Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-06-17
THE LAW OF EVOLUTION.
Christianity Versus Theology.

Mr. pFECHER TELLS HIS CONGREGATIONS THAT
THE SIN THAT COMES FROM IGNORANCE is
NOT CRIM1NAL-wHAT THE RELIGION OF
EVOLUTION TEACHES.
NY Special TO the Phila. Times June L.
thousand fans kept the air in motion, but
could not prevent the crowd from being very
warm In Plymouth church this morning Mr.
Beeeher preached another of his evolutionary
sermons. taking his text from Romans, eighth
chapter, goth 10 22d verses: "For the creature
was made subject to vanity. not willingly but
by reason of Him who hath subjected the same
I'm hope, because the creature itself also shall
be delivered from the bondage OF corruption
into the glorious liberty OF the children OF God:
for we know that the whole creation groaneth
and travaileth in pain together until now
Mr. Beecher said that he believed it was out of
the power of any man to give an explanation of
the seventh and eighth chapters of Romans
except upon the theory of evolution. When the
mystery of human life was thoroughly under
stood this chapter will come out into the light
III We consider man as an animal at the bottom
and spiritual being at the top il will be con-
sidered as commentary thereupOn.
THE DESIGN OF CREATION.
All creation is in a turmoil. Man was born
TO vanity, which means change. 1t was not his
choice, but II Is part of Gods plan. Each step
Is onward and upward. He was born ami
NAL to be delivered from animalism he Was
born with instincts that allied him with beasts;
he passes through all manner of transitions
and in the end Is evolved in glorious liberty.
The theory of evolution is still incomplete; it is
like ar unfinished railroad, with gaps here and
there, tracks to lay aud bridges To build, but 1t
will be finished in the end Conduct and char
acter are not Away derived from q systematic
religious belief. Theologians are continually
quarreiing among themselves, and those who
do not care to quarrel do not understand theol-
ogy. Theology should not be confounded with
Christianity; they are as wide apart as heaven
and hell. When theology is controverted
men say that Christianity is gone The
greater part of theology was not even al
luded to by Jesus Christ. The regnant systems
are inferential, artificial, philosophicaily i'm
potent, or false.
EVOLUTION AND CHRISTIANITY.
Evolution does not affect the fundamental
principles of Christianity. The universally of
the Divine presence acting on mankind and ma
ture IS the one great force which keeps the
world in motion. God did not make the world
and then stand off to let 1T itself, but where
ever force is dlffused there is God. This is not
upset, but is substantiated by evolution. The
atheistic scientists propose to rename God and
ealI Him force or energy They can make
long as the qualities remain. We must enlarge
and refine our ideas and recognize the uni
versal unfolding of human nature. There is an
absolute necessity of a conversion from the con-
troll of the flesh to the control of the moral ma
ture. Human nature quickened by the Divine
spirit gives sympathy and understanding of
God. 1t gives something of the Divine power.
There is in mankind an element of power
which when quickened in this way carries
him up near God and gives him moral intuition.
Those who receive this divine power by self
expansion have power of mind over matter
Christ said so, and taught that in mankind there
is an element of liberty like God own. Amind
thus unfolded is delivered from the hard laws of
nature Man begins as low-toned, sinful
being; but it is not necessary for him to remain
so, as there is in him power of development
which will enable him to rise. That is Chris
tianity: it is also evolution. Men find out they
are Gods children by steady development, and
SO at last become part and parcel of God.
THE THEOLOGY OF EVOLUTION.
Evolution is in favor of the noble theology,
a yT bflrr of f1,a hot I,o
should work his way up. The violation of laws
is not necessarily sinful. Children do it con-
stantly through ignorance. Man began at the
bottom. Some men say they never descended
from monkey. They are right. They never went
step from that position. laughter Man is
and always has been an unfolding creature, be-
ginning simple and becoming complex. 1t is
part of the design of creation for man to pass
hberate and purpOsetul violation of known duty
Is criminal sin, for which men are responsible
body and soul: but there is great mass of other
imperfectiOns caused by ignorance which are
not criminal. An unskilled apprentice would
not be blamed for his ignorance of the use of
tools. Why should man be blamed for misuse
of the many faculties of the brain if he has not
been taught TO use them? He must first learn
his God. This education is not acquired in q
day, but by slow, creeping centuries. If house
hold were carried on as our churches are man.
aged by theology, it would be extinguished.
Children are untaught, mischievous animals.
They must be ruled by counter-irritation; the
palm OF the hand checks temper and disobedi-
ence until at last the child begins to have
sense of the rights of Others and learns the ele-
ually extends to the community. Last OF all
comes spirituality.
THE IMPERFECrIoN OF MAN
The presence OF sin can be no more explained
than friction; it is natural law established by
God. Neither can this series of unfolding be
explained. 1t would be inconsistent with divine
Justice to say that every man is to be damned
who does not comply with the law. Man is
imperfect always when compared with the con-
dition next higher than himself, and must con.
reaches the highest point. Let us sweep out of
existence the hidden pit that theology has dug,
inspired by malign and wicked imagination.
cannot separate myself from my fellOw-man.
j cannot sit down quietly and talk of total de-
pravity and eternal damnation for men who
had no opportunity of elevation. Think of the
myriads of men in Africa, Asia and the islands
OF the sea, and OF the countless millions who
lived in times past. What has God done with
them all? Where are they? In mythical torment?
II that be So never mention the name of God to
me again. Let me never call Him father. 1t
hood To say they go out of existence is another
phantom. II man does not reach perfection
hereafter and unfold there.
A REPULsIvE DOCTRINE.
The old theory of sin will be extinguished by
the light of evolution. 1t is repulsive and de-
moralizing. hate 1t becauseI love the truth
and God The idea of God creating a race,
putting II under the temptation of an arch fiend
and then damning it because it is not perfect
is absurd Surrounded by temptation, with
damnation on the right and on the left,
how could it be perfeete / hate that the,
ology. won't be silent. The theologians
say, IF you don't believe 1t you will be
damned" say you will be damned If you do
believe Ii. II Is hideous-horribe: it makes crea-
tion a shamble, God a slaughterer, the human
race In worse condition than animals as they
at least, are only held responsible accordi ng 10
their natures. This doctrine of evolution will
have more effect on the feelings of men as il
explains the road they have to travel. 1t forti-
nes the argument of the need of repentance and
will bring forth a wonder, glory and marvel
when the contamination shall come.
Occupations Of the Better Classes,
New York Letter in Boston Gazette.
Some time ago amateur photography was the
rage among the young ladies of New York So
ciety. Nearly every one of them had an fnstru-
ment, and were some very proficient In the art
But fashionable young ladies soon tire Of any
pastme no matter how interesting it NAV be AT
first, but they have got hold of an amusement
now which has something of the risk of Wall
street in IT, and which is occupying the attention
OF a large number OF them. Instead of a pho
tographic apparatus, they have incubators and
are trying TO see which one will hatch out the
most chickens in a given time. They do not all
of them have rooms built especially for this in
cubating process and are sometimes put to il
for place TO put up their apparatus. One young
lady whom know had the incubator in her
bedroom, and put a hundred eggs intoit the re-
as any old hen. But what to do with them was
something OF a question. She couldn't keep
them In her bedroom, SO the weather grew
mitder she brought them down stairs and put