New-York tribune., 1896-12-25
TIE CHURCH AND EVOLUTION.

THE CHURCH AND EVOLUTION.
The protest Of tine Rev Edward Brownjohn
against the confirmation of DIR. Temple as Arch
bishop of Canterbury because he believes III
evolution was about as fantastic as his name.
He nav repeat his protest when the Archbishop
is enthronpd on January S. but If he escapes
without being ar ested by the police he VIII DC
lucky Yet 1t is not so many years since evol''-
ton was universally condemned by churchinen;
Mr. Brownohn has simply kept on standing
where all his brethren used to stand. but from
which they have quietly moved bag ana bag
gage Ineffective as his protest Is. therefore. II
Is of value as showing how rapidly and com
plctcy the Christian Church has come to accept
the theory Of evolution as tolerated view.
When Darwin's "Origin Of Species" appeared
the clergy almost to a man denounced it. Bishop
Wiberforce of oxford declared that Darwin
view limited Gods glory. and congratulated
himself that he was not descended from mon
key. npon which Huxley remarked "If | had
Ito cnoose would prefer TO be descendant
.'of humble monkey rather than Of man VINO
.cmploSs his knowledge and cloqncnce in mis-
representing those who are wearing out the'r
lives in the search for truth" Many clergy
men, Catholic and Protestant. said that 1t was
an ATTEMPT 10 dethrono God. Not alone in Eng
land. bu, on the Continent and in America the
same view of Darwin and his theory was taken.
Evolution was denounced as silly. impious ana
false A French Catholic layman was honor"d
by Pope Plus IN for having dlsproved DARWIN
ism "The Dublin University Magazine became
almost inartculate in describing the attempt
10 hunt God out Of the world. Chnrch syhous
and conferences passed hot resolutions condemn
ing the book and its author. The M0nfhly he-
lirions Magazine" Of Boston. told how q kev.
Mr. Burr had demolished the evolution theory.
"knocking the breath out Of it and throwing II
"to tbp dogs Drs. Hodge and Dufiicd or
Princeton. Numbered against it. the latter as
sertlng In "The Princeton Review" that they
"who accept It (evontion, with It's proper logical
..conseouences will. in the life To come. nave
"their norton with those who in this life know
mot God and obey not the Gospel OF HIS son.
ONLY Dr. Mct'Osh was farslghted and courage
ous enough To stand up for evolution as a len
able theory Yet to-day. though evolution is nor
a demonstrated truth. and perhaps never VIII
he. il il practically accepted by most intelligent
Christians as the best explanation OF Ire. ahd'
in fact the only explanation that is not hedgrd
about with lnsuperable difficulties.
TO understand this violent outbreak against
evolution when II was first pn' forIh aS work
ing hypothesis by Darwin We must bear i'll mlhd
TWO fac,s: IL overthrpw the popular anthrOpo-
morphic conception OF God and the popular be-
lief in tll. literal truhfnlnrss Of the Bible Even
today average Christians Ike 10 think Of God
az n sort Of n great master mechanic. who ere
linn. L.. .n.l In. .ynN All -
il by direct interpretations OF His WILL BIT the
tendency 10 think thus OF God was much strong
er thirty or forty years ago. so that When oar
win made Gods connection with the world h"hl-
ate instead Of immediate. il was natural ihai
Christians should denollncr him for taking
away" their God. The accusation was true. lie
did lake away their Cod bnl al the same time
hr gave them glimpse Of the nii>pcakably more
Divine Being who was declared by Christ I" he
Spirit. and TO b" worshippcd ouy in spirit ana
in truth
Ouite us terrjbl. ut first seemed the blow which
evolution aimed at the literal Interpretation Of
tho S.rintures Most Of those who first read
.erhe Origin Of Species" believed literally in The
creation stories in Genesis: and. of course any
theory that made such belief impossible must
have seemed a denial Of Gods VOL. That view
Of the matter has been abandoned long ago Dy
Christians Brother Jasper. OF the sun 90
move" fame still stoutly npholds the literal III
terprcta;ion of Scripture. but everybody else ex
plains away all passages that seem 10 coh'ra-
diet the approved conclusions Of scleIice thirty
six years ago il was Darwin against the whoie
Christian world To-day Darwin lies among
Christian Englands honored dead in Westnlll-
ster Abbey. and the man who publicly protests
against elevaiing to the chair OF St. Augustine
a clergyman who holds the views OF Darwin Is
conrmptnously brushed aside as crank