Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1885-06-26
THE LAW OF EVOLUTION.

tlOU, DuI COulu HOI PiO'S''s S'iN Wv W '"
from being very warm in Plymouth
church Sunday morning. Rev. Henry
Ward Beecher preached another Of his
evolutionary sermons, taking his text
from Romans, eighth chapter, goth to
22d verses: "For the creature was made
subject to vanity, not willingly but by
reason of Him who hath subjected the
same in hope, because the creature it.
self 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
all explanation of the seventh and
eighth chapters Of Romans, except upon
the theory of evolution. When the mys-
terry of human life was thoroughly un-
derstood this chapter will come out into
the light. If we consider man as an an
imal at the bottom and spirituous be-
ing at the top it will be considered 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 it is
part of Gods plan. Each step is on
ward and upward. lie was born an an
imal 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 an unfinished railroad, with gaps
here and there, tracks to lay and bridges
to build, but it will be finished in the
end. Conduct and character are not al
WAYS derived from a systematic relig
ious belief. Theologians are continu-
ally quarreling among themselves, and
those who do not care to quarrel do not
understand theology. Theology should
not be confounded with Christianity {;
they are as wide apart as heaven and
hell. When theology is controverted
men say thBt Christianity is gone. The
greater part of theology was not even
alluded to by Jesus Christ. The reg
nant systems are inferential, artificial,
philosophically impotent, or false.
EVOLUTION AND CHRISTIANITY.
Evolution does not affect the funda-
mental principles of Christianity. The
uniyersality of the Divine presence act
ing on mankind and nature is the one
great force which keeps the world in
motion. God did not make the world
and then stand off to let it run itself,
but wherever force is diffused there is
God. This is not upset, but is substan-
tiqted by evolution. The atheistic sci:
entists propose to rename God and call
Him force or energy. They can make
names to suit themselves-it don't mat
ter-so long as the qualities remain. We
must enlarge and refine our ideas and
recognize the universal unfolding of
human nature. There is an absolute
necessity of conversion from the con-
troll of the flesh to the control of the
moral nature. Human nature quickened
by the Divine spirit gives sympathy and
understanding of God. 1t give some
thing 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 intui-
ton. 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 ele-
ment Of liberty like Gods own. A
mind 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 i. in him power of development
which will enable him to rise. That is
Christianity; it is also evolution. Men
find out they are Gods children by
steady development, and so at last be-
come part and parcel Of God.
THE THEOLOGY OF EVOLUTION.
Evolution is in favor of the noble the
ology, that while man was born at the
bottom he should work his way up. The
violation of law is not necessarily sim
full. Children do it constantly through
ignorance. Man began at the bottom.
Some men say they never descended
from monkey. They are right. They
never went a step from that position.
[Laughterl. Man is and always has
been an unfolding creature, beginning
simple and becoming complex. 1t is
part of the design OF creation for man
to pass through all stages. 1t is COM
pulsory. The deliberate and purpose
full violation of known duty is criminal
sin, for which men are responsible body
and soul; but there is a great mass Of
other impertections 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 to be in harmony with his
fellow-creatures and his God. This ed
ucation is not required in day, but by
slow, creeping centuries. If house
hold were carried on as our churches
are managed by theology, it would be