In view of such facts as these, what possible chance is there for a
scheme of organic evolution?
Must we not say that every possible form of the development theory is
hereby ruled out of court? There can be no thought of the gradual
development of organic nature by every-day processes in a world where
such facts prevail. Rather must we say, with the force of the
accumulated momentum of all that has been won by modern science, that,
instead of the animals and plants on our world having arisen by a
long-drawn-out process of change and development of one kind into
another, there must have been just such a literal Creation at the
beginning as the Bible describes. As we stand with uncovered head and
bowed form in the presence of this great truth, it would seem almost
like sacrilege to attempt by rhetoric to adorn it. Its inevitableness,
its majesty, its transcendent importance for our generation, would only
be obscured by so doing.
The essential idea of the Evolution theory is _uniformity_. It seeks to
show that the present orders of plant and animal life originated by
causes or processes identical with those now said to be operating in our
modern world. It denies that at any particular time in the past causes
and processes were in operation to originate the present order of nature
which were essentially different from the processes now operating in our
world under what we call natural law. Evolution seeks to smooth out all
distinction between Creation and the modern régime of "natural law."
On the other hand, the essential idea of the Christian doctrine of
Creation is that, back at a period called "the beginning," forces and
powers were brought into exercise and results were accomplished which
have not since been exercised or accomplished. In other words, the
origin of the world and the things upon it was essentially and radically
_different_ from the manner in which the present order of nature is now
being sustained and perpetuated. The mere matter of _time_ is in no way
the essential idea in the problem. The question of _how much time_ was
occupied in the work of Creation is of no importance, neither is the
question of _how long ago_ it took place. The one essential idea is that
the processes and methods of Creation are beyond us, for we have nothing
with which to measure it; Creation and the reign of "natural law" are
essentially incommensurable. The one thing that the doctrine of Creation
insists upon is that the origin of our world and of the things upon it
must have been brought about by some direct and unusual manifestation of
the power of the Being whom we call the Creator; and that since this
original Creation the things of nature have been perpetuated and
sustained by processes and methods which (though still essentially
inscrutable by us) we call the order of nature and the reign of natural
law.
But in view of the series of facts enumerated in the previous pages, the
doctrine of Creation is established by modern scientific discoveries
almost like the conclusion of a mathematical problem.