New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-03-15
STORY OF THEFALL DENIED.
DIR. SAVAGE DECLARES THAT 1T IS
MYTH.
TIE TRADITION OF ADAM AND EVE HE SAYS
WAS OF PAGAN ORIGIN AND UTTERLY UN-
WORTHY OF BELIEF-HE THINKS
THERE ARE MANY OTHER CLERGY
MEN WHO AGREE WITH HIM.

MEN WHO AGREE WITH HIM.
Tho pev Dr Ninot ! Savage OF the Church OF
the Messiah Park-ave. and Thirtyfourth-st.. de-
Nyered a sermon yesterday on Man Not Fallen.
but Rising"
"The doctrine OF the fall Of man In Adam. by
voluntary transgression.' he said rs the corner
stone Of all Christian religions II is our province.
therefore, to reverently and candidly examine that
cornerstone We find. curiously enough, not only
among the Jews. but also among other nations OF
ancient times parallel and contradictory traditions
to this one Of the fall OF Adam and Eve. Among
the ancient classical peoples there was behef APP
preaching closely the modern scientific theory OF
evolution Tire belief that In the beginning
Of mans history there was sickness. no evil. no
wars or any suffering That was the golden age
LET us see wha; foundation there is for the ne
lief In the fall Of Adam, related In the Bible
In the Book OF Prophets. in the Old Testament.
there is no reference 10 the fall Of man through
Adam. The Hebrew writer's do not either speak
OF the golden age in the beginning The lraditioh
Of Adam and Eve no; heard OF by the Hebrews
until they came in contact with the baoyioniahs'
after the time OF Moses The Hebrews then ac-
qured the tradition and put aside their own oehef'
The two contradictory traditions represent the two
types OF the state of the mind Of humanity. There
at present great many people who advocate
the doctrine that the world is growing worse and
worse. generation by generation You VIII ma
that doctrine to obtain more less in politics and
in business and social life. These people Win
gloomy views are pessmisis There Is not great
poet that am familiar with who Is a pesslmlst'
They are all prophets OF good and advancement
In every department OF life the statement Will hold
that the world is urspeakably better generation by
generation IT Is better than ever before in
the history of mankind.
The ancient tradition Of man fixes the beginning
OF the human race about 1904 years before the
birth OF Jesus We of to-day know that thisiles
and nlants and rocks have existed In this world
for millions of years and that the world Is MIL III
ancient tradition of Adam and Eve We cannot not
believe that on the conduct OF A5am and ~ WI ~
YOU and me and countless millions of people de-
penaea N . IS belief There does not ea.
the face Of the earth the slightest reason 10 Uc,ere
pagan people and was from them ehsrai'eo uPo"
NOT seem strange that He should not even In the
slightest way have referred TO ii II 1t were WORTH
through Ills mes. niger. Science, the history OF the
world Science has taught us ina: We nave &c pee e
developed from lower type OF life and tnat we are
reaching out for the attainment OF progress ana
goodness Death is essential to the mat
nan was created to be transported to heaven bod,
IL and MhS" he Seeve Ief D 0d did not create
the world intending 10 leave death out oil the ne
OF The pagan myth OF Adan' anu eve i
a friend in speaking Of this sermon am
now delivering asked me how many ministers
there are in Nsw-York who did not believe to-day
in the stcry OF Adam and Eve. said did d not
know hut / believe there are many How many
ministers are there in New-York to-day VINO care
~ &c, IN in their rupi;s and candidly admit that
they nave faith in tho story Of Adam Gf Jondn
The Old Testament? There are few who woud
dave to DO IT, though we are many VINO dis,
credit those stories III the rev. IL. III ~
T2rooklvn were a smaller man in ministerial stand
ing he could not hold his position for month"; on
account cf his disbelief in those tradiu0nS; ne
generality of ministers. whether they believe IN
these mythical stories Of the Bible or not dare not
express their disbelief. . 5000 49,. -
with the myth of Adam dlssipated there go
with IL other doctrines that grew out OF IT, sucn
as The idea of total depravity. We do not need
70 be saved in the sense preached by some. be-
cause we have never been lost through the so,
called original sin We 90 not need any concerted
priesthood In elegant cathedrais ana Costly
churches to stand an intermediary between US
and our Creator. What We need is int lectuai
cultivation and brain; the power 10 understano
the kind of world live in. Man needs to be
educated Intellectually and morally; TO be taught
the difference between right and wrong, ana 10
strive for righteousness