The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-12-29

niicant point here is not that this theory
pertains to what man does, but II offers
an explanation OF man himself.
1t links his life with the life below him
and finally inds the origin OF life itself
I'm inanimate nature.
( Is ALL INCLUSIVE.
In other words here Is a philosophy
that includes everything from primeval
chaos to the institutions and civilizati
, OF this twentieth century. Whether this
, conception OF mans origin be true or
that OF special creation We are not con-
cerned. II has nothing to do with the
! Christian religion or Christian theology.
! But suppose for the sake OF argument
that the most thorough going doctrine
OF evolution is the truth the whole truth
and nothing but the truth
Then We shall demand of II not how
inauimate nature takes on life or how
I the life OF man became differentiated
! from the life of the animal. but we shall
I demand an explanation OF human life as
! II is with all its development
! We shall demand an explanation OF our
| complex human life with it's manifold
| institutions. But we shall demand more
| than that. We shall demand an explana-
tion OF that character In man that not
only interprets and explains. but we shall
demand an explanation OF that quality
I'm man that gives character and worth
TO all our human striving. IL isn't merely
that We live and interpret nature and
the past according to n law OF the mind.
1t isn't merely that we look forward
into the future and on the basis OF pres
ent facts predict certain events as the
astronomer predicts an eclipse with such
nice precision. We do more than inter
pret We ask. what IL is all worth?
What is the meaning Of the struggle?
Why die for truth and fight for right
and be troubled daily by this eternal
sense OF duty and obligation? Do all
these things spring up out OF the soil
on which we live? II adjustment 10
our environment the meaning OF nfe as
We look at IL steadily and whole? Yes,
but the stern sense OF obligation makes
the one man set himself against the
world and Savonarola ard Luther and
William the Conqueror and Lincoln are
forever breaking with their environment
and after years proclaim them as saw
iours and redeemers. We shall not only
demand from evolution an explanation
of the form OF our "oughtness." but we
shall demand still more
There born in Bethemen OF Judea
a child called Jesus OF Nazareth, the car
penter's son. lie grew In wisdom and
stature and at twelve years proclaimed
that he was about his fathers business
TAUGHT WITH AUTHORITY.
Many years are lost In obscurity. but
when he comes forth again he taught
as one having authority and not the
scribes. He was deemed dangerous 10
civil government and religious tradition
and at thirty three was condemned to
death upon the cross. the death OF the
meanest criminal. But this. instead of
defeating the purpose Of his life. only
furthered II. He came forth, at any
rate his disciples believed he came forth.
from the tomb. He was caught UP into
heaven. Two thousand years have passed
and gone and this Jesus has won his
way not only into the hearts OF men.
but his spirit has made laws. framed
constitutions. moulded civilizations and
given us a new conception OF society.
The literateur writes, the artist paints.
the statesman formulates. the man OF
affairs acts but 'he reckons i'll who
leaves Christ out
The whole conception Of society has
changed because the conception OF man
as held by Christ has been consciously
or unconsciously adopted. He said MOTH
ing about Adam or the origin of man.
He said he is son Of God This is his
nature. This IA his desth.y. BE We
therefore perfect even as your Father In
heaven is perfect" AS the Sabbath, so
the world was made for man and not
man for the world. He said, come unto
me all ye that are weary and heavy
laden and I will give you rest. Take my
yoke upon you and learn Of me. for I
am meek and lowly and ye shall find
peace for your souls For my yoke Is
easy and my burden is light Be recon
ciled to God and you will be reconciled
TO yourself Surrender. and when you
lay down your arms God Will take them
up and fight your battles for you.
HIS CALL TO MEN.
He called men to himself in the faith
that he thus called them to God. their
Father, there was peac>. When we
speak Of the Interpretation OF religion
that we have given and ask whence II
comes we can only answer from Christ.
Through him men learned their nature
and their destiny, and that In a closer
life with God lfe's despair was swal-
lowed up in hope and victory.
II evolution. then. be true and thor
ough going, II must explain not only
mind and heart. II must explain Jesus
Christ and His influence upon humanity.
1t must explain why we today. intelli-
gent men and women. see In Him the
far-off divine event" toward which crea-
tion moves. There seems duty and des-
tiny and the strength Of doing that duty
and the hope of arriving at that destiny.
There il life's meaning and worth and
deaths hope written large. Can evolu
ton explain all this. II claims ii can.
1t claims II upon the lips Of Christian
divines and devout scholars. II this be
true. then we shall insist upon one
thing. There is nothing. as Principal
Fairbairn has we'll said. that is evolved
that Is not first involved. You can't get
something out Of nothing. II in a busi-
ness transaction YOU get something that
you didn't put into II rest assured that
that something which you receive some
one else put In.
CAN'T CREATE A WORLD.
The doctrine OF evolution can't create
n world out OF nothing. II this doctrine
explains the process. then primeval
chaos. out Of which this arose, con-
tanned the potentialities of life In II.
There was mind and character and divin-
ity I'm the atom. The mind and char