Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1886-08-12
Evolution in Worship.

Rev. G. Lowther, on Sunday evening delivered
the first of series of eight sermons on Evolution
, in Religion the following being synopsis:
The hour corneth and now il when the true wor-
shippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in
truth, for the Father secketh such to worship
him. John ~ {; q.
Evolution is the act of unfolding unrolling, as
the growth Of flower from bud; an animal from
an egg; the unrolIirg of a scroll containing a
series of lessons be learned In the order Of their
arrangements.
This was Gods plan Of preparing the world to
worship him. in spirit and in truth
There are three classes of scientific evolutions:
Atheistic, who try to account for the creation
without God.
Agnostic, who say we DO net know whether there
was God IN creation or not.
Christian, who believe in God, hold all the es-
seEtia doctrines of christianity, but who believe
that evolution was Gods method Of creation.
While this theory has not yet been proved, it can
not lie disproved and has much 10 commend it to
favor. I. does not disagree with the Bible ac-
count of creation that teaches that in six days
periods) God made the world and Inhabited it. 1t
has this to commend it; that the language of rev.
citation thus interpreted re-cchoes the language OF
the rocks and science and the Bible agree. / care
not whether God raised me up from the dust by
the slow process Of development through million
ages, or by tie instantaneous touch OF the divine
hand believe whatever his method of creating
me that he is my father, my protector, my friend
In the treatment of this Subject begin not in the
msts Of the unknown but with the first historic
records OF worship. These records justify the fol-
lowing statements, viz: Cain brought the first
fruits Of the field and offered them upon an altar
as sacrifice TO God. Able brought the first of the
flock and offered a sacrifice to God. The law Of
sacrifice the first lesson of the series Of lessons
that was to prepare the world to worship God in
the "beauty of holiness The next was 23O years
after when it is said then began men to call upon
the name Of the Lord" Gen. ": IS
Thus prayer was added to sacrifice Sacrifice
and prayer were the only lessons taught for 1900
years, and these were offered not in public nor in
families, but by individuals for personal sins In
dividuai worship was the form observed before
the food
Next came the lessons OF family worship, in the
patriarcha age that lasted for 1909 years. 1t was
added to the other. The father was the priest of
the family. He was taught the duty of training
his children to worship God and of considering
them in covenant relations with him. These obl-
cations have never been removed.
Public worship was then instituted when $500
years OF the worlds history had passed.
A law was given that was to be read in the con-
gregation. tabernacle was built Priests appoint
ed. A rituGhstic service was instituted, which
continued until the coming of Christ, 1900 years
later. With the coming Of Christ new lessons
were Taught, spirituality in worship was made prom
inent, forms which many regarded as of supreme
Importance were placed in the back ground 1t
was not the mode of worship, but the moral condi-
ton of the worshipper that he regarded as impor
tant. Love and mercy and justice and truth were
more important than the performance of an out
ward ceremony in this or that manner. The
pcriences of the past have shown US that private
devotions, family religion and public worship are
all necessary to bring us to a condition of heart
where we can worship him in spirit and in truth.
Holiness of heart is the goal to be reached and it is
our privilege; yea, our duty to reach it in this life