The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-06-10
The Evolution Question not Settled.
PELzER, JUNE Srd, 1886.

The Evolution Question not Settled.
PELzER, JUNE 3rd, 1886.
EDIToE INTELLIGENcER: The head
ing to your article on Evolution in your
last issue, 'The Evolution Question
Settled" ismisleading. The question is
far from being settled yet, and the adop-
ton by the Augusta Assembly of the
resolutions on the subject of evolution,
enact no law and carry no authority.
They are merely IN thesi deliverances,
which certainly will in turn be overruled
by some subsequent assembly, though
the present majority have prepared for
the Presbyterian Church heavy load Of
shame and disgrace.
DR.. Woodrow, in his speech before the
General Assembly, said:
There is much of doubt hanging over
new sciences, and we ought not to be too
hurried in the expressions of our opin.
ions. It is desirable that the Church
should take more time before giving a
definite utterance of its opinion upon
evolution. do not want to reflect on
our predecessors, but whenever the
Church has undertaken to decide any
question showing the relation of science
and religion, she has always been totally
wrong, Invariably and dreadfully wrong.
Fifteen hundred years ago the Church
taught that the idea was not only ridicu-
lous, but contrary to the Scriptures, that
the earth was round. In the sixteenth
century the mobility of the earth and
fxedness of the starry system was con
demned by the Christian Church. The
law or gravitation was condemned ss
taking away from God the power he had
of controlling his universe. Shall we
learn anything or not? Shall we not
learn that we must take little time to
decide these questions?
As to evolution, it is matter OF alb
solute indifference. care nothing for
it. What is eyolution2 At best it is
nothing but hypothesis, q theory, con.
Quoted altogether outaide Of the word OF
God. Like chemistry or astronomy, 1t is
q science not in the word of God, but if
there is single word of God that is con.
trary to it, that is enough to condemn it
with me- If this Assembly should pro.
pose to make any deliyerance in favor of
evolution, I should oppose it as strongly
as any member of this body. The ques.
tion before US is, Shall this Assembly in
iect into the word of God something
that is not there? You are asked to
prescribe the time occupied by God in
the creation Of man, when God has not
told you. The Bible tells US that God
created man of duct, but it doesn't say
how long he was in doing. it, and you are
adding your own petty notions to his ever
glorious and true word. You will be
violating the sacred trust imposed in you.
You win be saying what he has not
|, authorised you to say, speaking in his
name what he himself has not spoken or
authorised you to speak. l beseech you,
therefore, not for my sake, but that, you
may be true servants of the high God,
that you do not drive away those who
cannot subscribe to such q declaration:
There is nothing in the Bible that will
authorise you to say the creation was
aimmediate, !" and if you do so, you go in
the face of the word of God,
Itisa sad fact that DR.. Woodrow was
condemned and sentenced May 18th,
while. his trial for the ofense will only
begin August 18th next. No effort was
made to elect as Commissioners to the
Assembly friends Of DR.. Woodrow. The
Synod of South Carolina, although
friendly TO DR.. Woodrow, was represent.
ed by delegates in opposition to him, and
this is one reason for the large majority
against DR.. Woodrow.
The Rev.. DR.. Breckinridge. Of KY, in
his time one of the giants of the Presby-
terisn Church, once wittily said, aGod
Almighty has foreordaiued, and predes-
tined, that Synods and Assemblies should
once in while make asses of them.
selves" A good many Presbyterians
think the Doctor not far wrong, certainly
not if he had lived in our day. S.