Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1871-05-31
ORIGIN OF SPECIES.
Henry Ward Beecher Accepts the OAR
winIan Theory.

All great truths will be found in ma.
ture, whether you believe in the bible or
not. Christianity rests on the nature of
things. Ii is not in antagonism TO ma
ture. Cursed be he who makes it mp
pear so. God revealed truth by preach
ing it 10 life shapes, and men were in
spired 10 teach these truths. If the bible
wss to be thrown away TO morrow, II
wouldn't change the truth a bit. Science
don't depend on books, neither does the
bible create truth. To stddy mau, man
must study nature. We are not to take
our own Interpretation, aud then o5stin
ately persist in forcing others to our pc
culiar views. Men have interpreted the
bible wrong. Science has developed
certain great truths, and among the
greatest yet evolved j, the SO called orr
gin of man, or the theory of Darwin.
Now, some may cry out, if these things
be true, then the bible isn't true. Let
us 90 back and take the Copernican
system. After awhile thinking men
were obliged TO shift their ground and
give different Interpretation to the bible.
Look at the havoc geology has made.
1t completely upset the first chapter of
Genesis. in so many days God created
the earth. What did we do with this /?
Why we merely concluded 10 call days
periods Of time, and geology and the
bible walked hand in hand. Now we
come to Darwin, and have found our an
cestors. Adam and Eve are getting 10
be questionable. Some folks don't
know so much about the garden of Eden
as they thought they did and they don't
seem quite pleased about this discovery
of their ancient relatives, AMI are trying
TO shake these things of. You can't
rub this out if it is true. You have got
TO make your Interpretation of scripture
confOrmable to nature. Scientific dis
closures are the best illuminators that
can be given 10 men. Nature makes
commentators that stand. We may as
well prepare ourselves to accept this
theory of eliminatiOn-tbisg growth from
the animal to the spiritual; and |, for
one, am all ready for it. The argument
which affords the strongest proof of this
theory is the essential pliancy and edu-
cability Of man. He realizes that his
way is upward and onward. To 90
higher up be must be educated-in other
words, must advance from the animal 10
the spiritual. This is just the progress
that the bible teaches us TO expect. The
more the bible is tried and tested BY phil
osophical research, the stronger it is
found to 6e. We can accept the deduc
lions of science and become better Chris
tians. Those who throw the bible away
entirely are very unwise. Ii a man
lights bis gas and then blows out his can
die, that is as it should be. There are
folks who blow out their candle because
they have theory Of gas, aud before
a pipe has been introduced into their
houses. When you can show me bible
that is more biblerer than this one | am
all ready to accept it. This has grip
in il. Ii retains its hold upon man. Ii
comforts, soothes, holds men steadfast,
and so long as it is fell OF the breasts of
consolation, why should men 90 else
where to nursel But | need not waste
words on these concei:ed air bags who,
happening to read in the corner of a
newspaper, lately, that somebody has
thrown the bible overheard, determine
to follow in his wake. The bible is never
so true to me as when | am in trouble.
Suppose we should take the doctors one
by ore, and kick them out of town
and then pitch their medicines after them
What would we have left? Nothing
under the sun but neuralgia, aud pleu-
risy, and rheumatism and fevers Should
we be any better off? Hold fast to the
bible. Science has ratified it and will
continue to; and if it does not, will be
honest enough to admit ii, aud be first
to give it up. But hold on; do not cast
it away; be wise unto salvation. Ere
long the mist will dsrken your eyes, the
world will die oul of your sight. See
10 it that you arc possessed Of the spirit,
and the UndeTStanIin also.