The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-04-05
"THE BURR LECTURES"


attended these lectures from first to
last, even at the neglect Of other duties,
desiring to ascertain how far the proclaim
ed assurance that the lecturers purpose
was to overthrow the Darwiniau infidelity
and reconcile science with the Bible would
be carried out:
confess I was not little disappointed,
not because the lecturer did not profess the
most profound reverence and love for that
sacred volume, and make frequent, but as
l conceive very sinister and indirect allu-
sions to it; but because his whole theory of
the origin of mankind directly antagonized
the plain account of the creation of man
and the original peopling of the earth, and
specially ignored the great leading and par
amount object of the Divine Revelation,
viz: The fall of man in Adam and the re-
demption by Christ.
Like all other men who seek to be wise
above what is written, he has fallen into the
error that the word of God needs to be
found in harmony with even the smallest
discovery of science, or fail in its authority
and leave the christian heart nothing sub
stantial to rest upon; forgetting that the
Bible was not designed to teach men science,
but to reveal to man that which, "by searcA-
ing lie can nepsr ind oWt," and to present
great practical lessons for individual life,
which each human soul must learn to his
OF her eternal veal OF woe.
So far as the teachings of the lecturer
tended to expose the folies and extrava-
gances of the Darwinian school of scien-
lists, listened to him with some satisfac-
ton without being able to appreciate them,
as I really know very little about Darwin
or his theories. 1t occurred to me, how
osophers are more properly antagonized in
the arena of scientific discussion; in books,
pamphlets, and other productions of the
press, where they can be, and as believe,
will be, successfully combatted by the cul-
tivated christian intellect of the age.
The difficulty that presents itself to my
mind, is the proprety of introducing the
subject into popular lectures before mix
ed audiences, composed largely of young
persons and others who may not have the
opportunity of following up the questions
suggested to their legitimate conclusion,
nor of determining the doubts that are I'M
fortunately created by such teachings
Whose hearts and minds may thus be led
away from the truth of Gods word, and
present condition of society are more than
ever before demanded by the prevalence
of vice and wickedness. The corruption
of public and private life has become
alarming, aud may in great measure, be
properly attributed to the frequency and
tlippancy with which the so-called errors
of Bible history are referred to by every
tyro in science.
/ The occasion it is true, furnished the lee
turer with an opportunity of displaying
the extent of his learning and research, the
depth and genuinensss of which, however,
! not one tenth part of his audience, small as
! it was, had any certain means of determin-
ing.
If any benefit is derived by our commu-
nifty from this course of lectures it will be
| found perhaps in the figure not inaptly
used by Mr.. Alexander on Thursday even.
ing. AS stone thrown into the mill-pond,
! it may disturb the stagnation of mind
among us on such subjects and set us to
thinking. If that agitation shall incte OIL
drive lis into more anxious, earnest and
honest study of the Bible, it cannot be
otherwise than beneficial
There is perhaps no book in our libra
ries, certainly none in which we have 81
much at stake, that is so little understood
in some of it's features as this sacred vol
ume. True it is, we have had from child
hood a general knowledge Of its moral ant
religious teaching: but of the interna
evidences of its Divine auth ority-the man
aer in which its different parts are inter
linked with each other-the old testamen
prefguring the brighter revelations of TIT
new, and the new testament authenticat
ing the historic records of the old, yer,
many, may safely say large majority o
us are wholly ignorant. Its moral ant
religious restraints are so much at wa
with Our native propensity to evil, tina
uninfiuenced by its divine spirit, we do no
seek its pages with any earnest desire t,
learn what it does teach. lie nho goek
about to prore it is not Of Dicine origin, shal
neoer icant attentice hearers.'
But to return to the lecturer. One prom
inent and distinct position assumed by him
and claimed to be demonstrated by hi
anthropological research, is this: tina
Adam was the federal head Of the Caucas
ian race or type of man only. Supposin!
this point to be proved or admitted,
would seem to follow as necessary conse
quence that the account ofthe fall of Adam
the contamination of his race thereby
and the promise Of a Saviour, is a myth; o
redemption by Christ avails for the Can
casian race alone: and when this view O
his theory was suggested to him by til
writer, his reply was, that that was a thee
logical question, while he was only dealing
with science. This would seem to be
very extraordinary mode of harmonizin.
science with the revealed word of God. an,
pernicious in the highest degree in it
influence upon the minds of some of hi
auditors, who appeared to take much plea
sure in applauding him.
In his zeal TO sustain the theory Of dis
tiuct races from the Bible story, he claim
that Cain, when driven from the prescnc
of the Lord in Eden, fled to land an,
among a people who builded cities an,
there found = wife; which, if true, woul
only initiate against his other theory, ad
verse to the intermarriage of the races
But the Divine record gives no such &C
count. 1t simply states that Cain wen
ont from the presence of the Lord, (whicl
every Bible student understands to he tn
Land of Eden, where God manifested hi
presence i'll some peculiar way. and dwell
in the land of Nod, at the east of Eden
~, h, fa 81, l.,