Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1913-08-19
FIRST TWO DAYS OF THE
BIG CHAUTAUQUA
s.. 4. gsa- NV vi" ~ INV W. :

perintendent of the Northwestern
Bible Training school at Minneapo-
lis, an institution on the order of
Moody Institute of Chicago. He pre-
faced his address by saying that two
thoughts were ,uppermost in his
mind, first that this was 8. Chautau-
qua and demanded the popular feat
ure; second that it was Sunday af-
ternoon and that he as minister of
the gospel could not ignore the SER
mon feature. When he had asked
Mr.. Henderson whether a sermon or
lecture was wanted, the gentlemen
had replied, "A sermon-lecture," and
such it was to be. Subject Moses
or Darwin, Which,"
DR.. Riley said in part:
-Four thousand years ago little
book was written by a man named
Moses This book is the book :of
Genesis-the first of the five
books Of the bible written by this re-
markable man; in the nineteenth
century, another book-"The Origin
Iof the Species the work
Of Charles Darwin. The book of
Genesis is a small book compared
with the voluminous works Of this
naturalist, but it lived for three
thousand years before Darwin was
born and will live for thousands of
years after Darwin and his works
iare forgotten. There are people who
believe in both Moses and Darwin,
just as the native of India who had
been taught that the earth was a
fat surface afterward learning in
the colleges that it was round, being
asked which he believed said, ~ be-
lieve in both" $40. ,,. .rra
1t may not have occurred to some,
that, our theme, evolution and false
theology are indissolubly linked, but
every intelligent scientist or teacher
Of the Scriptures understands that
the theory of evolution is not simply
a question OF origin of the species
but in its present day application.
proposes to, account for everything
material from fire-mist to the per-
fected frame of the universe, for ev-
erything animated, from the steriliz-
ed cell of lowest life to the man Of
Nazareth, and everything moral,
from the sensations of an amoeba
to the sacred communion between
God and man. The biologist who
says that the minister has nothing
to do with the theory of evolution
reveals his ignorance Of its applica-
tion, or his indisposition to be dis
turbed by adequate argument. Ev-
cry preacher of the present hour is
compelled to deal with this theory
and either accept it or reject it. At
ter thorough investigation we reject
it without qualification and base our
argument against it upon three
statements. First the theory is I'M
scientific; second, the theory is un-
scriptural; third, the theory is an
ti-Christian.
All great scientists admit it is on
ly theory, Huxley, Darwin, Spenc-
er, Wallace, argued it on the line of
likelihood, progression, and analogy
but none called it a science. 1t is
not unusual for the smaller follow
ers Of great minds to exceed their
masters. Many preacher finds him
self involved in what he regards the
conflict between science and the
ology" and attempts the reconcilia-
tion. A theory can only become a
science by verification and neither
Darwin, Huxley nor Spencer ever
maintained that they had produced
such verification of evolution. We
go step further and declare 1t is
unproven and improbable. That the
theory Of evolution as a modern, sci
entific discovery, is false to history.
Lucretius, who lived a century be-
fore Christ expressed the major part
OF the present day theory.
Dr. Riley discussed at length the
various so-called discoveries Of the
missing link" and proved each and
all to be finally recognized as false
surmises by the scientists them
selves.
The rest of the hour was devoted
to the remarkable statements of
Moses in regard to the creation
which have been found to be scien-
tifically true, thus showing that the
theory of evolution Is unscriptural.
The order of creation recorded in
the book of Genesis has been accept
ed by the latest scientists and it is a
fact that men who once
accepted the theory of evolution
have since renowned it. Among these
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