The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1878-01-22
EvOLUTION:
An Understanding Of the Doctrine
ARTICLE 1.
REy. W. H. RIDER, A. M.

KEY. w. ID. RIDER, A. M
E. L. Yeomeans in the American
Cyclopedia thus defines it: "The doc
trine that the existing universe has been
gradually unfolded by the action Of nat.
ural causes in the immeasurable course
of past ages"
Evolution, like almost alllother isms,
dres not harmonize in its teachings. -
Tnere are at least three schools: the
first, purely materialistic; the second,
semimaterialistic; the third, theistic.-
The doctrine in this modified form pre-.
walls among liberal Christian writer's
The first is atheistic, teaching that all
things are the result of matter and force,
which latter are eternal. Life Is the last
visible product, but really resident in the
original tar-dust-the eternal atoms
The second is like the first, plus the ex
istence of God and the creation of mat
ter and force, but given matter and force
to evolve the universe, independent of
God. The third is like the second, but
teaching the direct agency of God in
the creation and subordination of mat
ter and force with which to evolve the
universe of mind and matter out of the
originally diffused molecules. ,yia
The first and second more particular
" claim our attention. Says Tyndall,
"Not alone the nobler forms of the
horse and lion, not alone the exquisite
and wonderful mechanism of the hu-
man body, but the human mind itself
emotion, intellect, will, and all their phe-
nomena-were once latent in a fiery
cloud" Fragments of Science, p. 159
Spencer endorses and calls the doc
trine of creation "the carpenter story"
The two great questions are, The origin
of life, and, The origin of life's diversi.
fed forms. Huxley is conspicuous in
the discussion of the former, and Dar-
win, the latter Says Huxley, "If it
were given me to look beyond the abyss
of geologically recorded time to the
still more remote period when the earth
was passing through physical and chem
ical conditions, which it can no more
see again than man can recall his in
fancy, should expect to be a witness
iofs fsthe eyolatisn Of li.siag protoplasm
from not living matter Lay Sermons,
lip 1856 Charles Darwin says, "Not only
the various domestic races, but the most
distinct genera and orders within the
same great class-for instance, man.
mails, birds, reptiles, and fi,hes-ars all
the defendants Of one common progeni-
tor; and we must admit that the whole
vast amount of difference between these
forms has primarily arisen from simple
variability" Animals and Plants under
Domesticalion, pp 425,426 Tyndall in
the Belfast lecture says, ~ discern in
matter the promise and potency of ev-
cry form and quality Of life" Huxley
| in his Belfast lecture taught that all un-
derstanding and physical action are ms.
terial products.
1t is easily seen that man is not ex.
empt from the domain of this develop
ment. Tyndall in the lecture referred
to, says, Tie doctrine of evolution de-
rives man. in his totality. from the in
teraction of organism and environment
through countless ages past" Darwin
comedies in unambiguous terms: "Man
is descended from hairy quadruped,
furnished with tail and pointed ears,
probably arboreal in its habits, and an
inhabitant of the Old World" Decent
of Man, part ii, ch. 81. Man is pos
sessed of two-fold nature, body and
soul. Darwin has made provision for
the former, and Spencer, for the latter
"No idea or feeling arises save as re-
suit of some physical force expended in
producing it." First Principles, p 2S0.
Such is the nature and scope of evo-
luton From the something which ex,
listed first (diffused fire-mists of invisa
BILE and indiscerptible particles, which
had the power of multiplying themselves,
and whose existence can only be ac-
counted for by the necessity of the
case9) } came the microscopic organ
isms, then the little oceanic shells. the
sponge, tribes of insectia, polipode,
polliwig. frogs, somehow dogs, lions,
the "hairy quadruped," silence for a
space, and man stepped forth as the eli.
max of the operation Of physical forces
through "countless ages past" In ar.
ticle 2 we will the more appreciate an
abbreviated history of the doctrine.
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