The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-04-04
DR. mod : on EVoLUTIoN.

LEAR bIR-I am much obliged to
You and your friend for calling my
attention to the use M de Of certain
oct asional utterances OF Drs. MICosb,
Patton and myself on the subject Of
the crlsin Of man, and Of the obviously
labored attt mpt made to represent Us
as symplthiEiDg with the positions oc.
cupied by the party OF advanced
opinions now agiiating this que 5tion
in the Southern Preeby terrain Church.
While feeling strongly end thinking
definitely on the subject, we have
conscientiously avoided all referent
TO the painful controversy in your
church. This was plainly the duty OF
every person situated as we are. All
such controversies come instantly TO
involve much that is person u, local
and accidental, In addition 10 the mat
tiers OF fact or principle with which
they etart; therefore both becauee
we were impeIfeclly informed, aud
because it is none OF our business, we
have simply held our tongues.
But the situation is altogether
changed when we find that i'm
perfect reports Of exlemporaneous
lectures, and differences from certain
written opinions are used to connect
our names With, and thus render US
conttructively responsible for posi-
tons and issues involved in your con-
troverey, with which neither of us
have the least sympathy. The lecture
of mine quoted, in part, by the Mem
phis APPEAL OF Sunday, March 2lst,
was never written, and was very i'm.
perfectly reported. The pat which
refeI'd to evolution, and its relation
to the origin of Adam, ia altogether
omitted In the Memphis APPEAL. II
it had been given correctly. no reader
would ever have questioned again on
which side stand with reference 10
this mater. l ON alone T sp1nsible
for this letter, but | am certain that
i acCuIat ly repress mt the opinions Of
Drs. McCosh a1d Patton ss well as my
own.
Evolution as a working hypothesis
Of scientific men lies beyond the
sphere OF our criticism, and threatens
no interest with which we are con-
ceTntd. Science has authority only
because il dta's with questions car alb 9
of definite verificstion. When limited
definitely to her own sphere she ia not
to be questioned, and cannot bere i ted.
But ner sphere is CDrespondinPly
narrow. she has to do with phenome-
na, things capable OF being determined |
by the ssnte+, and their likep ses, and |
unlikenets e, their co.exi tei CO, aud
SUGGESTIONS. All speculation as TO
causes end final ends belongs to the
department of philosophy. And the
current philosophy Of evolution, which
hypo htcstes spontaneous generation,
and the genetic evolution OF all exist
ing living beings from the same pri- |
mary germs, has IS little OF the char
aeter Of real &c ence, adj as little of iis
authority, az any othtr philosophical |
g equation VIII ch ever ba1siently
troubled the currents of human
thought. There is no evidence that
demands serious consideration to |
prove that man was oigiI ally gener-
ated from non-buDan ancesto. g. /! is
preposterous TO teach IL as a fact of
science. Many int lligeut men regard
1t as probable on the side OF physical
analogy, and Of precisely that amour Mt
OF value. We think that even If spe-
cifo variation by descent should be
proved TO have been the method fol-
lowed by God in bringing into exist
ence the successive orders OF the
lower animals, the immense prof. a.
bility in the case { 1 man, lcokirg upon
the problem ia the light OF
revelation and OF the intellectual
and moral side OF man, is that the pi E.
paratory law ceased to rule in this su-
prems instance and that Gods own
image wac brought into existence by
an immediate act Of God Himstl II. Or.
tainlY the Scriptures, which we de-
vou,ly believe to be toe very word cf
God, render this very Ilin In what
Trey teach aS to the production OF
Eve. An evolution OF the body Of
Adam, since evoluli signifies adj
vanced changes through immeaeula
hly minute variations, could not posi-
bly, have been efe3ted in the ma line
alone. He must have ha1 a mother
az well es father, and he must rave
had sisters and female cousins as we'll.
II the theory OF evolution any nman
holde makes room for the Bible &C.
count OF Eve, neither the sclt ntists,
nor the philo 'opherp, nor the theolo.
yiaHs viii make room for him.
With the bts; wishes for the pros
perity OF yourself and Of your noble
and beloved church, and OF all it's
Institutions, l remain yours, sircerely,
go "' A. A. H0GH
P, $50 say that God created the
oody Of Adam out OF pre-existing ma
.erials is to fas precisely what The
Bible says, But this is very different !
rom saying that 1t was produced by
. process OF natural generation from
he bodies oil bru ancestors. To say
hat God formed toiy as q new
,reation out OF PIE EXIT Dg matter,
md then placed hewly-cTe atsd sou
n II, is one thing, But this is very
fArent from saying that brute gem
'ra'e ed soulless b 'dy, and then that
God put soul created in His own