Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1885-06-05
BEECHER ON EVOLUTION.

brooklyn was tnrongeu on SUNDAY oy
those anxious to hear the first Of the
series Of sermons he has promised TO
preach on Evolution. His text was from
second Peter, third chapter, eighteenth
verse: "But grow in grace and in the
knowledge of our Lord and Saviour,
Jesus Christ. He said the Scriptures
teach us that thero is a conscious ard
intelligent God, whose nature is beyond
the scope Of the human mind. Passing
by the structural idea of God, let US
consider how mankind came TO the
knowledge of God by growth in grace.
The knowledge of God hes been derived
chiefly from the moral experience and
intuition of mankind. In its elemental
forms il is first evolved in Us then grad
ually unfolded. Most people believe
that God declared Himself first and
then announced His various great quail
ities. | shall show this is impossible to
have taken place. 1t was done only
when preceding experience had un-
folded and developed an idea of God and
thus made possible the divine annuncia-
tion. The question of the origin of man
is still uncertain and debatable. Ii has
not been proven that he has evoluted
from the beasts, but it is not necessary
to 20 as low as that. lie undoubtedly
began at very low point-at the very
bottom, in the age OF clay and iron.
Church chronology gives the earth
an age of from 5000 to 5000 years, but
man appeared ages before any such
date. 1t is geologic certainty that he
appeared tens of thousands of years ago
in time where history does not reach
in vast and unilluminated desert,
where the races Of the world were de-
veloping in themselves those moral ele-
ments which made it possible for men
to understand the moral character Of
God. IL is impossible to convey moral
instruction to those animals who are
nearest to man. 1t is likewise impossi-
bic to convey to inferior beings an idea
of the character and emotions of supe-
rior beings unless there has been de-
velopment of that knowledge in them
selves. The dirty savage cannot appro-
ciate cleanliness until he has been
taught TO do so. Men and animals alike
know the difference between kinds of
food and between heat and cold, but
man goes farther and knows the reasons
therefor. This marks the superiority of
man over beast. 1t is impossible TO con-
vey downwards the retinements Of civ
ilization TO inferior creatures and the
lower cannot ascend except by grad
ual unfolding in themselves. This is
the condition of all higher knowledge.
There must be some similarity To God
i'm the human consciousness before 1t
can have the idea of the thing meant.
In the endeavor to construct divinity
natural laws were deified and polythe-
ism came forth.
The next step was in clothing the
gods with various attributes. We are
all God-builders. From his knowledge
of admirable or evil qualities each man
constructs in himself his own knowl-
edge of God. One race appears to have
struck the true path. The Hebrews gave
the earliest and the only true concep-
ton of God. The Hebrew faith swept
away the legions Of polytheistic gods
and substituted the one Jehovah. This
was the first step. BY experience ma
tions learned how the individual soul
could be at peace with itself and be JOY
full and gradually found out what was
best. Men were never told what the
body was, nor the nature of food, fruit
or poison. Men died By thousands when
they could have been cured by the roots
which grew under their feet. Until
lately they did not know that the blood
circulated, nor that the brain was the
seat of intellect. The intellect was AS
signed to different parts Of the body and
we still sing, when we complain Gods
bowels MOURN" 1t Is absurd 10 sing
things contrary to our better knowl-
edge. No knowledge was ever given
until man by cropping found it out foi
himself. Man was put into this life u
find out everything-all had to be learn
ed by himself. 1t was SO with the ways
of purity, love and self-denial-theil
advantages had to be learned by expe
rience, and when this was done the ma
terials existed on which to construct {
God. Imagination added uniyersalit!
and infinity. Into this divine circle
were poured all qualities that wer
adorable and known to be good in thi
world. He may possess qualities know
only to other worlds, but our God is tia
sum of all the feelings Of the human
race. When the human mind was read.
for the belief in God He shot his light
ming through it and great natures saV
the true principles, and God spoke il
times past by holy men whose nature
fitted them to appreciate his qualitie:
Gods truth can only be appreciate
when its qualities are developed in man
The doctrine of endless torment will b
swept away from that heaven wher
love is shining and where there is hatre
OF cruelty.
1t is impossible to conceive Of Go
growing-that il is inconsistent wit
absolute perfection-but He grows j
the hearts Of men. He has marche
through the ages, with increasing ligh
until the veil was torn aside and Chri;
appeared. Then God was personified
one man, who was perfect In body