Now, is not this a most extraordinary situation? The evolutionist says: The science of paleontology furnishes the basic argument for our hypothesis,--the older the strata of the earths surface, the simpler the fossils found therein. This sounds impressive. But we ask him: How do you know the age of the strata,--and the answer is, that, of course, is the business of the geologist to determine. We now turn to the geologist and ask: How do you determine the age of the strata? And the geologist answers: Why, evolutionary science has proven that the simplest animals and plants appeared first; hence, where I find simple fossils, I know that I have a more ancient bed of lime-stone or sand-stone than the strata which contain more complex forms,--which appeared later. Note well, the geologists which we have quoted assert that this is the best and final proof for the position of a stratum in the scale of geological history. The geologist depends on the fossils. But he believes these to belong to an earlier or more recent age because he accepts _the evolutionist's_ word for it. And the evolutionist says: the _geologist_ says these rocks are oldest; but in them I find the simplest forms; hence the evolutionary theory is proven. We repeat it,--is not this a very, very extraordinary situation? Have we not here a perfect case of what logicians call "reasoning in a circle," or "begging the question?" How can the evolutionist quote the geologist when the geologist asserts that he classifies his layers of rock according to the fossils,--and that he accepts what the evolutionists asserts [tr. note: sic] regarding these? What, in view of this situation, becomes of the evolutionist's argument from fossils? And what becomes of the "ages" of speculative geology? CHAPTER FOUR. The Fixity of Species. A writer in the _"Lutheran Companion"_ recently said that his seven year old boy brought home a text book some months ago, called _"Home Geography for Primary Grades."_ On page 143 is found this statement about birds: "Ever so long ago, their grandfathers were not birds at all. Then they could not fly, for they had neither wings nor feathers. These grandfathers of our birds had four legs, a long tail and jaws with teeth. After a time feathers grew upon their bodies and their front legs become changed for flying. These were strange looking creatures. There are none living like them now."