The late Dr. A. C. Dixon (formerly of the Metropolitan Tabernacle, London), tells how he came near to losing faith in the Bible through the onslaught of evolution. But when he found out that it was not an up-to-date scientific discovery, but based upon hypothesis and guesses, unproved, and unprovable, and that Darwin's theory was no better than those of the ancient philosophers, he ceased to be troubled by it.
Thales, the old Greek philosopher (636 B.C.), believed that water was the primordial germ.
Heraclitus believed that fire was the primordial germ.
Pythagoras (circa 500/600 B.C.) believed that "number" was the primordial germ.
Anaximander, the old Greek philosopher (610 B.C.), believed that animals were evolved from the earth by heat and moisture.
Empedocles believed various parts of men and animals existed separately—arms, legs, eyes, ears, etc.—and that these combined, and became able to reproduce themselves.
Anaxagoras (500 B.C.), believed animals and plants were the products of germs carried in the air, which gave fecundity to the earth.