New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-12-27
THE SCRIPTURE EVOLUTION.

IN OLD AND NEW lESIAMENIS -oi' JUN '0'
HERBERT spENCER-sIGNIFICATIoN OF GENESIS.
To the Editor or The Tribune
SIR: In all the late Archaeological discussions
there has been nothing more false and uniair-not
TO speak of the shameful Ignorance it sometimes De-
trays-than the constant assumption that evolution
is the opposite of the Bible idea of creation, or OF
creation in any sense AZ dcnotng the production OF
new things or new forms of things by personal
Divine will Still more opposite to all sound think
ing is the ignorant of the term mechanical as
characteristic of the theological In alleged dlsthc-
ton from the scientific idea 1t is etymologically
false if the term is used rs denong production ny
machinery II is still further from any rghtful APP
plicaton when used as synonymous with ao'T"y
sequence without causal nexus. In this it more
correctly characterzes certain scientific theories OIL
causality which deny any such vital neNus in
things other than the things themselves, or the pare
fact of phenomenal sequence making the law or the
consolidation to which that name is given. In
other words. law is reduced to an empty algcbraic
symbol. 1t would have been equally law, according
TO this way of stating It, had 1t been any other
seouence of any other facts taking place In any
other order Whatever is, Is law be 1t what II may
There is no necessity in it, physical or personal
Order also becomes similar empty name Tor any
state of things that may be conceived as EXISTING
Like law, when thus regarded, it becomes only
fact or series of facts, effect instead oil thal ue
causal power which the Bible sets forlh III what IL
SAYS of the Informing IOgos, the commanding "oru
which was Z" in the beginning" before matter
whether regarded precedence IN time, OF III
nature. or that highest sphere of reality we call
mind or idea.
In oppostion to this truly mechanical notion OF
evolution which takes to itself the title OF the SCI
entifc. and which is nothing but series OF lactS
eternally evolving, rolling out. without ahH Quiet
causa beginning continuation than inc lac'S
themselves stands the Scriptural doctrine Oh inc
Logos in Nature. (See especially J0hn l., l. Z
CoIoss i. -. 49, Heb. l., 2 XII, B. with the adj
unbrations of the idea in the Old Testament, Prov
viii. %. 81 Psalm xxxi 6, o; cxix, -, and the
" going forth of the Word" throughout 1.-THE days"
Of Genesis it, The sublime doctrine presented Ill
those passages may be overlooked by our modern
theology. AS is unhappiy too much the case ana
wholly ignored by our modern science, but II Is our
only cscape from atheism. It's contrast with
the TvndaIiap or Darwinian evolution that virtu-
allv excludes God may be stated III the very style
of Scripture, with only an interchange Oh leIuihs
terms: In the beginning says the BiDle, was
the Logos and all things had Their beng through
Him. and without Him was there nothing maze
Ito use for convenience, the defective Latn' ydcl"m
est that was made. In Him was life, ana the NE
was the light of men, the light of every rational
soul that cometh into the COSMOS" The other dOc-
trine speaketh after this wise In the beginning
was the nebula and all things had their beng III OF
from the nebula, and without the nebua was there
nothing made that was made. In the neDuia
WAS life. and from this life came thc
light treason, cOn5ciOusncs'l of men, we were
ali there. saws Tyndall-Raphael, Newton,
II IL, he
come. all that we have ever felt, thought, done
soul life body, sense, reason, memory imagination
all that we call good and eyil-all our actual, all
our idea-all. all was in that ancient fiery cloud
No two modes of though, could present more of
direct or even polar opposition We are not con-
cerned "a argue at length the absolute truth or false
hood Of either The aim is simply to make falr
and lncd statement. We have no fears in respect 10
the ultimate decision. Who is the loftier thinker,
ST John or Herbert Spencer Who carries our
minds the furthest in the depths of the nnitef ii
NAV he safely left to this human intelligence, whose
character rank origin, destiny, NE all concerned III
the inquiry
Creation is presented to us in the Bible under
twofold aspect. The New Testament doctrine Of
the Logos in Nature is addressed To The more inward
or eonteplatiye faith as the spiritual power of dis
corning &" the unseen by faith we understand
luooamcl perceive it as ROgmeROn III distinction
from rhqip0menoH evidence presented 20 the eye OF
to the conceptiye power tina. the worlds were put III
order by the Logos Word OF God, 50 that tie things
which are seen phenomenal were not ma lie or lad
their essential beng from things that do appear -
directly contrary 20 the view Of the materaH'i' VINO
makes the things Of sense, the things that do ap-
pear.' the cause and source and necessary ahtece-
dent Of "the things unseen"
The earlier account in Genesis though containing
the doctrine of the Logos and the broodng spirit"
il outwartlly different from that OF Hebrews XII 3.
1t is addressed TO the sense and the concelvhg
faculty. It is phenomenal, optical, pictorial IL
places before us the great evolution in its perspcc-
tive, as it were II makes us hear the word the
mighty voice uttered in nature, as though divided
into It's sentences marking successive periods as 1t
"qoes forth from the days of eternity" Gen. L.,
Mic. VII And God said: BE light be life, be
MANI "And it was so"-" and it was So" 1t was
not a transient voice like the human speech that
dies in the unduatons of the air. Each gong forth
is the commencement Of new evolution new
course of nature wherein the voice abiIeS speaking
ever, making il what it was in the beginning, Is
now. and ever shall be till world shall end.
But aside from the phenomenal and the pictorial,
there are also in Genesis words directly expressive
Of causal ideas As has been shown elsewhere,
there is the unmisakable language of growth. sue
ceS,ion. birth generation. bringing forth, outgongs
laoLsaoiM in word. cyoluiion-one thing, or one
state of things coming out Of another Old minds
saw this; thoughtful minds, contcmplatiye souls
impressed by the grandeur of the style and It's sub
lime suggcstiyencss have ever seen il. In the crea-
tive account there those transcendent uterances
and vet II is one unbroken evolution. There Is
nothing per saltam leaps, nothing to interrupt the
continuity. 1t is like dropping new power from
a higher plane into the stream Of an elder
nature that flows steadily on beneath. 1t Is
something from the supernatural sphere com
ing from time TO time, whether suddenly OF
with nosces5 step and raising il to "A level