The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-09-25
THE EVOLUTION OF ADAM.
Action Of the Board of Directors of the
Theological Seminary on the Theory.

Theological Seminary on the Theory.
The annual meeting OF the Board of
Directors of the Presbyterian Theologi.
cal Seminary, which has been in progress
in this city for two days and nights, ad.
iourned yesterday. Hon. James Hemp.
bill of Chester, President of the Board,
was detained at home by sickness, and
Judge #. B. Fraser was President pro
tenn. Rev. J. B. Mack, D. D., Secretary
of the Board, was present. Eleven Of
the thirteen Directors we're in attendance.
A report was submitted showing the
bright prospects under which the Semi.
nary had opened on Monday, the 18th
instant. Twenty. nine students are now
in attendance and the number it is be.
lieved will be increased to forty by the
1st of October.
Professor ]. II. Rayhill, of Illinois,
has been engaged as teacher Of elocu.
ton, and his course of instruction will
be commenced on the 1st of October.
The Directors had all exhaustive dis
cussion of the recent address Of Profes.
sor James Woodrow OH Evolution"
which has attracted so much attention
throughout the length aud breadth of
the land, and The discussion of which
consumes large portion of nearly every
Presbyterian publication in the United
States, and especially in the States whose
Synods control the Seminary.
A paper was introduced strongly com.
mending DR.. Woodrow and endorsing
nearly all the positions taken by him in
the address on evolution.
For this substitute was offered which
enioined upon DR.. Woodrow 10 cease
teaching in the Seminary the views that
evolution is Gods plan of creation and
that the body of Adam was probably
eyloved from beast. This substitute
was voted down.
The following substitute was then in.
troduced, and was adopted by vote of
s to3:
The Board having carefully considered
the address of DR.. Woodrow, published
in pursuance of the request of this
Board, adopts the following:
1st. Resotued, That the Board does
hereby tender to Dr. Woodrow its thanks
for the ability and faithfulness with
which he has complied with its request.
Cd. That in the jud gment Of this
Board tie relations subsisting between
the teachings of Scripture and the teach
ings of natural science are plainly, cor.
rectly and satisfactorily set forth in said
address.
Sd. That the Board is not prepared to
concur in the view expressed by DIR.
Woodrow as to the probable method Of
the creation of Adams body-yet in the
Judgment of the Board there is nothing
in the doctrine of evolution, as defined
and limited by him, which appears in
consistent with perfect soundness in the
faith.
4th. That the Board takes this Occa-
siop to record its deep and ever growing
sense of the wisdom of our Synods in
the establishment of the chair of the
Perkins professorship of natural science
in connection with revelation" and of
the i'm mportance of such instruction as is
thereby afforded, that our ministry may
be the better prepared to resist the OBJ.
iections of infidel scientists and defend
the Scriptures against their insidious
charges.
The minority then eutered their pro.
test against the action OF the Board in
refusing to eojoin on Professor Woodrow
not to teach that evolution is Gods plan
of creation and that the body of Adam
was probably evolved from the lower
animals The reasons given in the pro-
test are:
l. Evolution is an improved hypothe-
sis, and the Seminary is not the place for
such teachings.
2. Belief in evolution changes the in
depreciation of many passages of Scrip
ture from that now received by the
church.
8. The view that the body of Adam
was evolved from lower animals, and not
formed by supernatural act OF God, IS
dangerous and hurtful.
4. The theory that Adams body was
formed by the natural law of evolution,
while EYES was created by q supernatu'
raj act of God, is contrary to our con-
fession of faith as that confession OF
faith has been and is interpreted by our
church.
S. The advocacy of views which have
received neither the endorsement of the
Board nor that of the Synods having
control of the Seminary; which have
not been established by science; which
have no authority from the Word OF
God which tend to unsettle the received
Interpretation of many passages OF Scrip
ture and to destroy the confidence of the
church in her doctrinal standards; which
have already produced SO much evil, and
which will injure the Seminary and may
rend our church, ought not to be afl0yed.
This matter will be carried before the
four synods controlling the Seminary
and be adiudicated by them. These are
tie synods of South Carolina, Georgia,
Alabama and Florida. In the meantime
Professor Woodrow "holds the fort"