Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-07-01
Evolution and Design.

EvOlutaOn ana Design.
Mr.. BEECHER BELIEVES THE TWO ARE RECON-
CILABLE.
From the New York Times. goth.
Mr.. Beecher announced to the congreg CATION Of
Plymouth church yesterday morning that he
would be with his people for two Sundays more
before taking his vacation, and that he would
complete his series of sermons on evolution and
religion before going away. Next autumn, when
he had settled down to systematic work he
should, he said, probably begin another series
OF sermons on general truths of religion. The
present series OF sermons would be published
soon in cheap form. The sermon yesterday
was discussion of the question OF design and
OF special and general providences, showing
that these theological doctrines were not over.
thrown by the theory OF evolution or by sci
ence.
The theory of Haeckel that the world needed
no God made things much more difficult the
stand or investigate. No man could believe
things to have happened of themselves. Men
knew no more what matter was than they did
what mind and spirit were. Its form could be
told, but what 1t was no one could tell. Nothing
was gained by excluding Divine control, but
with it the way. was made smoother. 1t was
easier to conceive Of the world as under the
guidance OF Divine power and will. The doc
trine of evolution, Mr.. Beecher said, seemed at
hrst to destroy the effect OF design and leave it
doubtful If there was Il movable God. But
God might exist when men did not know him.
God was only seen by those who in the develop
der line Of divinity itself. The question Of de-
sign was not shaken. Indeed, it placed the fact
on wider basis and made the outcome more
wonderful.
The old theory of design conceived God as
making special creatures to hit certain sur
roundinss and conditions. God,it was said had
made plants and adapted them to ceoain cir
cumstances and certain climates. The doctrine
OF design from the evolutionists standpoint was
given wider sphere. Evolution showed how
things fittest survived, because all not fit per
IShcd. Ia organic creation there was prOdi-
gality of production. The strongest plant sur
In fond ap,p
stronger. The man was said 70 have shown de-
sign who made watch. But was there not
greater design shown by the man who made
the machinery that in tie watch factory turned
out thousands Of watches? The woman who
slowly wove the threads in an Oriental rug was
u designer, but there greater design shown
by the man who thought out the machinery
that wove yard after yard in all cOlors and forms
ofhowers insects, and birds. In regard to special
and general providences, Mr.. Beecher said that
the only thing that made life endurable was the
thought that men were intelligent creatures
under Gods care. If the world was a vast ma
chime left to natural law he should not feel
quiet. He admitted the unifority OF great laws
or forces, but 1t was impudent to say that God
did not work otherwise.
Some men said that everything was under the
power OF natural laws and subject TO them
There was nothing more flexible or comfortable
than natural laws. They were constantly
checked or directed, even set in conflict against
one another. They were harnessed and gov
erned by mans will and intelligence. In nat
ural state they Were only half as fruitful as un-
der mans will. Natural laws could be used so
as to be providence for man and for his fam
lily. What was civilization but subjugation of
natural laws by human will? All the talk about
the inevitableness of natures laws was incon-
siderate, unfounded and false. If men could do
SO much with these laws, what ought God to be
able to do? There was nothing in science to
overthrow belief in Gods caring for and
as and s In
worked together for mans good and it was not
too much TO believe that there might be subtle
laws or powers that could influence natural