The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-06-25

take its stand against this truth or any
truth Of science, is to throw her entire
weight upon the side OF iniidelity, to COM
init deliberate suicide, and send out the in
vitation TO the world TO come and bury
her But thank God the world has got
moro sense than the ministry, else the
Bible would have been destroyed and the
Church entombed 200 years ago. The
ministry then told the world that il the
globe revolvcd upon its axis, the Bible
was myth and Christianity a fable. But
the world had too much sense 10 accept
that grim alternative. II believed the one
and still held TO the other. Then the
Church proclaimed that il the theory OF
gravitation was correct, the Bible was
myth and must be given up. But the
world still had better sense than to accept
that grim alternative. II believed the one
and still held TO the other Only
fifty years ago the ministry declared that
II the teachings OF geology were true the
Bible was myth and Christianity false;
but the world, in its good sense, paid no
attention TO that terrible alternatives; ii
still chung to the Bible and took in geology.
What, then, has saved the Bible and reli-
gion TO the world? The Christian min
olu14 III tut vi lIuln tti Nou
no The ministry has done all within ITS
power to destroy the Bible and religion.
The common sense of the people, their
inerradicable intentions, their eternal
sense oil need, in spite Of the concentrated
efforts OF theologians to annihilate II, have
kept the Bible and preserved religion TO
the present day, and l believe will keep 1t
10 the end OF time.
III. You all know what evolution is. /
shall not take up any time in the discus
sion OF lis evidence, or even in n definition
OF II. Tho question for consideration Is:
Is evolution irreconcilablo with religion
ms believed by Christians? That question,
friends has stood 30 clearly ncgaiived in
my own mind for fifteen years. that 1t has
seemed TO me almost ridiculous that any
thinking man should ask il seriously
do not claim-to have more than ordinary
abilities, but do claim TO have an average
amount OF common sense, and have put
that common sense to almost constant
service on this question for nearly twenty
years. There Is no other sub
jcct on which l have read and
thought 40 much. I have grown up an
evolutionist. In my twentieth year, or
nineteen years ago. when evolution was
understood by almost everybody to mean
infieity, | announced my adhesion 10
the theory in a public speech, and have
stood by 4 ever since. And have stood
by the Bible, as TO its fundamental teach
ings, with an equal amount OF confidence.
Indeed, my confidence In both has grown
as from year 10 year / have compared
each with tho other.
!. There is no conflict between the
Bible and evolution rs 10 the origination
OF tho physical universe. As | said last
Sunday night, ev olution, by It's very defini-
| ton. prosupposes a starting point. That
n thing should continue 10 unfold without
having begun 10 unfold Is unthinkable. A
chain OF dependent links must have a
first one. That first one must be at
tachcd 10 something which Is independ-
ent. Science carries us back from link 10
link until she reaches q universe of sim
pic nebulous conditions But Is that
nebulous universe independent II 80, II
would continue rs II u.s. 10 would not
change. II would not be subject TO linn.
itations. II would not evolve. Its very
simplicity and It's movement show
| that while Il may be the starting point,
there Is back OF II starting power. That
starting power Is the flrst, the indepcnd-
ent link. Science cannot deny the exist
encc OF that starting power. No scientist
does deny Il. All true science says, eyo-
luton teaches that here in ncbu-
lous existence Is the first visible
link, which Is known 10 be Ms
dependent rs any OF tho after links. Back
Of Il may be nm invisible aud independent
| link-the starting power. Metaphysics
says there must be. Tho Bible says there
IL; and that starting power Is God. The
only difference then Is between these
three grand fields OF thought science,
metaphysics and tho Bible-is, that science
says there may be starting power. meto.
physics says there must be, and the Bible
says there Is. There Is not and can not be
| the slightest shadow Of rational conflict
OF contradiction between tho three upon
that point
2. Evolution does not and can not con.
authorship Of life. As 10 living creatures,
evolution simply teaches that NIL existing
species have been developed from proceed
| ing simpler species, and that all species
may 10 Traced back 10 certain original gen,
oric stocks OF types. How these original
types came into being. evolution can moi
say. science can not ascertain. Some ol
the most progressive oyolutionisis have
maintained that they came by spontaneous
generation. There are very few scientists
however, that admit the doctrine Of spon
tancous generation rs by any means cs'
tablishod. But maintain that Moses
was a spontaneous gcncrationist, and thai
he went as far M the most progressive
eyolutionist has ever gone. "And Goo
let the earth bring forth grass, the herb anC
the fruit tree yielding fruit, and II wa
So" II that Is not spontaneous gcncr
alton cannot understand plain language
"And God said let the waters bring forth
abundanily the moving creatures that hail
life, and fowls that may fly above IN,
earth In tho open armament" IAN,
God created every living creature which
the waters brought forth abundanuy.
This language teaches that the visible o.
scientific method OF production, was ma
tural forces and conditions under natura
laws; In other woris, Il was spontaneous
gcneration--the visible course was the Gro
alive fiat OF tho Deity. Evolution canno
70 beyond that statement, that liyinl
things como AZ fact from the waters nm,
the land by natural forces under natura
conditions, according 10 natural law. No
can evolution find any ground or reason I,
deny that the productive power whicl
stood inyinsible behind tho teeming wa
tcrs. was the win Of Deity. Evolution !
compelled 70 say Il at might have beef
the will Of Deity" Metaphysics says II
must have been" The Bible says ~
was" That Is the only difference be
tween the three. have long ago bccom
convinced that the entire theory OF cyo