New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-01-24
THE LECTURE FIELD.
THE DARwINIAN THEORY CONSISTENT WITH
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES 81 DIR. BIC CooA'
DIR Mc(roeh of Princeton College delivered

TIE DARwINIAN THEORY CONSISTENT WITH
observation-disclosures III DIR. MCCooH'
DR.. McCOsh of Princeton College delivered
last evening at Dr. Adams's Church MadsonaVe the
second OF his of ten popular lectures on natural
Theology and ApOogetcs" In the last lecture sad me-
we said that natural power can produce organized
matter out Of unorganizcd natter but Is religion bound
up with a settlement of these scientific questions3 Sup
pose there proved to be such thing spontaneous
generation, would religion be oyerthrowni think not
There is really ground for the fears of the tind on
the hand the hopes of the arrogant the other
spontaneous generation, presumng 1t to exist, must DC
very complicated process. Surprising plants and ami
mails to be formed from germs, how they propagated
Is the next nqury-by special act Of creation. by de-
yelopmentl And as il is admitted that Christians
may lawfully hold that the earts strata were not created
nsantdncousy but by the action Of fire and water why
may not the Christian be allowed to believe in the
theory Of development II sufficient evidence is pro-
ducedl Development is not so simple process
as some imagine II man could construct watch that
would produce second watch, and tho second watch
third and wonder would be increased II these
new watches should constantly improve In construction
and workmanship so IN animal life there must be
adaptation. The question as to whether there Is or is
not separate vital prncipe Is one Tor science 10 Se.e,
religion. Whether do or 90 not call IN the vlia pl-
cipe, there still needed series Of wise angeens
before the point DE reached NJ which seed will bring
forth seed after its kind. The natural tendency or theO-
He that belIeveth will not make haste! Religion can
afford to wait until naturass have settled the disputed
points.
The Darwnian theory is called the theory OF natural
selection hnt II does rot mean that the plant or animal
plant acquires thorn, or an animal spine, IL ~ key
retain tlem. But more than this is implied. namely
that any peculiar feature once acquired becomes eed-
ary. A. long, however such men as Agassiz In this
country and other leadng Of science abroad oppose
inclined TO think that this theory contains much i'm
pOrtant TRUTH but not all the truth and that u oyeooks
more than 1t perceiyes. ON this subject Religion can
II traces all things mp to God, whc her He has acted
by immediate fat, or through secondary causes
the speaker then traced the correspondence between
the account of the creation given in Genesis and that
revealed through tic researches of geooests AS Sci
ehce ana InYelatlon agree concerning lhe creation o he
world they agree regarding s destruction. Science
teHches that mere - cosn,y W1Sps oi our p uysi
cal system mat VIII a laSt hhg an JhingS 10 genera
death 10 be followed, some think, by universal con
fagraion. Darwin has not as yet given us his views
regarding the creation Of man. but Wallace who FIRST
preached the theory Of selectionirom whom, in fact,
Darwin copied it-ccarcs emphaticaly that there is
difficulty in applying this law TO man There are gap,
him and the brute creation that cannot be filled
by the theory of natural selection.
The speaker then cited the size of the cranums OF
sayages and CIVILIZED men, showing that the back OF the
has faculties ana Qualities the possession o. wmch WOMB
be difficult 70 explain on any theory based on Ifosres-
sion from the brutcs. indeed Mr. wallace urges that
savages have brain-eapacity not compelled by ther
Science produce no direct evidence OF mans
being produced from the beasts although we have some
faculties in common with them Again, as TO the hSher
attributes OF our nature science can say nothing as 10
how they were supcrinduced The book OF Genesis,
however winch 80 iohE antGlpated geology, mas
here gone beyond science and given an account
man was created out OF the dust of the earth, and con.
ncced with heaven by being inspired with the breath Of
lever IN natural law has only seen the smallest OBJECTS
lie has used the microscope and viewed the infinitely
So how the infinitely little smade Darwin has caughtan
important fact whe ne says the strong crowdinR out
But is this to go onorevor on the contrary, there are
indications that ths will be chansed-tAat i1elli-
gence will take the place OF unrcasonng force,
The intellectual win thus rise above the Phy1Gs o as
OF n fcrcuccnt