The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-06-02

in the earth Fishes came next in ORDER then
amphibians, then reptiles. All these tribes
were represented by species before the earnest
mammals appeared; the existence of birds before
the earliest mammals is not proved though be-
leved by some palpontologists on provahie evil
Sonce. The early mammals were marsur.ai,
like the opossum and the kangaroo, and lived in
the era called by Agassiz the era OF reptiles
True mammals came into geological history in
the tertiary era very long after the appearance
of the firss birds Man, the last and the grandest
of the series. ca-e-it is doubtful whether in
the tertiary era or mncdiately sequent 1t Is not
established that his bones OF reiles occur as lar
back as the tertiary era
This is very brief statement; not my own,
but by Professor Dana. Of renown. NO man Is
more trusted, more cautious, more careful than
is he. The brief history of the unfolding series
have taken bodily from his writings. AS thus
stated, it may be said that evolutions accepted
the method of creation by the whole scientific
world, and that the period of controversy is
passed and closed
While the scientific world are at agreement
upon these elements they have been much d.
vided as to the causes which have operated to
produce these results
There is a field yet of great diversity open. 1t
is still somewhat divided. But with every de.
cade all scientific men are drawing together to a
common ground of belief, point after point
The theory, third, of evolution is the working
theory of every department of physical science
all over the world. Withdraw this theory and
every department of physical research would
fall back into heaps Of hopeessly dislocated facts
with order reason, or philosophical ad-
herence, more than exists in a basket of marbles
or in the juxtapostion of the multitude of sands
on the shore. We should 60 back into chaos
if we should take out of the laboratory, the dis
secting room and all fields of investigation this
great doctrine of evolution.
This science of evolution fourthly. is taught in
all advanced academies, in all colleges and uni
versities, in all medical and surgical schools, and
our children receiving it as they are the ele-
ments of astronomy, Of botany, Of chemistry,
and that in another generation evolution will be
regarded with the same uncontradictable GER
tainty as is the Copernican astronomy or the
Newtonian law of gravitation, can scarce,
ly be doubted Each of these passed
through the same contradiction by theologians
and were charged by the church, as evolution is
now, with fostering materialism, infdehty and
atheism. We know what befell Calico for tell
ing the truth about Gods primitive revelations
We know. or do not know at least that Newton
stood charged with infdelty, with atheism,
when he announced the doctrine of gravitation
Who doubts the aeocentric theory to-day! Who
doubts whether it is the sun that is moving
round the earth or the earth round the sun? Who
doubts that the law of attraction, as developed by
Newton, is the law of God universall And the
time is coming when the doctrine of evolution,
or the method of God, in the creation of this
world will be just as universally accepted as are
these great physical doctrines. 1t has just what
they had, the Bible and the whole church after
them, and they whipped them ALL
Evolution in substance is held By men of pro-
found Christian faith, by the now venerable and
universally honored scientific teacher, Professor
Dana, of Yale College, a devout commandment in
the Presbyterian Church, by Professor Leconte,
of the University of California elder in the
church; by DR.. McCosh, president of Princeton
College, Presbyterian of the Presbyte-
rians and a Scotch Presbyterian at that;
and l think the Scotch typical theology
is one so vigorous that even John Calvin would
have felt himself in iron corsets if he had tried
to put it on; by Prof Asa Gray, of Harvard
University, a communicate of the Episcopal
Church; by increasing numbers of Christian
preachers in America; by Catholics like st.
George M. Ivert in ENGLAND; by Wallace a
Christian not only, but of the spiritualistic
Spencer and his whole theory, though rejecting
agnosticism and himself a leading divine in the
Church of England and finally, among hun
dreds of other soundly learned and Christian
men, by the Bishop Of London, whose hampton
lectures for 1884 contained boldly frank and
Christianity.
Sixth-To the fearful and timid let me say
that while evolution is certain to oDlige theology
to reconstruct its system, it will take nothing
away from the grounds of true religion; it will
strip off Saurs unmanageable armor from David
to give him greater power over the giants.
Simple religion is the unfolding of the best
nature of man toward God, his author,
hindered and impaired by the outra-
geous complicated and unbearable systems of
theology that have existed, and if you can
change theology you will emancipate religion.
Yet men are continually confounding the two
terms, religion and theology. They are not
alike, thank God Religion is the condition of
mans nature as toward God and toward his
fellow men. upon the key note of love- 1t is love
that breeds truth, justice harmonious inter
communication; that breeds duty, conscience;
that carries in its hand scepter of pain, not to
destroy, not to torment, but to teach and to
save. That is religion 1t is the state of mind
in which man is related by his emotions and
through his emotions. by his whole conduct to
God and duty in this world. Theology is the
science or philosophy of God, Of government, of
human nature. The philosophy of these may be
one thing, the reality of them another and
totally different one. Evolution will employ the
motives and facilities of Righteousness which was
and is the design of the whole Bible 1t will
leave the executive doctrines OF religion by
which rivival ministry arouses mems con-
science, by which men inspire faith, repent
ance, reformation Not only will these great
truths be unharmed, by which men work for
salvation of their fellows, but they will be pre-
served brighter and keener than they can be in
their present philosophical relations The sword
Of the spirit Is in sheath of false theology.
Evolution applied to religion will influence it
only as the hidden temples are changed by re-
moving the sands which have drifted in from the
arid deserts of scholastic and medieval theolo-
gies 1t will change theology, but it will bring
out the simple temple of God clearer than for
ages it has been known
Seventh-In every view of it, 1 think we are
TO expect great practical fruit from the preva-
ience aud application of the truths that flow
from the interpretations of evolution. 1t will
obliterate the distinction between natural and
revealed religion Both are the testimony of
God. One is Gods testimony as to what is
best for man in his physical relations;
the other in his higher spiritual nature. What
is called morality will be no longer discovered
from religion. Morals bear to spirituality the
same relation which the root bears to the BIOS
som and the fruit Hitherto false or imper-
feet theology has set them into different prov
inces, and we have been taught that morality
won't avail u.s. that spirituality is the only
salvable element, whereas l say there is no
spirituality itself without morality, and the
of the stem and root Of morality; and it is time