Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-04-12
the LENrEN LECTURES.
The Fifth of the Series Delivered
Yesterday Afternoon,
At the Cathedral, by Ri. Rev. Bishop
Kain---Ths Subject, "Ths Origin
of Species"

"The Origin Of Species" was the subject
of Bishop Ksin's fifth lecture on Science
and Revelation" delivered yesterday after
noon, in the presence Of q large congregs-
dOn. 1t is q subject that has Of late years
engaged q large share Of public attention.
There ia 10 doubt that the apparent novel
ty of Darwin's theory has been n reason
why it has elected as many criticisms both
favorable and adverse. But eliminating
from this theory the absurd and snti'Chrls'
tian element that deals with man as a
fneal descendant of some lower animal
he system is substantially not so modern
as many seem to imagine. Another reason
Why it has been
so HIGHLY LAUDED
oy in6del writer's is because they assume
that It renders unnecessary the action o
an all.wiss Creator in the production o
living beings. DarGin himself, however
thought otherwise, since he bases his theory
on the superstition that the original torn
or forms derived their vitality from th'
breath of the Divine Creator.
The Bishop, quoting from DaRin's owl
work, The Origin Of Species" gave II
condensed form the substance Of the noV
famous hypothesis, and al outline OF tn
main arguments on which it rests. Bu
before weighing these various argument
and the objections raised sgain3t them, b
examined the pertinent question, how ia
such q theory Of the gradual evolution Q
species from lower to higher and more pei
feet forms could be held consistently wit
the teachings of divine revelation. Fror
this enquiry he, however, excepted the col
5 sideration of
THE ORIGIN oFNAN.
Must we, "a Christians, hold that othe
living beings are al special creations c
Almighty God2 Or is any system OF graz
ual development Inconsistent with the Blol
- Rscord2 Many eminent Catholic scientist
I. think not, and this opinion isnot of moder
o-igln-merely devised 10 meet the obJeI
= tons suggested by DsrRinism. In his worl
De GeHesi adj Hteram.' st. Augustin
treats the question Of creation bot
as a philosopher and q theologisr
Whilst holding that all things we're create
by God instantsneously, he teaches the
they were not all thus created in a state
maturity or perfection. A vital potenc
I vas impaired By the Creator to the mate
. isl world, but the hfe-germs thus commu'
ieated were, in the ordinary course {
Gods all ruling providence, only gradual
d developed and brought to q state OF matu
d ity. Some Of his expressions are
ALNosT IDENTICAL
. with those of modern evolutionists. h
NAV be said to sum up his system by cor
pairing the efficacy Of what he calls IN
D seminal and casual ratios, innate ia ii
world at its creation, to the way in whiC
there lies invisible in the grain OF seed q
that is afterwards 10 grow up to be a tre'
B Icked By SO weighty All authority, Chri
ltisns NAY safely admit the doctrine
evolution, provided the arguments are su
fcient TO CONVINCE them OF ia truth; /.
whilst the Bible s~scrioes 10 God the creatiO
of all living being7, 1t is silent ss to Ii
precise manner of their creation. Bu
d asked the Bishop, is the Darwinian theor
: we'll founded system2 Reading from Ii
Humboldt Library su epitome of the arg
ments in favo1 Of that theory-sn epltom
that met Mr.. Darwia's cTn s~aucuon-an
then stating t~erseiy the ccGHtsT srgumeuI
of the adverssries of the theory, the bisho
enabled his hearers to form
:. CORRECT ESTIMATE
Of the great questO1 row so often d
!, cussed. One very strong argument G2eln'
Dsrwin's theory was shown to be the ute
failure to find any instance Of the chang
of one species into another, o. any indlct
tons in fossil remains that such trsnsitio
had ever occurred. As all alleged tscl
can be otherwise satisfactorily explaine
by scientists, the Bishop concluded ths
Oarwiuism is so far only an ~hypothesi
without sufficient foundation.
The origin of mau, and facts connecte
With his history. will be the subject OF tn
sixth and last of these Lenten Lectures.