Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-05-04
EvOLBrIOH AND CHRISTIANITY.
Darwin aud His Relation 10 Re-
Iigion Discussed BY DIR.
Newton.
New York Herald, ]

larger theory. One may be an evolu,
zionist without holding to Mr.. Oar.
wins view concerning the origin Of
man. Evolution is not what It was
once supposed to be, novel and unhearG
Of, but is as old as historic human
thought. Augustine knew it. The
Roman and Greek philosophers wrote
of it. Eastern mystics dreamed of it,
The church might have been in less Of
hurry to be scared at it if it had
looked behind this new theory and
recognized the old conception. While
it has forced upon the churches the
giving up of much that was once
claimed as divine, it has invalidated
no essential faith, and in the changes
it has brought about it has been work
ing unconsciously in the interest of
real religion.
THE BIBLE AS 1T Is.
The doctrine Of evolution has I'M.
doubtedly placed itselfin direct OPP
position to the traditional reading of
the Bible and has forced upon us the
question of the true nature of this
venerable book. What then +? Have
we lost our dear Bible? We have
lost what we thought we had and
what we never bad-an infallible
work on science. We have received
the true Bible, the literature Of the
people whose mission has been to
teach mankind spiritual and ethical
religion, and prepare the way for, the
revelation of the highest. hottest
manhood-Jesus Christ. The FIRST
chapter of Genesis bears on its face
its true character. 1t is prose poem.
tits the Jewish oosnogLny or theory
of the beginning. never knew hew
wonderful, how beautiful, how pro-
found, how spiritual, this first chap
ter of Genesis was till l ceased to
regard it superstitiously. This con-
fiict, which the theory of evolution
preCipitated upon the Church, has
been in the hands Of God. 1t has
been the means offreeing the concep
ton of the Bible from its old errors
and superstitions and OF forcing for
ward new and higher conception
of il. And this is, indeed, an
immense boon to religiOa. 1t is true
that evolution has arrayed itself
against the old thought of God, which
we learned from the Hebrew. 1t will
no longer allow the conception of
Gods action which was in the mind
Of the poet who put into its biblical
form the noble myth eff Gre
alton. DR.. Newton said that the en-
lightened Christians Of to-day have
substituted for this the story Of the
formation of the globe and its animal
life as told by science. The readjust-
ment Of faith as to creation was not
yet complete. Our conceptions are
Arysn and the moulds into which we
have to run them are Semitic. The
nineteenth century after Christ and
the tenth century before Christ are
still jumbled together without any
satisfactory assimilation. Further, let
it be noted that faith IN God has never
been an easy matter, though necessary
and Indispensable TO sound thought
and noble life. You cannot demon
strate God. He is not found at the
end Of a syllogism. When the light of
reason and conscience focus in the
absolute conviction of God the form
is not so resolved as to admit of no
questionibgs. There are questions
which any one can raise, to which no
one can return conclusive answer.