The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1876-12-06
The Advertiser ON Evolution.

I ON the above topic, which, considering the
average knowledge of the present time, may
be characterized as little slow. We did not
imagine that any one could be found in this
year of our Lord 1876, of sufficient intelli-
gence to express himself correctly on paper,
who would openly acknowledge belief in the
literal truth of the Biblical history of creation,
as is done by the writer. The works of God,
illustrated by the record of the rocks, were
shown years ago to have demonstrated that the
historical parts of His word are to some ex-
tent fgurative.
We believe there is no antagonism between
Religion and Science, although it is true that
there appears to be, and that there have been
no small number Of conflicts between the
leaders in these two departments of inquiry.
Kepler says that both theologians and men of
science should remember that " it is for their
common advantage to conciliate the finger
and the tongue of God" DR.. Whewell, in the
+" Relation of Tradition to Palaetiology," has
with great candor and wisdom discussed this
matter He points out that the fexibility of
the scriptures in adapting their teaching to
scientific discoveries, arises chiefly from this
excellence, that their language is adapted to
the common state of mans intellectual de-
velopement, in which he is supposed not to be
possessed of science" The same author
makes the following sensible observations.
Scientific views, when familiar, do not dis
turb the authority of scripture
When the language of scripture, invested with
its new meaning, has become familiar to men,
it is found that the ideas which it calls up are
quite as reconcilable as the former ones were
with the most entire acceptance of the prOvi-
Dental dispensation. And when this has been
look back with surprise at the mistake of
those who thought that the essence of the
revelation was involved in their own arbitrary
version of some collateral circumstance in the
revealed narrative. At the present day we can
hardly conceive how reasonable men could
ever have imagined that religious reflections
on the stability Of the earth, and the beauty
and use of the luminaries which revolve
around it, would be interfered with by an &C
acknowledgements that this rest and motion are
apparent only. And thus the authority of
revelation is not shaken By any changes intro
duced by the progress of science in the mode
Of interpreting expressions which describe
physical objects and occurrences; provided
season, and in proper spirit; SO as to soften,
as much as possible, both the public contro-
versies and the private scruples which almost
inevitably accompany such an alteration.
The Adrertiser writer complains that the
Evolution hypothesis gives us no reason to
believe in the scheme of salvation through a
Mediator and Redeemer," and no moro does
the Copernican theory of the solar system. We
are unable after the most mature deliberation
to see the applicability of this remark to the
subject under discussion. We had supposed
that believers in the New Testament scheme
of salvation found their reasons for believing
it in the records of that book, and not in any of
the multitudinous revelations of science. The
writer continues; "but, on the contrary, the
immutable law which it recognizes as pervad-
ing the Universe precludes the possibility of
miracle, upon which the authenticity of the
Bible entirely depends. Appeal to miracle
was the testimony with which Christ sought
to impress the human mind with the reality of
his divine origin and mission and, if we deny
one belief the other must of necessity fall with
it. "These conclusions are perhaps quite
natural to the superficial student, but that
they are unwarantable may appear from the
following extract from an article by the Rev.
George F. Wright, in the Bibliotheca Sacra.
"Scientifc men deal only with the method
that appears in the sequences of secondary
causes. Even when treating of the origin of
species, they do not refer to the first and true
causal origin. This is problem of theology.
But in scientific treatises reference is had
solely to the order under which actual forces
are seen or inferred to operate. Whatever the
method may be, God is the author of it. God
both makes the machine and operates it. If
the theory of natural selection should be es-
tablished in its general conclusions, it would
not necessarily comprehend the essential
rations. And on the other hand, the miracu-
lous creation of man might no more disprove
the general theory of natural selection than an
ordinary miracle of Christ would disprove the |
the general reign of natural law. The excep-
ton may even prove the rule. There would |
be no miracle if uniformity did not ordinarily |
prevail. There is, doubtless, miraculous in
reference with uniformities of nature when
there is sufficient reason for it and only them
Science has not been a mere iconoclast of
everything sacred, but it has been a real help
er in the progress of religion by purifying its
faiths and guiding its reverences. This is
service that Faith much needs to have some
one to do for her. For, sublime as are her as
pirations, her intellectual vision is but dim.
She needs science ever to be at hand to direct
her. 1t is charged that the recOnstructiOns
which modern inquiry have made and are
making, unsettle all the foundations of religi-
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