Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-11

wheat had, the better would be its chance.
Little by little nature choosing every year,
and the fittest surviving, wheat would lose
its present shape and become triangular.
All wheat would have the form and color OIL
little red triangle.
Now begin back incalculable millions oil
centuries with an atom of star dust acted on
by force. Change follows change, conditions
differ, environment is altered, on this side
and on that diverse shapes of matter come
into being, nature kneading and molding the
original atom with the two hands of natural
selection and survival of the fittest. Out OF
the star dust comes nebulous vapor; and
out of that universe of whirling worlds;
and among them an earth; and out OF the
earth, plant life; and from that, animal life;
and from that, human life, until we come
upon this very day in this year Of grace in
which we live.
This is q statement, not, of course, in the
dialect of science, but yet sufficiently &C
curate OF the doctrine of evolution; doc
trine which some people think will explain
everything-all existence, all life, all civil
ization, all religion, all things in heaven
and earth and under the earth.
IF TRUE, THEN WHAT?
Now, this doctrine of evolution, what
shall we do with it? Why, suppose we ac-
cept it. 1t is not proved yet but it looks
exceedingly probable. There are serious
gaps in it, but they may be bridged over
presently. The evolution of the plant into
the animal, still more OF the mineral into
the plant, and still more of the animal into
all that we mean by man, has not been
shown yet. But perhaps it will be shown.
Where the ultimate atom of star dust came
from, and what made it behave in fashion
artr l. ttat i'm
of the conjurer and so exceedingly deserving
of our gratitude, is not told. Nevertheless,
the men OF science, who know a great deal
more about these things than we do, and
whose business it is to find out truth and
tell us, are for the most part agreed that the
doctrine of evolution is based on facts. The
best thing we can do is to take their word
for it. The doctrine of evolution is true.
What does it mean?
There are some who say that it means the
complete overthrow of the argument for
God. 1t means that the world, instead of
beginning with God, began with matter and
force, and instead of eliminating in the
human soul eliminates in matter and force.
There is no mind within US, there is no God
above us. Nothing exists save matter, mat
ter, matter-and force.
There are two kinds of people who say
this. There are timid theologians who say
it in fear, and there are enthusiastic
philosophers so enthusiastically philo-
sophical that they Congratulate" them
selves, as someone said. that they are going
to die like the beasts, who affirm it in
hope. MaIerialism, they believe, is gaining
ground. And now that evolution has come
up with reinforcements, there is no chance
for the armies of the living God. Day by
day the phenomena which were explained
by the working of miracle are finding
better explanations by the working Of
matter.
AS THE SAVAGE FEARS AN ECLIPSE.
Day by day the known is gaining upon
the province of the unknown, religion is
retreating before science, the hypothesis Of
God" is becoming more and more un-
necessary. Matter is taking the place which
used to be held by mind.
;ss- "As surely" says Prof. Huxley, "as
every future grows out of the past and
present, so will the physiology of the future
gradually extend the realm of matter and
law until it Is coextensive with knowledge,
with feeling, and with action. The con-
sciousness of this great truth weighs like a
nightmare, believe, upon many OF the
best minds of these days. They watch what
they conceive to be the progress of ma
terialism, in such fear and powerless anger
as savage feels when, during an eclipse,
the great shadow creeps over the face OF the
sum-"
But it is over the face of the earth, as Prof.
Flint remarks, that the shadow creeps. The
sun shines all the same behind it, and will
keep on shining. The eclipse-even an
"eclipse of faith"-scares nobody who be-
lieves in the sun. The burning OF little
straw upon the ground may hide for time,
as DR.. Holmes reminds us, the shining OF
the everlasting stars. but the smoke will
drift away; the stars will shine on forever.
There is no need for the lear of the theo-
logians, and no ground for the hope OF the
materialistic philosophers. That hope to
show next week. GEORGE HODGES.