The Washington herald., 1907-02-10

never evolved anything higher. In
stinct. as far as it goes. is vastly super
Tor to reason, because il makes no
mistakes. and is never in doubt for an
instant Instinct, however. has in it
no element Of evolution. The beaver
as far back as it Is known, is a superb
architect but in thousands of years il
is no better architect than the first
beaver that ever built a dam There
is no evolution for him.
No animal is to-day any nearer. speech
or writing than 1t was at the dawn OF
creation. No animal can teach or learn
from another animal, and no animal can
build fire or use tool, not even after
long ages Of dOmestication. But no race
of man is known which cannot build a
fire and use a tool Nor is this the result
Of environment, like the polar bears fur
coat The South Sea Islanders can build
a fire as well as the Eskimo
The stupendous and significant fact re-
mains that at the point where evolution
stops short in the brute creation it begins
In the human race. Man appears to be all
evolution bodily and mentally. and. ac-
cording TO the Catholic Church. spirit
Ually. He is born the weakest and least
Intelligent Of any animal and the most
defenseless. IN time he becomes by far
the most formidable OF all animals, and
develops a mind which differentiates him
so far from any other animal that the
theory of common ancestor becomes i'm
probable, if not actually impossible The
whole brute creation. il may be said. ex-
lists at the Will of man. The law Of his
physical being cOmpels him TO De a meat
s-.H. Il IL
that animals must be kept within GER
tain limits or numbers; otherwise the
human race would be destroyed by them.
Without adopting the understandable
positiveness of Darwin. Spencer, and
Haeckel, it may be said that man is a
creature Of evolution while animals get
no farther than differentiation. Most Of
the early evolutiOnists Contented them
selves with proving what was already
cOnccded-that man is an animal The
question Of evolution has reached a dig
nifty and Importance Of late years which
causes it TO be approached with respect
by theolOgians as it always has been by
scientists.
That the Catholic Church does not re-
coil from evolution, so far as It Is proved,
may be shown by the status of the Rev
J. II Zahms' great book, Evolution and
Dogma" This is one of the ablest as well
as one Of the most candid of all the null
titude Of books produced on evolution at
the present time. The theory of evolu-
ton. as it is shown in this work, is not
in contradiction of Catholic dogma. The
history of evolution, beginning with Arts
totle and coming down through the ia
. % Ia 49, Il
precision and clearness and shows that
one may be a Roman Catholic and evo-
lutionist both, as far as evolution has
been proved. The book naturally made
great stir IN the ecclesiastical world
and a number OF the ultra conservatives
at Rome labored to have 1t put on the
Index EXDurgatOrius. The matter how
ever. being brought before Leo XIII, his
great and comprehensive mind saw the
danger Of cOndemning q book fraught
with so much truth, and he forbade its
condemnation. In regard 10 the English
scientist. st. George Mivart, Leo XIII
had encouraged, rather than condemned,
Mivarts philosophical publications. The
Catholic Church. therefore. stands in the
unique position Of the most conservative
Of Christian bodies, occupying the most
advanced position on this vast and i'm
portant principle Of evolution. IS It not
possible that science, philosophy. and re-
ligion may become, through evolution.
glorious trinity, by which man may
achieve the great destiny which is indi-
Gated for him? and may not evolution
and special creation both be true in the
case Of man?
Prof. Wallace. IN his book on Darwin
ism" advances the theory, which IS
wholly tenable. that the body OF man Is
the result Of evolution, and bis mind and
soul Of special creation. This would sup
port the views OF Lord Kelvin and other
great scientists that there is obvious de-
sign and steady progress IN the material
world. Il Is through such men as Lord
Kelvin, Father Zahm, and other profamed
Christian thinkers that the world NAV
reasonably expect science. philosophy.
and Christianity to dwell gloriousiy to-
gether IN noble and complete harmony.
s. b. al,