The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1878-02-12
Written for The Spirit Of Democraoy.l
EVOLUTION:
Rev. W. Il. RIDER, A. NJ.
Testimony.
ARTICLE ".

Iact OF llluStratlon In Denai1 OF ev0lu-
lion, Evolutionists do not attempt ar
gunents of this nature. i
Huxley intimates the folly Of such
reasoning now since the world has
grovn big, but were he associated with
The primordial atoms he could see mot
living matter evolving living proto-
plasm" Lay Sermons, p. 365.
Then we have absolutely no facts or
at hand proving or throw
ing any light on .this doctrine; nor have
we had brought to us from the past his.
toryof our world any such example
What then is the nature OF the proof
Of this new philosophy A bare by
pothesis supposed to account for the
relstion of living forms to each other,
and to the material world. Geological
theory has been supposed to be barren
OF illustration, but it claims the opera
ton in geologic time of causes now
seen But evolution has not even this
warrantableness Of accuracy. Says Nc !
Gosh, "Hypotheses are introduced in
science to explain facts There must be
no facts inconsistent with them. When
an hypothesis explains the facts gener.
erally, It may be admitted that there is
some truth in it: but even then it may
not se heEwhole truth; it may be re-
quired to besupplemented BY some other
considerations, and to take form which
entirely changes its bearing, scientific
and fcligious" Development Hypoth-
esis, a. This rule alone is sufficient
to lay the Ak at the root of modern evo-
lution Evolution must explain facts.
Can hIexpain the origin of matter and
life . Can it bridge the impossible gulf
between mind and matteri Can it ex-
plain Intelligence in naturef Let US see
2. 10 explanation Of the origin of
matter. Darwin escapes this difficulty
by assuming few Of the simpler types
to begin with. By so doing he excites
the hostility Of Tyndall and others who
think they might as well accept creation
at olz&e sSueneer pesits the s'fnnda.
mental reality" and an s'inscyutable
power. to keep up the vast machinery,
but .'God is forever unknowable, incon-
ceiysble." Whence life then? Prima-
tive protoplasm! Whence primative
protoplasm q? From matter! Whence
matter Here we are obliged to pause
Either matter has been created by God
or is selfexistent and eternal.
We are now willing to provide few
inanimate atoms for the evolutionist, bu
he must not ask US to conceive of eter
nal selfexistent matter, especially wher
Spencer does not allow US to conceive o
an eternal selfexistent God. Having in
animate matter we now enquire for
8. The origin of life. How was il
that these lifeless atoms became living
We cannot have life from no life! We
cannot have development without some
thing to develop from There must he,
as Cook remarks, an involution before
an evolution We turn to the "Belfas
Lectures" but nothing is found though
this caption appears. Tyndall is out
right in favor of posting the "eternity
of matter" or creation. Either have .
| God, or, like Lucretius, cease meddling
with them. But we enquire for the ori
gin of life2 Protoplasm!
What is protoplasm2 Does 1t NEAR
first living or lifeless forms, either, nei
tber, or both 2-Bioplasm, i. e., lif
formss But we can not admit the exis
tence Of any living organism withou
. the agency of previously existing OF
ganism, on the principle that the caus
+. must contain the corresponding qualit.
: of the effect. Modern evolution sup
poses life with all its powers to be evol
we'd out of matter destitute of sue
qualities.
The materialistic evolutionist come
: to the rescue. He says, "Organisatio
8 produces life." E. q, organization Of
9 seed, or the human ovum, under prope
conditions, produces life. Bat the see
. had the life principle within It. so ha
the human ovum, and this life principl
ii implanted by previous organism.
d not, whence the seed or ovum 7 Anothe
e unsolved problem. There is sense j
'. which we can proclaim the eternity {
"a human life. We trace it back to I'll
Creator and in him was life in the etc
nifty past. This life principle he ga,
IS to man, and with it the promise of in
% mortality. The proposition ought to |
reversed: Life produces organization
o Bishop Clark in "Man All Immortal
IS says, "The organizing and appropri
y ting power is life. In view of this r
markable fact we can hardly wonder th
n so many have conceived that there is
k plastic power in nature itself, by whit
a these organizations are affected. B.
h1 what is meant by plastic power? Is
. anything more than convenient ter
q under which philosophy may hide i
r failure to solve the problem of life
Protoplasm then instead of evolvir
/, life is elaborated by life. But settir
'f aside the personal cause, and the ge
u minal life principle as the organizir
power, and supposing matter endowe
with life. will the evolutionists even the
give US the least satisfaction as to ho
le the phenomenal organic compound can
Into beingf