Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1886-06-03

sembly then took recess until P. NJ.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
DIR. Woodrow spoke to large congrega-
tion. He proceeded by saying: 81 have
been pushed forward in the front of the
battle that is raging and disturbing our
whole Church. 1 hate to be placed in an
tagonism with the venerable brother who
spoke to you this morning. heartily agree
with certain parts of what he said. God
forbid that should differ. There are many
things that we have the authority to do that
no man sitting here would do. If this SUBJ
ject of evolution has been introduced by me
in our Church, it was introduced by the ut
most demand on the part of the Church.
believe the very agitation which has been
brought up will enlighten the Church and
show them the great truth which God would
have them see. The Church has nothing to
do with anything that is not churchly.
Did it ever occur to any one of you that the
dust mentioned by my venerable friend
was other than clay? We have the state
ment that in six days God made heaven and
earth and all that dwelt therein. What did
these people mean in 1640, when they read
that? Did they not mean bodies, living
beings? In regard to organic dust have
to say that as to the originality of it 1 do
not know. l mean to say that those who
favor the majority report have misunder-
stood. mean to say that all those who
favor evolution have misunderstood. TO
get at my meaning 1 will read from book
written by DR.. Armstrong. You have been
1oI fn horocy of
luton. The oak conforms into a silk worm,
the silk worm into the frog, the frog into
the man. DR.. Armstrong has made state
ment in this book of geology which, if cor
rect, is the greatest thing that he has ever
said. There is much doubt in regard to
this question of science, and we ought not
to be too hurried in giving our opinion on
this subject. Now, do we not find from
this question that we are too hasty, and
that there are people in this house who
have not known this question more than
two or three years, and when we were
children we were sure that we understood
that book, but now the SHOWS of many win
ters are on our heads we are not so sure
about that thing. have come to the con-
clusion that the Scriptures teach mans re-
lation to God and Gods relation to man,
and nothing in regard to the relation of
things to things in natural existence. You
are told through Matthew that God went
around healing lunatics and those who were
moon struck, and have we not accepted
this? Are we to believe that men are be-
reft of reason by the moon? If so, is not
science, and is not that exactly what we
want to teach? Let it be understood that
the things have spoken are untrue, then
consult yourself about the mustard seed and
see if that doctrine is not so. If the Scrip
lures teach science, then the bat is bird;
but the bat is is not bird, as we know, and,
therefore, the Scriptures do not teach sci
ence. That Adams body was directly fash
ioned by God-does the Bible say so? Does
tradition say so? The Bible is absolutely
silent as to the whole creation and the time
of that creation. God has revealed the fact
of the creation, but He in His wisdom has
not revealed the mode of the creation. I
appeal to my brother here. That is his
doctrine, and he is good authority. There
are brethren here who would say that the dust
had been there six days ready to be mould
ed and shaped to make this creation, and
there are other brethren here who would
say that that dust had been there ages, not
our ages. but geological ages. If you de.
clare in favor of your doctrine you err and
add to the Scriptures, and pray and trust
that you will not add to Gods Word what
is not there and was never intended to be.
It pleases God, after he has called soul to
become one Of His children, after having
brought him through pain and sorrow on
this earth, that that body which He created
of the dust should soon return and become
food for the worms of the earth. Our ways
are not His ways, and our thoughts are not
His thoughts, and if He has chosen to per-
us, it is not our right to try to find out. 1t
is not our duty to God nor man. ! know
that He made the first man and the first
woman, but how He did it and with what
He did it do not choose to try to find out.
1 have now given what believe to be
thorough explanation of my side of the
question. We refer to the standard of the
Church, and there you will find your an
swer." Then thanking the Assembly for
tllelT kluuucSS liz TellTeu.
THE EVENING SESSION.
At the evening session it was resolved to
hear from one of the majority of the COM
mittee and then from one of the minority.
The Rev. a. N. Hatfield, of Missouri,
said: II do not intend to take up the time
of the Assembly by going into any lengthy
discourse. DIR. Woodrow says evolution is
new thing. The first time | met it | got
it from blue-b backed book, where it tried
to give the origin of the negro and stated
that he came from the ape. don't believe
it and neither do YOU. think we should
wait until scientists say what evolution is.
| think we should wait until it is made
known by greater minds than ours. 1t
is too new. 1t is still in the germ. 1t is
too new to propose to US. Again DIR. Wood
row asks how do we know that man was
not made of other than dust. l will tell
him how it is that we know it. We know
it simply because the Bible says so, be-
cause it is Gods word. We will with
draw this case and will not have any case
pending against DR.. Woodrow. We do
not pass upon the guilt or innocence of
DIR. Woodrow. These overtures and this
minority report don't amount to any
thing. We already have one Church among
us divided because of this question, and
number of my synod declare they will 60
to the Northern assemblies unless we settle
the question. The old ship which is twen-
ty-tive years old tomorrow, is in the dark
ness and the gloom. Let it have light
1t must have light or it will be lost. Let
somebody light the lamps that we may not
be wrecked"
The Rev. VIM. Finn, Of Mobile Ala,