Natural Selection: Of Darwinian Origins? A Portrait of Edward Blyth's work in the 1800s

Natural Selection: Of Darwinian Origins? A Portrait of Edward Blyth's work in the 1800s. - By Abby Kautt

In the beginning God created different species capable of producing variations within their kind. After the worldwide flood of Noah's day (see Genesis 6-9), and the dispersion of the surviving animals across the newly re-organized earth; the animals now smaller in number continued reproducing according to their kind. Changes occurred over the centuries, some for the betterment of that kind, some to the devastation of others.

Now, you must understand that Natural selection is not evolutionary in its origins, but simply a scientific fact of creation. Small changes happening over time; think of dogs and the vast distinctives between the different types.

You have large dogs like the Great Dane, Greyhounds, German Shepherds and others, and then you have small dogs like the Chihuahua or Pomeranian with many in between these extremes. Evolutionists want us to believe that natural selection (which does happen) leads to whole new categories of creatures, which is simply untrue. Dogs can only produce dogs, cats only cats, and so on.

Even though Charles Darwin popularized the notion of “Natural selection” and thus made it a Darwinian idea, it was in fact another scientist in England some 23 years1 before who advocated this concept.

Edward Blyth was born in 1810 in London, England. He was a chemist, zoologist, and later became the curator of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, in Calcutta, India.2

Unlike Darwin, Blyth did not believe in evolution, in fact here is what he had to say on the issue of the common descent of man from apes. ". . . every species is essentially distinct and separate from every other species; otherwise it would not be a species but a variety. The most similar species, therefore, are only allied to each other in consequence of the resemblance of their general organization.”3

He realized that it was God, and not evolutionary processes that had it's finger print on creation. He went so far as to exclaim, "Then, and with humble reverence, let the mighty acts of Supreme Omnipotence be spoken of, it may be that the eternal and ever glorious Being which willed matter into existence shall pronounce on it the final doom of annihilation . . . Or, what is more probable, to judge from the universal benevolence of all that is within our grasp, it's elements shall again be called forth into light and life, and blaze forth the recommencement of the same system.”4

In an age where so many scientists were abandoning the idea of a Creator, here was one who not only believed in but articulated arguments that supported the idea of a Creator, God.

Blyth spent much of his time as a scientist studying birds. As the curator of the Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal, he published a Catalogue of the Birds of the Asiatic Society in 1849.5 There a several species named for him such as the Blyth's Hawk-eagle6 among others. He was a prolific writer, and published a couple of books along with his Magazine of Natural History and The Natural History of Cranes.7 He fell into poor health later in his life and was forced to return to his native England where he died in December of 1873. Edward Blyth's work with birds and as a zoologist in general reminds me of these verses:
“20 And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.” 21 So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.” - Genesis 1:20-21 ESV

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1 E. Blyth, Magazine of Natural History, 1835-1837 – The Darwin papers, Ch. 2, vol. 1, num. II
2 The Asiatic Society was founded in 1784, by Sir William Jones in Kolkata, India. It was set up to enhance and further the cause of Oriental research. Absolute Astronomy
3 E. Blyth, On the Psychological Distinctions between Man and Animals, Magazine of Natural History – The Darwin Papers, Ch. 2, vol. 1, num. II
4 Edward Blyth, On the Psychological Distinctions between Man and Animals, Magazine of Natural History, Vol. 1,1837. The Darwin Papers – Ch. 2, vol. 1, num. II
5AbsoluteAstronomy.com – Blyth facts
6 Blyth's Hawk-eagle found in the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo and Singapore. NationMaster.com/encyclopedia
7The Natural History of the Cranes was published in 1881 – AbsoluteAstronomy.com – Blyth facts