New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-01-25
TUE DARwfNIAY THEORY OF DEVELOPMENT. BY
TIE REV. DIR =. {. EWEK.

The sixth lecture in the course before the
General Society OF Mechanics and Tradesmen was deliv
cred by tho Row. DIR. Ferdinand c. Ever, upon Oar
wins Theory OF Development" Remarking that the
present Ia period remarkable for rapid progress and
brilliant icoveries In science the lecturer spoke OF the
slowness and difficulty with which all great discoveries
initiate against established oreeds and theories Agassiz
remarked that all facts In science have TO run GER
nounces them impossible; when demonstrated To be
facts the cry Is They anomalies contrary TO the
laws OF nature :" when shown to be entirely IN accor
apce with natural laws, we exclam, "Oh, everybody
knew that before Thus IL was with the discovery OF tne
earths motion. Thus when geologstS showed that the
ypea sI days OF creation much greater period
OF tune than six times ~ hours ana tho same W9eh tho
snce on the earth il vastly greater years All
these announcements received at rst with scorn
previously believed not to be expected that the
promu Of the theory that oil organized creation
had developed from very simple and possibly from very
few rndnents would DO accepted without considerable
opposition and criticism. The speaker intended briefly 70
on the globe aud present few arguments to show the
reasoDableness of Scientists eDumeraie about ApVo
globe Add 10 the external varieties OF which traces
have been found. ana the total reaches about loGSoo
arc divided for convenience sake into orders classes,
genera. species, and varieties How come oil these
that they all sprang INTO being instantaneousy.
aud perfect at present. Now, Darwin comes for,
It was originally created but all existing living
beings have como from few simple primary
stages up 10 their present state How these primary
forms first into existence. ho does not attempt 10
explain ne ut all bound To do Given the o1st
OF life upon the earth, no undertakes 10 show how
all existing forms ~ life may have been produced Some
people may hppany declare that they do not choose 10
accept theory which gives them monkey for an al'
cestor. hut these same persons have always ackno"
edged creed which ascrbed their origu 10 lump OF
mud and OF the two which IL the least Objectionable
Besides, this theory does not necessarily make man the
successor OF the monkey. The two developments may
have progressed simultaneously from common origin
earlier than both. Divines may object that Darwlns
theory Ia atheiste because denies the nterfenten OF
Creator the existence OF all these varieties OF Hfe but
does III Does not suggest higher idea OF Creator who
eernay working through that operation OF his laws In
producing constantly forms OF life than II We re-
gard him as one who, having at ono period long ago
back expended all his power Ia ono spasmOdo act Of
creation. and then retired TO rest, and contemplate
through nil future time tho working Of the machine
which he has set motion - Nor declare that
the teachings OF science Inconsistent with those OF
Scripture The Bible declares that God created the
earth aud all that Is upon IT, and here SCIENCE steps In
and explains mode In which II done III we care
fully consider each shall ind neither be nconsist
ent with the other Dnwins theory Of the production OF
varieties Ia based upon the Laws OF differentiation and
tho Eeproduotiou Of differences Eyery creature that