p. 8 | What About “Germs”? by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Nov 18, 1897

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 23, No. 45.

What About “Germs”?

By Editor

No. 661. What About "Germs"?

We read in Gen. 1:28 that Adam had dominion over every living thing that moveth on the earth. Now I understand that disease in mankind is all caused by living germs. Are not those included in "every living thing"? Did these germs then exist when there was no sickness, or are they of late origin?

"Every living thing" doubtless included all the lower forms of life, even the microbe or bacillus. But, before sin entered, these lower orders were not antagonistic to man or each other. All was perfect harmony, and each served the other. Such will again be the case when sin is forever banished. No, all diseases are not believed to come from germs, unless it be the germ of sin, which is selfishness, a most potent destroyer of life and health. It is yet a question whether the presence of many germs in a person, or part having a so-called germ disease, is not the result of the disease rather than the cause. But whatever may be the truth concerning this, it is a fact that man finds many enemies among these lower forms of life, lurking everywhere. When man yielded to Satan, he yielded all; and Satan has, so far as he has been permitted, perverted all, and set all creatures against each other. By reason of man's sin, "the creation was subjected to vanity," sin and death, and will be till man, the rightful lord, in the person of Jesus Christ, shall reign again. It is instructive to note in this connection how low sin has brought man—till he is overcome by the lowest animalculæ. Righteousness will reverse all this.