The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1884-10-29
CORRESPOND NOE.
PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 25, "a.


MeSSrS EditorS,-Mr. Beecher in es-
pousing Evolution has found it necessary
to abandon the Biblical account of the
Fall Of Man. Let us not imagine that
the acceptance of this theory can be
rendered consistent by the elimination of
this primary doctrine OF the Christian re-
ligion. Carried to its logical conclusion,
the theory will also dispense in the end
with all necessity for God Indeed
this is the real battle-ground. The de-
rivation of the pneumatic man from
purely psychic man, and the Identification
Of this rudimentary, brute man with the
nearest allied quadrumans is but the pre-
hminary skirmishing ground.
The Life Point in Union with the Ma
terial Point
is the concentration of the worldwide
mystery and the real center of the battle.
Herbert Spencer, with the instinct of the
logician, has already taken his ground
and planted his colors. And every Evo-
lutionist will be driven by the very ne
cessity Of his position to rally to Spencer's
support on this same redoubt of the Origin
OF Life. The absolute, commencement
OF organic life on the globe, I distinctly
deny. The affirmation Of universal evo2a1-
taon lsltSelf the megot9on Of an absolute COM
naenceme,at of anything. Construed in
terms of evolution, every kind Of being is
conceived as product Of notifications
wrought by insensible gradations on
pre-existent kind of being" Biology,
Herbert Spencer, vol. l, page 1922 By
this theory life began with minute, in
definite, changeable fragments Of matter.
Then by a process OF action and reaction
between incipient types and their en-
vironments and the survival Of these
fttest when, after an enormous period Of
time, the comparatively well specialized
forms Of ordinary infusoria were reached.
This, then, is the case clearly stated by
one Of the most competent men Of our age
There can be no mistake. The concep-
tion Of first organism in anything like
the natural or common meaning is wholly
at variance with right view of Evolu.
ton.
Life Sprang from o Life from Nothing
There can be no greater condemnation
of the theory than the absurd explar a.
tion Of the origin Of things by which it
seeks to negate God, as the beginning
We are virtually told there is continual
commencement but no primal start-all
things came out Of nothing, yet never be-
gan to come out-push back the begin
ming far enough, do it little by little and
there will be no beginning. You may
gradually organize an organism by such
imperceptible and nappreciable differ.
entiation that life new, begins as life, and
the organism has no absolute commence
ment We are to suppose there is a
vacuum or something else. This nothing
or something is to be turned about some
where or nowhere, and nobody can tell
by whom, till the churning makes it very
hot. Then cooling down, the particles Of
this nothing which has become something,
diferentiate, assort adapt, combine them
selves. After further myriads Of ages
arise those beginnings Of life, which are
not beginnings, at length come the pro-
tophyta, real beginnings which insensibly
advance into fragrant flowers, cereal
plants, fruits and forest trees. With the
protophyta or soon after grow the pro-
tozoa into all animals.
This is the doctrine which is commend.
ed as natural by reasonable men who tell
us that the creation hypothesis must now
be consigned to that limbo, where hover
the ghosts Of slaughtered theories. In
stead Of the declaration,
God Said Let the Earth Bring Forth
the Living Creature"
We are to take the following simple
explanation concerning life. at is an