Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1885-01-24
EVOLUTION


will have much weight IN the Im-
pending controversy but as you
ask for them, 1 will endeavor to
present them as well AS / may with
In the limits of an hours converse
tion. / would say, in the outset.
that 10 years ago 1 did not believe
in evolution and did not want to
believe in il the views now hold
have been arrived at very gradual
ly, and are, / think, the natural
result of careful thought upon the
various modes and processes of the
material universe, aud of compari-
son of the same.
You are correct in believing that
| hold opinions somewhat akin 10
DIR. Woodrow's. Like him, hold
the prevalence and potency of natu-
raj law. | do not mean simply
those formulated expressions em-
bOdying our scientific knowledge.
but all that immense range of forces
aud their relations which are COM
pretended in matter, which are.
known. to God as the creator and
law giver, and which are able TO be
exercised by HIM by virtue of that
knowledge. There are forces OF
wondrous magnitude lying dor
mant and unused because they are
unknown. Suppose that 500 or
1000 years ago some one had APP
peared upon the earth endowed
with the scientific knowledge OF the
18th century, and had practicalized
the principles of the locomotive, the
telegraph the. telephone and the
microphOne. The results would
have been considered nothing short
OF "A miracle. | believe the differ
ence between the natural and the
unnatural consists in the element OF
experience, aud perhaps the same
difference may exist between the
natural and much that we call the
supernatural. Consequently, / have
many times thought it probable
that miracles may be viewed rs the
results of natural laws, operated by
One who possessed a higher knowl-
edge of those laws than the human
race. Take the grsndest OF Christ's
miracles, the raising of the dead. I
do not know that there is any es-
sential difference between the re-
calling Of a spirit back to its old
body and the original introduction
of the soul into the forming body OF
the embryo in the womb. One is
called a miracle, the other, as un.
derstood to be constantly taking
place, is looked upon as "natural." i"
do not believe that we should en-.
deavor to distinguish between
things difficult and easy in regard
to Gods work To create matter
out of nothing need not be consider
ed more difficult to OmnipOtence
than the sustaining and upholding
of the universe as il stands to-day.
| do not believe miracles have been
called in except on extraordinary
occasions, and then for the purpose
OF testimony. = gam
/ believe creation to have been q
continuous and progressive work
rather than series OF isolated acts
Subsequent to the inception of mat.
ter understand its movements to
have been under law, and all the
evolved results in accordance with
a divine plan; for what is law but
an impressed method for different
end-the commanding voice OF the
Creator bidding matter perform his
sovereign pleasure? y.
Along with the large majority ol
the scientific world / accept the
nebular theory of the origin of ouI
system, and probably of all othel
systems. / believe the law OF pro,
gression to be, as in this and Other
connections exhibited and illustra.
ted, the outcoming OF the heteroge
neous from the homogeneous; from
q uniform gaseous mass, a system
wonderfully coordinate and beauti
fully diversified, was ultimately
evolved from an earth, at one timt
in a fused condition and then GOV
cred with water, was finally devel
oped one with continents, islands
seas, mountains and plains. At 8
certain point In its history the inor
ganic character was varied by thu
introduction OF vegetable forms ant
subsequently, Of animals. How 'ift
was determined in previously dead
matter do not pretend to know
but analogies lead me to beliey.
that it was effected by and through
some natural law, impressed upOr