National Republican., 1882-12-11
EVOLUTION AND CHRISTIANITY.


SERMON BY REV. JOSEPH n. KELLY AT THE
FOURTH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
At the Fourth Presbyterian church the
pastor, Rev. Joseph r. Kelly, spoke upon the
question, Is the theory Of evolution consist
cnt with christianity" taking for his text
Genesis l., 26, 27 and H., z the account of mans
creation. He said that the question could
only be answered on the authority of the
bible. Whatever was consistent with its
teachings could be accepted by christians.
Mans reason is not the judge to which the
bible is TO submit. But the bible is the test
of tho correctness of mans judgments Nor
will il do to come to God as to an hypothesis"
"a sagacous guess He that cometh to
God must believe that he is" The bible
starts with the fact stated quietly, yet posi-
lively, that there is n cause for all that is seen
"a creator from whose hand the whole crca-
ton has sprung. After the emphatic state
mcnts of Jesus Christ as TO the being, nature,
and purposes of his father it is time for those
who tal;c him as u teacher come from God to
have done with saying of God that he is by
potheSi5. Christ also said in prayer to God,
"Ily word is truth"-.JO. xviii, II. The
bible then is our guide, and we can but follow
il, teachings.
l. IN the first chapter of Genesis we have
an account of the creation of the world. This
account states that God created, or caused to
bn, every distinct kind of plant or animal. A
careful reading will show that there was Il
separate act of creation for each species, and
that there is no idea Of one specie passing
into another. The creation of man forms the
last aud the greatest exhibition of creative
power The distinct steps are stated and the
language, if it means anything, means that
there was no development. Mans body
stands forth, not n growth, but n new created
thing. Aud thcu new element is introduced
which forever distinguishes man from the
animals. God br,athcs into his nostrils the
breath of life, and man becomes u reasoning,
living soul. able to understand and com
and separate class of beings what language
can?
2. The bible again informs us of the char
aCter and cndowmcnts of man thus created
" In the image Of God created he HIN" This
image must refer to that moral nature with
which our first parents were created, lin
knowledge Righteousness and holiness in
the likeness Of God. We believe that Adam
was the most perfect physical type of our race
that has ever lived as mere man. The same is
true of his mental capacity. lie could reason
and judge. God brought all the animals to
him to he named. Then, too, he was told to
cultivate the Garden Of Eden, which implies
certain skill and knowledge. How about his
spiritual life? Is it true that -" two incXpc-
rienccd persons, without any knowledge of
life, without guides, were placed in II garden
and subjected to the temptations of Il subtle
foe 2" The very reverse is true. They had
no sin, were pure, holy, and righteous. Had
the couasels and guidance of God an unsullied
experience and holiness within. They stood
on point Of advantage and hope that none of
their descendants have occupied.
g. The bible again shows us mans original
dignity. His was the headship of the whole
creation. He had dominion over all. The
position of man was at his creation fixed, not
as being of or a development of the animal
creation, but as superior to them and cxcrcis-
ing authority upon them. Whence this high
dignity, if man were not of different order
from the beasts?
a. The bible again sets forth the unity orthe
race. God hath made of one blood all ma
tions of men," "He fashioncth their hearts
alike" All mankind are one. However di-
verse in nationality, climate, customs, color
or what not, the common relation of all is an
acknowledged fact. One of the most telling
blows struck at the evolution theory, is that
in the whole history OF man there has been no
variation such as is called for. If Paul had
been an evoutionist, and if evolution had
been consistent with the christianity he be-
licved in, he would have written God hath
made Of one blood all species of the animal
kingdom"
5. The bible states again that "God saw
everything that he had made and, behold, it
was very good" Evidently the bible does not
allow that any development was necessary to
complete his work. No evolution from lower
to higher could ever bring forth product
which he had not thought OF, " He is the
rock. His work is perfect" Whatever the
theories of man may be, it is very evident
from the scriptures that God was sati4fed with
his work. The doctrine of evolution contra
diets all these scriptural facts. The late
Charles Darwin, the most eminent cXpOunder
Of this theory, said: "All the organic beings
which have ever lived on this earth may be
descended from some one primOrdial germ
This is to say boldly that the chapters in Genesis
are false in thci" .'cord Of the creation. See
how nearly tho. who claim to be christian
cvolulionists ad"p. the views thus set forth
of them: II am inclined to believe
that not far in the future it will be under
stood that man himself is the last and great
est evolution, and that his ancestors We're the
undor class Of animals" Having gone thus
far, how can he with any logical fairness re
fuse to 70 the whole length? He has been
pleased To say that " evolution is Gods rCve-
latiou of the method of his creation" But
when God makes Il revelation does he not
make it to those who will represent him
Hrighty The infant Saviour was revealed to
the shepherds, the wise men, to Simon, and
10 Anna, who waited for and sought and wor-
shipped him. Jesus was revealed to John the
Baptist, who hOnorod him before the people.
But are we to suppose that God made n rcvc-
latiOn of the method Of his creative to the
heather who, many centuries ago, originated
the doctrine of Development under the form
Of spontaneous generation? Are we TO be-
levo that he selected as the revclator of his
creative acts man who wrote Il little before
his death, 81 do not believe there has been
any revelation with regard to a future liie?''
But under whatever name it bears evOlu-
tion stands convicted Of these charges.
The bible states one thing; evolution an
other The bible shows man as the result OF
"a single creative act. Evolution makes him
the result Of millions of years of progression.
The bible begins with man at his highest
point, and shows his continuous descent in
evil. Evolution takes him at his lowest
points and improves him with each successive
growth The bible says: "Thou madest him
n little lower than the angels" Evolution
says: "Thou madost him germ cell, and
that has developed itsolf into man." The
bible says: God created man in his own
image" Evolution says: God made him in
the likeness of the animals, and he has fought
his way up out Of his environment TO what
you see" The bible says that when God had
made man, he continued to watch over
govern, and provide for him. Evolution says
that God made q germ cell, and then left it t.
work out and provide for itself under the
influence of blind, uniutelligcnt forces. The
bible says that when God saw all that he
had done, he was pleased with it, and pro
nounced it very good. Evolution says that
man, with his mighty wisdom, had not been
developed then, or he would have been much
displeased with it, And it says of that worl,
III. L ~ -