The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-06-30
PREADAMITE,S.

Ohol dCCeI VI Iue nOllCeS uldue OF UnlS DOCK
in the interior and the EUangezist.-
We observed that it was very objec-
tionable book, and that we did not think
religious paper ought to give favor
able notice of such work without point
ing out its errors, and uttering some pro-
test against it.
The Interior replies in substance as
follows:
l. That it by no means accepts the
conclusions of Prof Winchell, but that
"to stand up before the work of learned
and profound and honest specialist in one
of the most reconcile departments of in
vestigation, and to exclaim i protest,
would be to take an unwise attitude"
Of course it would amount to very lit
tie to merely say, protest But this is
not the first time Prof Winchell has ut
tered these views He is the author of
the article "Pre-Adamite" in McClin-
took and Strong's Cyclopedia. His posi-
ton is that the black races are pre-
Adamic. If this does not upset all our
Presbyterian theology, we are in great
and lamentable error. 1t is pure spec
ulation, for which there is no necessity.
Theologically it is fatal; scientifically,
it rests on no facts. 1t appears to us,
therefore, that in a Presbyterian paper
such a theory ought not to have favor
able attention called to it without some
protest. and that it is the function of a
religious paper, in noticing such works,
not only to protest but if space permits,
to refute them. There is not one particle
of evidence of any man older than the
''paleolithic man, to whom Prof Winchell
assigns an antiquity of something exceed
ing 5000 years ago" This paleolithic
man included, according to Prof Win
chell, the white and yellow races Now
there is not shred of evidence for any
thing in tho human shape older. Even
Boyd Dawkins in his recent work on
Early Man in Britain" gives it up.
But Prof. Winchells theory is that in the
Tertiary Age there was tract of land,
now submerged, between Africa and In
dia, from which the black races originated
There is not a trace of evidence to sus-
tain him. 1t is only wild conjecture
Finding no trace of such being on the
present continents, he guesses that there is
submerged continent in the Indian
Ocean. The recent deep-Sea soundinge
of the Challenger expedition refute the
hypothesis. DR.. Carpenter expressly af-
firms that these explorations of the ocean
depths establish the fact that there are
no lost continents, and this has always
been Dana's view.
The Interior says;
g That Christians must not be afraid
of scientific investigations. Certainly;
and who is afraid? For our part we be-
lieve in the widest investigation. But
then, when men teach for science what is
not science, shall we put our hands on
our mouths, and say, Don't interfere with
the search after truth .?
There was never more humbug about
Mesmerism or Spiritualism than there
has been in all this talk by scientific men
about the antiquity of man" and the
evolution of man. The statements on
the subject have been of the most reck-
less character This allegation we shall
now proceed to prove. Ten years ago we
were told that Avebury and Stonehenge in
England were older than the Pyramids.
indeed the former was set down as some
5000 years old. Then we were told that
the shell-heaps on the Danish islands be-
longed to a race of n1utes-men who had
not yet learned to talk. Then we were
told that the stone implements found in
the Danish peat-bogs belonged to period
when nothing but pines grew in Denmark,
and it was claimed that this was ages
ago Then we were told that on the
margins of the Swiss lakes, and little
distance out from shore, ancient habita-
tions Of lost race had been found, whose
antiquity was from 5000 to 5000 years.
Then DR.. Homer found pottery in the
Nile mud 1900 years old. And DR..
| DoWler found human rernains -, tbo do14o