The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-23
M. E. CHURCH CONGRESS
Il. G. CoNkLIN, PHI. D.. AsTONIsHEs
THE ORTHODOX BRETHREN.
His Paper on "EvOIutiOn and ReveIa-
ton" Causes Mild sensation
Not Well Received.

PITTsBURG, Nov. 22-The National Con-
gress of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
which began in Christ NJ. E. Church yes
terday, was continued to-day. Between
three hundred and four hundred prominent
representatives of the church from all parts
of the country were in attendance. The
gathering is the first of the kind ever held
by the NJ. +. Church, and is described in the
call as the conference of the younger men
OF the church on relation of Methodsm to
curren social and intellectual conditions.
Bishop Vincent, of Chautauqua, presided.
After devotional exercises John w. Thorn
as, Ph. D., of Allegheny College Meadville.
Pa. read paper on The Right Relation
of Emotion and Reason in Religion" The
speaker said that in the religion of to-day
the tendency of the intellectual to crowd
out the emotional was to be deplored. The
flipDant remarks and higher criticisms found
in the magazines of the present upon re-
ligion were declared to be most harmful.
Addresses were also made ION the Revival,
It's Powers and Perils," by Rev. DR.. B. p.
Raymond of Middleton, Conn; D. A. Hayes.
Phi. D., of Evanston, ILL.,, and Rev. H. l. ia
cobs of Tyrone, Pa.
The features Of the afternoon session was
the paper presented by E. G. Conklin, Phi.
D., professor of comparative embryology,
University of Pennsylvania. The subject
discussed was Evolution and Revelation. =
The paper came near producing sensa-
ton. During its reading the attention or
the audience was divided and the general
discussion which followed was spicy. Some
of the points made by DR.. Conkhn were:
THE charge that evolution is athelstlc can
arise only from the most fundamental mis-
conception of the doctrine, 1t neither at
firms nor denies the existence of q God. 1t
is no more atheistic to believe that species
originally came into the world according to
the law of evolution than 1t is TO believe
that individuals come into the world accord
Ing to the law of development. The preya-
lent view of special creation is not founded
upon Genesis, but upon the seventh book of
Miltons Paradise Lost 1t is the consensus
Of scientific opinion that evolution does not
destroy the evidences of design in nature.
but rather that 1t gives us more certain evil
derceS of an infinite and aii-empracing de-
sign. All the evidences of evolution apply
TO the origin Of man as much as TO tnat OF
any other organism. The divinity or man
does not consist in the fact that recently
and miracuOusly he was launched into the
world; his real dignity consists not in his
origin, but in what he is and what he may
become. Evolution explains the moral un-
rest of human kind as due to the con1ct be-
tween the animal and, the spiritual, the
beastly and the heavenly; 1T explains orlgl-
nal sin as brute inheritance and the rail- as
conscious yielding of the higher TO the
lower nature. Although evolution points OUT
mans humble origin, 1t also Suggests ms
glorious and immortal destiny. through an
the ages evolution has been leading TO a
higher intellectual, ethical and sprltual
life
When the doctor had finished. the. oppon-
ents of his position came to the front IN
numbers which showed that the theory OF
evolution was not universally popular in
the congress One old gentleman, whose
identity seemed unknown to everybody
sprang to his feet ia the back part or the
auditorium and denounced the theory. i
hope this congress will formally disapprove
of this theory he said, The Bible tells us
info him the breath of life and he became
living soul That accounts for his origin
we do not want anygmonkeys here
interesting papers were read on Rellglots
Flvneripnce and the Scientific Movement
by George A. Coe. Phi. D., Northwestern
University Evanston III and ,E3pfPTblm9pn-
ne pa,,yve University, Greencastle, Ind. In
the t evening, f. T. Cooke, d. p. of Ghatta-
nooga, Tenn, lectured on 'Methodism IL
the Cenruries.". slso a