The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-03-03
AN EVOLUTIONIST.
Lyman Abbott Does Not Believe Genesis a
Good Record.

The Biblical account Of the creation was re-
jected by tho Rev. DIR. Lyman Abbott, in
Plymouth Church, brooklyn, Sunday even
ing, and the large audience which gathered
TO hear him laughed outright at tho doctors
allusion to a mediaeval writer who argued
that the events recorded in the first chapter
of Genesis must have occurred IN the fall be-
cause apples were ripe at the time.
The sermon was the first of a series on tho
Theology of Evolution" and was designed,
as its successors will be, to convince the scep-
tical that thore is n possibility Of reconciling
the truths Of Scripture with the discoveries
and Advancement of science. DR.. Abbott
began by describing what evolution is. IL is
the history of n process, not the explanation
OF a cause he said. It teaches that Gods pro-
cesses are those of growth, not those Of manu-
facture. In restricted sense, all men are
evolutionists. he said. Man was but baby in
his earlier days.
Similarly evolution ran through history
and literature, making a man and the things
he produced better and higher in purpose.
The natural evolutionist. however. goes some-
what further when he holds that back Of all
is the primordial germ from whence all came.
DIR. Abbot. quoted Lecomtes denfiition of evo-
luton as a continuous. progressive change,
according to natural laws and resident forces.
as the most terse description of what develop
ment is.
NATURE OF EVOLUTION.
He showed that mans work is not continu.
Gus, while Gods Is Evolution being growth.
not a manufacture. is orderly and systematic,
with naturallaws that are capable Of study.
Belief In sucn theory meant being radical
svol1t{onist and DR. lb ntt rrnfassed him.
self such.
~ need not say here" he added. "that
profoundly believe in God, but believe, too,
that Gods method IL one of growth
He disclaimed any intention TO make men
evolutiopjsts. On the contrary, he desired to
strengthen those whose faith was weak, hot
10 saw that the belief in evolution among the
masses OF men was almost universal.
"You might as well speak of gravitationists
as of eyolutionists." DIR. Abbott said. quoting
again from Lecomte with credit.
He said that in every college and institute
of learning, except theological seminaries,
evolution Is taught. He wanted to show that
there is room for evolution in theology, and
that an evolutionist can still hold the Chris.
tians faith.
"There has been," ho went on, ga theory of
creatlon Dy MANUFACTURED. God said TO Him
self day 4 will make a world, and He
took six days in making IL. With the advance
ment of scientific knowledge these days be-
came epochs, but it was Tot uncommon in
past centuries 10 discuss at what season of the
year God created the world, and one mediaeval
writer argued that II must have occurred in
the fall, because apples were ripe them
ANTIoUATrD IDEAS.
There YVES laugh all over the house at
this sally, and the grin did not abate while
DIR. Abbott described with much gusto
Raphael's notion of mis- Maker as an old gen.
tleman sitting cross legged and watching the
world in the process OF manufacture.
Over against this crude and unscientiHc
condition Of thought DR.. Abbott advanced the
theory of evolution. Hs recalled an expert.
ment made hy DIR. Doremus by which tho
nebular hypothesis was demonstrated. Hav-
ing placed his globe in space. the doctor
peoplod IL without trouble and advanced to
the point where an entity became a man and
a positivist.
But in all these great developments DR..
Abbott saw, with Spencer. nm infinite and
eternal energy: with Matthew Arnold. that
energy always making for righteousrSss, and
with the Christian that energy manifest itself
in Jesus Christ.