New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-08-09
COLLECTIONS FROM THE NAIL
TOO HARSH A DOCTRINE.

TOO HARSH DOCTKtNE
,novrseop pRuMMoND's IDEAS on EVOLUTION
.xn puS1srErs FUNERAL COMMENTS.
ia the Editor OF The Tribune
o,r. A curious coincidence. an illustration q
hon extreues occasionally meet, 10 suggested by
professor Goodwin Smiths "Gucsses at the Riddle
:, t-x,.,ence" in the current number OF The
North American Review, III WIN" 'eee"' VOTES
NV Drummond, Kidd and Bafour are referred TO-
Dr,mr,opd in his Ascent OF Man. says that
,r,gross of the human species Is not possible ex.
c.n, by means OF evolution and vigorous weed-
,,g ont OF the imperfect The TIE gam on tho
,,,nroved or hkhly developed Individuals, he says
can only be conserved and continued by rigid
psychological isolation. and the pnirnproved spcc'
mems should be removed Dy "norsae oe@,h" ~
Professor smith points out. this Will be hard upon
,.,ror,ec,lv evolved beings. whose weakness is no.
..rr.vs their own fault. But. leaving Nature TO
IDOL. after her own ethic," as Drumfnond aoVses
90 on with the coincidence'
hava before me finely printed duarto volume
-eceotIv issued, containing funeral sermon and
cher writings In memory OF a woman OF high So
coi nositton lately deceased. She had been Siagu-
,,r,v afflicted by the death OF nearly all VINO were
na,r "a her Her husband, a man OF distinction.
h.d been taken: her sisters, brother. and ther
children all very dear to her; and nnaLy her own
chudr,n were taken. one after another, In the
hsautv and bloom Of their lives each death, We arc
told being Of peculiar severity All theSc pe"ps
,,ore horn under favored conditions, and were OF
.uch a class as under the law Of evolution as stat
ed nv Drummond should have been set apart from
tho common herd. The woman thus afflicted bore
her sorrCws with Christian fortitude' ana the
nre,cher after referring 20 her patient submission
70 almost continuous suffering goes on as follows:
so II ia that we arc impelled 10 regard these
discinlines OF her life Divine guidances ana
benignan Mt Establishments, II We choose 50 10 CA.
them out OF which and By which God Drought her
90 a rarer and nober beauty Of spirit. They come
but In the merc.ful and loving appointment OF one
who saw the end from the beginning. VINO XII"
rbe, was hest for her while she tarried on eartn,
an1 rbo meant thus detach her from lhe "Or1,
and from the things Of the world, III: lie snonid
hiring her purified and beatifed unto Himself
II seems to me that to impute tnis wnoiesas
carnage to the deliberate appointment OF God for
rho purpose specified, is basphemous For human
beings 10 be subject cruel law OF nature IS sus-
ncently horrible, but cut short the ives OF so
many To purlfy and beatty one OF their own
asa would be worse. OF course, there Is no war
rant for such belief and II IS siah h uYy',
Providence TO have 1t preached; 1t has Deen saia
MAI the command Fear God and oDey MN
has made many men plous, while the proofs .. tle
avetence OF God and the doctrines preached CON
corning Him have made many men ATHEISTS ITO
Sessor Drummond would probably regard the we"
~ this preacher concerning the subject OF MS ea-
lopy as evolution gone mad. but tnere - an 49,
benefit of a few. 1t is a curious Inversion OF we
Central doctrine Of Christianity, OF winch II seems
an trreverent buresque. '" 49,
NeW-York, Aug. 3. 1870.