it consists of plain protoplasm--and before it has been differentiated into a bone-cell, muscle-cell, nerve-cell or the like. To convert a simple-cell into one of these specialized cells certain atoms must be added to it, or taken from it; or certain atoms must be taken away and others added to it; or the chemical combination of atoms in it must be broken down and new ones formed. There is no change in the properties of the chemical elements, which compose the human body. For example, the nature and properties of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen remain the same whether they are in or out of the body, and the same is true of every other element.

The differentiation of simple-cells into bone-cells, muscle-cells, nerve-cells, vascular-cells, gland-cells, etc., is effected by changing the chemical elements, which enter into their composition; or by changing the proportion of these elements to one another and altering their molecular structure. In fact, it appears that every differentiation and specialization of any animal, or of any organ or part of one, is accomplished by changing its chemical constituents; or by changing their relative proportions to one another and thereby modifying its molecular structure, and by changing the mechanical arrangement of its atoms and cells.

The entire work of building up the embryo body is done by making new chemical combinations and new mechanical arrangements of the atoms and cells of which it is composed.

Referring to the residue of the dry bone, which remains after calcining it (burning away the soft parts of it), Professor Martin says:

“The residue forms a white, very brittle mass, retaining, perfectly the shape and structural details of the original bone. It consists of normal calcium (lime) phosphate or _bone-earth_ (CA₃, 2PO₄); but there is also present a considerable proportion of calcium [lime] carbonate (CaCO₃) and smaller quantities of other salts.” (Martin, Human Body, p. 90.)

Under the head: “The Chemistry of Muscular Tissue,” he says:

“Muscle contains 75 per cent of water; and among other inorganic constituents, phosphates and chlorides of potassium, sodium and magnesium.” (Human Body, p. 123.)

According to this statement there is no lime in the muscles; and we cannot believe there is any of this substance in any tissue of the body except the bones; for every other tissue is soft and flexible. It is clear that the purpose of putting lime into the bones, is to make them rigid and stable in order to support the body and keep all its organs and parts in place.

What force or agency assembles the atoms of lime, phosphorus, carbon and oxygen, and combines them into the phosphate of lime, and the carbonate of lime, to make the bones rigid and stable? Surely, it is not the father, nor the mother, nor the embryo itself. It would be preposterous to suppose that the atoms of lime, phosphorus, carbon and oxygen, of their own motion, and automatically, assemble and combine themselves, chemically, in such proportions as to form the phosphate of lime, and the carbonate of lime in the bones; and that these atoms of the phosphate and carbonate of lime group themselves, automatically, into such mechanical arrangements as to form the bones with all their processes, joints, cavities, perforations, etc., and fit them together in the form of the skeleton.

The formation of bones in the body of a single animal, might, possibly happen by accident or chance. But when bones are formed in the bodies of all animals of the same species for thousands, or millions, of years and when all of them, in the bodies of each species, have the same chemical composition, the same structure, form and size; we are compelled to assume that the same cause, force or agency, which produces bones in each body, also produces them in every other body; in brief that all bones are made by the same supernatural psychic and creative force. The same is true of every other tissue.

But the evolutionist says that “heredity” works this miracle. In other words, that this metamorphosis of simple-cells into bones, muscles, nerves, etc., happens because certain similar cells in the bodies of the father and mother were changed in the same manner. He overlooks the fact that the cells, bones, etc., in the embryo body are new and altogether different from those which were metamorphosed in the bodies of its parents and that the forces which did that work were exhausted in doing it. He forgets or ignores the fact that neither the germ-cell nor any of its daughter-cells has any intellect, memory, will-power or creative force; that they have no knowledge of chemistry, nor of lime, phosphorus, carbon, oxygen, nor of their affinities; nor of bones; nor of their forms, sizes and functions.

The differentiation and specialization (metamorphosis) of cells and tissues; and their mechanical arrangement and grouping into the several organs and parts of the embryo body are not the work of blind mechanical forces; nor of chance; nor of accident; nor of unthinking cells; but of the Almighty Creator.

Sec. 28. Waste of Cells

So soon as the embryo begins to grow, the waste of cells begins; and continues until the death of the individual, however long he may live. “The knowledge is wanting,” says the Britannica, “which would tell us, when a certain limit has been attained, the process of income and expenditure balance and growth ceases.”--(Encyc. Brit. 17, p. 686.) “During life,” says Professor Martin, “all the formed elements of the body are constantly being broken down and removed; either molecularly, (that is bit by bit, while the general size and form of the cell or fibre remains unaltered) or in mass, as when the hairs and the cuticle are shed.” (Martin, Human Body, p. 670.)

See Encyc. Brit. 17, pp. 686-687; Martin, Human Body, pp. 451-476, 670-671; New International Encyc. 9, pp. 312-315.

The waste of cells affects the growth of the body, only so far as it tends to neutralize and offset the increase of the body by the multiplication of cells.

Sec. 29. Embryo Body is Built up of Inanimate Atoms Except the Germ-Cell

The germ-cell (fertilized ovum) is the physical basis of every human body. Such an ovum is said to be potentially alive because it may, with the aid of the Creator, develop into a living individual. Excepting this tiny bit of flesh-like substance, which is barely visible to the naked eye, and which is not one trillionth part of the infant at birth, every part of the human embryo is built up of inanimate atoms, which are carried and distributed to the growing embryo by the blood of the mother. These dead atoms are then assimilated by the embryo and incorporated into its growing body.

The fertilized ovum is soon split and divided into millions of pieces, by the division of cells, and lost in the general mass of the embryo body like a drop in the sea. It appears that the chief office of the fertilized ovum is to inaugurate the growth and multiplication of cells, which are, finally, differentiated and specialized into the several organs and parts of the embryo body.

These facts serve to show the extent of the supernatural creative work done in the embryo body. It is a new living body, with all its organs and parts made of inanimate matter, except the germ-cell.

Sec. 30. Embryo Body; Each is Produced Anew

The embryo is built of certain chemical elements, namely: carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, etc. See sec. 3, supra, and index, infra, “Chemical elements.” It derives its properties and potentialities from certain chemical combinations and mechanical arrangements of these elements, and from life. All of these combinations and arrangements are made after the formation of the fertilized ovum. Even if this ovum and its daughter-cells could build up the embryo body, automatically, yet it must grow anew for itself, independently of the growth of the bodies of its parents, or any other person; for it must have its own body, and not that of its father, mother, nor of any other person. It is composed of new materials, except the fertilized ovum, which is too small to be considered in comparison with the body of the embryo, as a whole. These new materials are derived from the blood of the mother.

No embryo ever takes or uses any organ or part of the body of its father, or mother, except the spermatozoön and the ovum, which form the germ-cell and serve as a germ to start the growth of the body. Each embryo is a new combination and a new arrangement of the atoms and cells of which it is composed. It is produced by new forces and motions peculiar to itself, which are similar to, but different from, those which produce every other embryo body. It is admitted on all sides, that every human being begins life as a fertilized ovum. It is well known that this infinitesimal cell has no organs, whatever, it being a mere atom. In no sense can it be called an embryo body. Each person must have his or her own body. No one ever takes or uses the body of any other person, nor any organ or part of such a body, such a thing being unthinkable. It follows, necessarily, that each embryo body and every organ and part of it, is produced anew, independently of every other human body.

Do the atoms and cells of which the embryo body is built up, spontaneously and automatically, form the chemical combinations and make the mechanical arrangements, which are necessary to build up the embryo body; or is it made by a supernatural psychic and creative force? Which hypothesis is most plausible?

Sec. 31. Heredity has no Power to Generate a New Human Being; nor to Evolve One from the Germ-Cell

Heredity is defined as: “The influence of parents upon offspring; transmission of qualities or characteristics, mental or physical, from parents to offspring.” (Cent. Dic. 4, p. 2802.)

Intellect, memory, will-power, force and motion are necessary to group two or more atoms into a prescribed chemical combination or into a specified mechanical arrangement. It is a well-known fact that each normal human body is composed of the same chemical elements; has the same chemical combinations and the same mechanical arrangements that are found in every other such body. Therefore, we may well say that the atoms and cells in the body are grouped into prescribed chemical combinations and into specified mechanical arrangements; and that intellect, memory and will-power are necessary to make these combinations and arrangements.

It is also well-known that every human being, begins life as a germ-cell, stem-cell, or fertilized ovum, all of these phrases meaning the same thing; that every such body develops and grows anew for itself. Each body is a new combination of the atoms and cells, of which it is composed. The forces and motions, which assemble and group these atoms and cells into the chemical combinations and mechanical arrangements, which build up a body, are new, unique and peculiar to that body.

The theory of heredity is based on these facts: The father contributes the spermatozoön and the mother the ovum, which form the germ-cell; this cell and its daughter-cells develop and grow to be a man or a woman, who has substantially the same form, size, structure, organs and parts that one of its parents has, and generally has some of their qualities, characteristics and traits.

But these facts do not prove that the child inherits anything from either parent; they do not prove that the parents, or either of them, caused the child to develop, grow and resemble them in any of these particulars. The existence of a fact and the cause of that fact are two different things. Thus, every body knows that a stone falls to the ground; but nobody knows why. The child resembles its father--but why? Do the parents cause this resemblance? Can they, or either of them, cause their child to have blue eyes or black; a long or short nose; a large or small foot?

Neither Darwin, nor any other man has ever shown how it is possible for the bodies of the parents, or any part of either of them, to affect, modify or determine the form, features, size, structure, qualities, characteristics or traits of their children. It is admitted on all sides that the parents have no voluntary control over these things. Darwin, (Origin of Species, 1, p. 15), says: “The laws governing inheritance are for the most part unknown.” Haeckel is voluminous in describing the phenomena of reproduction, heredity, etc. But has nothing to say about the cause, nor the mechanism of heredity.

It is undoubtedly true that the human body is a compound physical structure; that each organ and part of every such body has to be made, anew, of fresh materials, for that body; that the child does not “take over,” bodily, any organ nor part of either parent, but has its own new organs, unique and peculiar to itself; that neither the father nor the mother has any voluntary power to select, assemble nor group the atoms and cells, of which the embryo body is made; nor to generate, guide, nor control the forces and motions by which this work is done. All this being true, how is it possible for the parents, or either of them, to transmit any of their qualities, characteristics or traits to their child?