The human soul knows, feels and wills. It resides in the brain and
governs the body by means of the brain and nerves; the stomach digests
the food and makes nutriment for the body; the heart pumps the blood
to and from the several parts of it, the arteries and veins carry the
blood from the heart and back to it; the blood carries fresh building
materials to every part of the body, and gathers up, and carries waste
matter back to the heart and lungs; the lungs purify and enliven the
blood; the liver secretes bile and cleanses the blood; the muscles and
bones move the body and every part of it; the nerves carry messages
from the brain to every part of the body and from every other part
to the brain; the kidneys and other organs perform their functions;
the work of all these organs being necessary to keep the body in good
working order. The brain, stomach, heart, arteries, veins, lungs,
blood, muscles, bones, kidneys, etc., may each be considered as a
complex animal machine, designed and constructed to perform its special
functions.
The body, as a whole, is an animal machine, which does much work
peculiar to itself.
The functions of all organs other than those of the brain and
voluntary muscles are performed by them, independently of the will.
In other words: all the organs of the body except the brain and the
voluntary muscles appear to act automatically as an automatic machine
does. For example, the stomach, heart, lungs, liver and kidneys appear
to do their work as automatic machines, independently of the will;
nor has man any direct control, nor power over the work of any of his
organs except that of the brain and voluntary muscles. Thus, he cannot
directly compel his stomach to digest his food; nor has he any direct
control over the action of his heart, nor over that of his lungs; nor
can he directly compel his liver to secrete bile. All he can do is to
take medicine or some other substance into his stomach, and thence into
his blood to stimulate, reduce, or modify the action of his organs; or
change his environment.
No male has any direct control nor any voluntary agency in the
formation of spermatozoä in his genital organs; nor has any female
any control over, nor any voluntary part in, the formation of eggs in
her ovaries. In fact fully ninety-nine per cent of mankind are wholly
ignorant of the existence of spermatozoä and ova (eggs), having no
knowledge, whatever, of the mechanism by which their own offspring are
brought into being.
What are we to infer from these facts? Can we believe that the
functions of the heart and other involuntary muscles do their work,
automatically, without the aid of any extraneous psychic force? Can
we believe that the mysterious spermatozoön, and ovum are produced in
the genital organs of the male and female, without their knowledge
and without the aid of any psychic or creative force, whatever? Is
it possible for the atoms of which each spermatozoön is composed, to
assemble and group themselves, automatically into it without the aid
of a supernatural psychic and creative force? In another section of
this work, I have argued that each spermatozoön is a new, direct and
special creation. The same is true of each ovum. I believe that the
same psychic and creative force which generates, guides and controls the
forces, that build up the body of the embryo, continues to generate,
guide and control many of the forces which affect the human body during
its whole life. I believe that the same force determines the growth and
waste of cells; and by this means fixes the size of each normal body.
Why does an elephant grow larger than a mouse; an ox larger than a man;
an eagle larger than a humming bird? How does it happen that all men,
elephants, mice, eagles, etc., are of substantially the same size?
It is clear that neither man nor an other animal, has any control over
the growth of cells in his body, nor over his own size. The cells
of which these bodies are built up, have no intellect, memory nor
will-power. It would be impossible for them to know when a sufficient
number of cells have been made to bring these bodies to their proper
sizes. The cells have no power to control their production nor their
waste. It follows that the Creator must govern and control the forces,
which produce the cells in each animal body; and that he fixes within
certain limits, the form and size of each body.