The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-07-20
THEZSITC -EVOL UTION

Liz Ieduer Will De mucn interested In
the continuation Of DR.. Hoyt's criticism
on Professor LIE Conte's article on Evolu-
ton in the Princeton Revies0 of March
last.
If Prof. LIE Conte is ri ht in the posi-
ton that man was evolved from some
lower animal, then human beings must
have cropped out from the apes or some
other brute forms, not in one instance,
but in many. 1t was not an Individual
Adam that was evolved, but nes0 species
ofanimal Homo sapiens), including many
individuals.
What, then, becomes of our Theology?
Prof. LIE Conte is Presbyterian, and
ought to believe in the Federal Head
ship of Adam, the Fall, Original Sin, Re
demption through the Second Adam, etc. ;
but if men and women appeared on the
earth, here and there, as the progeny OF
certain brutes, at a certain stage in the
history of evolution, the race does not
proceed from one original pair, but from
many pairs. We do not perceive, there
fore, how the Biblical account of the fall
can be accepted by Prof. LIE Conte. In
his system Adam must stand for null
tltude, and we are led to ask, Did all of
these new beings sin? or did some stand
firm, and only portion of them prove
recreantF If there were thousand such
pairs, it would be little remarkable that
every one Of them should have sinned.
But If some maintained their integrity,
while others sinned, what did God do
with the posterity of those who kept their
first estate?
Moreover, did these new beings com.
upon the earth with moral nature.
Was the Conscience, as well as the Rea-
son, result of evolution? Did the new
anthropoid forms inherit the beastly ma,
ture of their progenitors? And if so
where does responsibility commence?
Professor LIE Conte appears to involve
himself in inextricable theological diff
culties by his theory-whatever be the
scientific aspect of the matter.
But has Professor LIE Conte proved that
man is derived by evolution from the
apes? Eve believe it is now thought
that the ANTS come nearer to man in
intelligence than the APES y. We shall
be pleased to see the evidence if it
is in the possession Of the University
of California. Not one title of evil
dence has been found for this declara-
tion-thoggh the geological beds Of the
world have been diligently searched
for the missing links. 1t is surely time
that something were discovered in some
OF the tertiary formations to bridge over
the tremendous chasm between rational
moral being and brute, if our old Bible
doctrine is wrong, and the evolutionists
are right. Science, as we understand it.
is fact, but what fact can Prof LIE Conte
adduce on this subject? The Oldest hu-
man remains discovered are skeletons
and skulls just like those of the European
skeletons and skulls of to-day, and we
think we can safely affirm that there is
not even a hope of the discovery of any
lower anthropoid forms. Prof. Dawkins
In his late work on Early Man, admits
that no trace of man has been found in
the tertiary beds, and expresses the opin-
ion that they never will be found while
Mr.. Alfred Russell Wallace, in his learned
work, just published en-
titled Island Life, proves conclusively
that the conjecture of certain evolution
lists that there exists a submerged CONT
nent in the Indian Ocean, where the
missing links are probably buried, is
without foundation in fact, and contrary
to the fundamental principles Of the sci
ence Of Geology.
Now, when Prof lie Conte presses upon
MS the conclusions Of science, we press
him with science, and demand the eui-
denoe by which alone the'theory of man s
The anthropoid apes approach more close.
~ 10 man In bodily, structure than any other
animal but, says Sir John Lubbock, :" when
we consider the habits Of ANTS, their social or.
ganisation, their large communities. elaborate
,habitations, their roadways, their possession Of
domestic animals and avyar l., .----