The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-01-13

rHs coEuNDspM y n y VIEWED rnoM
PRESBYTERIAN STANDPOINT.

THA coNUND1UM - IT - VIEWED FROM A
PRESBYTERIAN sEAND-Po1NT.
The, InJeri0r il fond OF dipping and
going Tor" the scientists, and In the last
humber It thus disposes Of Danwinism !:
In q previous number we made the
development hypothesis "The Spen-
cerian theory cannot be reconciled with
the existing itheoloEy--the theology, OF
the New Testament III Spencer's n.y.
pothesis is right, man never fell from a
state OF innocence and holiness into one
of sinfulness, and the scene on Calvary
was an accidental tragedy, without pqr-
pose or Significance. To this the In
dependent replies THAT depends. II
the Darwinian theory Is true, and even
II 1t should be applied to the gradual
development OF mind, as well as OF the
body, II does not follow that there never 6.
born of a virgin, or that He did not
suffer for the redemption Of the world.
It might overthrow some theories rs to
the way we get to be guilty. OF our pro-
genitor's first sin, and might make the
story Of his fall less important, or even
a mere parable but that Is the opinion
of orthodox theological instructors al.
ready. All the. specifications quoted
above would still stand. Man has fallen
into state OF sin sand is guilty for 1t,
and the scene on Calvary Is no acciden-
tai tragedy tgil8He ,sia
aware that such statements as these
will not hold water. The Fascination
which the Darwinian theory has for the
scientific mind Is owing to its coinpre-
hensiveness. 1t tries to account Tor
everything, from the growth OF fungus
to the formation OF planetary systems
from the development OF a diatom to
the development Of a human soul. Il
embraces in its sweep all growth,
whether physical, intellectual. moral,
or religious. Everything, 1t afflrms, Is
tending to become other and higher
than what 1t is has within It q princi-
pie of adoption by which It Is forever
tending to fit itself more perfectly TO Its
surroundings. According to this theo-
nv, nothing whatever comes to pass ex-
cept in accordance with imnutable
laws, and everything Is a development.
Religion is development. 1t arose In
man. ignorance and fear OF powers and
forces which he could not understand,
and it has been divesting itself gradual
" ever since Of tho cloak OF super
stition. One Of the last vestiges
of that raiment is belief
In miracles, and when the 6pencerian
away, we shall have the naked truth Of
RELIGION The birth OF Christ was nc
more miraculous, it will affirm, than the
birth Of Plato. IL the former was a
greater man than thelatter, IL must have
been In accordance with the eternal
laws of race development; II Christ
was born Of a virgin, IL must have been
one OF those sports OF nature, one OF
| those curious deviations from the ordi-
nary methods OF creation which are Sc
interesting and instructive to the scien-
tifio observer. But as the birth OF jesus
occurred SO long ago, in an age when
| miracles, it cannot be, regarded as q
we'll authenticated instance Of devia.
tion, hence It had better be discarded
| by the scientific mind. This sounds
very blasphemous in the ears of those
who have been taught ito reverence
Christ as the divine Saviour OF the
world; but it is the legitimate re-
suit OF the development hypothesis
Even Matthew Arnold, who Is only a
half fedged, Darwlnian, has gone SO fal
as to discard miracles. Most Christians
will regard this as a denial Of Christian
ity and of Christ; but he thinks there
are some things in Christianity worth
conserving, viz: those grand institu
tions of moral and religious. truth
evinced in the teachings Of Christ ane
some. of the apostles. The consistent
| Darwinian, however, goes still farther
and scouts at intuitions, All the, blessed
truths that the loving heart feels, aI1t
that are the real stay of the soul In It's
darkest hours. are ruthlessly Topped OF
by the Darwinien axe, because, forsooth
they cannot be tested by experiment..
There is no more precious truth o
Christianity than the truth that Goo
hears and answers prayer. 1t Is one q
those things the Christian knows as ht
! knows his own existence, and yet Tyn
dall's prayer gauge cannot prove Ii &
the satisfaction Of the curious. The
fact is, the Spenceriaii philosophy lays
i the axe at the very roots OF Christian
ity. II the independent. PROCESSING
faith i'm the development hypothesis
still clings to the belief that there have
been miracles, and that Christ did suffel
In some real sense for the redemption
Of the world and was raised from thu
grave, it must be because 1t has not ad
vanced very far In the Darwinian phi
losophy, or followed out Its, inevitable
logic. The hypothesis does not merely
modify our interpretations OF particular
pdSSHkeb Ill lIlt DlUAty Uut ~ ~ N1usNkAs.
demolishes the whole. The hide
pendent surely must know tina
In the form Of parable or other
wise the doctrine OF mans primal limo
cence and subsequent degradation. Il
absolutely shut out by the. Spenceria,
theory, or any theory analogous to it
that on any theory of physical, menta
and moral evolution, the first being en-
titled to DO called a man, the Adam
was inferior, physically and mentally
to the present man; had high cheek
bones, q large, sensual mouth, a low
retreating forehead, and u thick skull
was cruel, brutal, sensual. selfish, hi
intellectual faculties in embryo and a
zero that his fall into a state Of sin wa
impossible; and a mediator, therefor
i unnecessary and unreasonable. III tn
story Of the fall was '.mere parable,
doubtless the parable meant something
but we fear even the ingenuity OF tn
Independent could not make 1t appea
that, as the Darwinians have 1t, Adam
fell up instead OF down. Saja ETejo1
Believers in Christianity will do vel
to remember on how slender basis tn
1 development hypothesis rests, and no
too rashly exchange for taking specu
1ation not yet quarter OF q centur.
4 old, the sweet faith that has been Of un
told comfort to millions of hearts, TO
/ thousands Of years. The hypothesi