ife, in other words, means composition; that
wherever we find single elements combined in aggregate form, there we
behold the phenomena of organic life; that every organic composition is
organic life. Now if life means composition of elements, then the
materialist may come to the conclusion of the nonnecessity of a composer,
the nonnecessity of a creator; for composition is all there is to it, and
that is accomplished by adhesion or cohesion. In response to this we say
that composition must needs be of three kinds: One form of composition is
termed philosophically the accidental, another the involuntary, and a
third the voluntary. As to the first, or accidental, composition: This
would signify that certain elements through inherent qualities and powers
of attraction or affinity have been gathered together, have blended, and
so composed a certain form, being or organism. This can be proven to be
false; for composition is an effect, and philosophically no effect is
conceivable without causation. No effect can be conceived of without some
primal cause. For example, this heat is an effect; but that energy which
gives forth this phenomenon of heat is the cause. This light is an effect,
but back of it is the energy which is the cause. Is it possible for this
light to be separated from the energy whereof it is a property? That is
impossible and inconceivable. It is self-evidently false. Accidental
composition is, therefore, a false theory and may be excluded.

As to the second form of composition--involuntary: This means that each
element has within itself as an inherent property the power of
composition. For example, the inherent quality of fire is burning, or
heat; heat is a property of fire. Humidity is the inherent nature or
property of water. You cannot conceive H2O, which is the chemical form of
water, without having humidity associated; for that is an inherent quality
of water. The power of attraction has as its function attractive, or
magnetic, qualities. We cannot separate attraction from that power. The
power of repulsion has as its function repelling--sending off. You cannot
separate the effect from the cause. If these premises be true--and they are
self-evident--then it would be impossible for a composite being, for the
elements which have gone into the makeup of a composite organism, ever to
be decomposed because the inherent nature of each element would be to hold
fast together. As fire cannot be separated from hea