Evening journal., 1915-07-12
Peoples Column
Man AS a FrLL FREE AGENT.

To the Editor Of THE EVEN
ING JOURNAL.
Sir-Picking a bible Students
Monthly" up ! found a reprint Of a !
JOURNAL editorial upon the liberty Of
the press anent request Of the Min
isterial Union of Wilmington that you
do not publish the sermons Of Pas
tor Russell" Il is such a splendid
editorial, and so bravely and boldly
put that l an tempted to send you
something I have found very hard
to get before the common people Tor
fear it might provoke an unpleasant
religious controversy" yet 1t is moth
ing but a truth, and quoted from the
Bible.
To begin with, l am a Bible student
and consider II the most valuable
book ever published or. probably,
ever will be put into type. | find 1t
the summun bonum OF the wisdom OF
ages. l find It by a study of 1t for
over sixty-five years that it is the
truth if we read with our present
knowledge added to that of Moses.
Moses must have been a most learned
man, hampered by the darkness of
his day. And we must recall to our
minds that Moses was brought up by
the Egyptians as the son OF a daugh-
ter Of Pharoahs. and that knowledge
in Egypt was of a very high order
Doctor Ebbers. tie Egyptologist, says
that the circulation Of the blood was
more than suspected by them ten
thousand years before Harvey dis
covered IT, II their scientists, had
progressed so far in anatomy. why
be surprised if Moses came so near
in geology? This preface brings me
near the pclnt of my subject and
whether the Bible is true.
The story Of creation as set forth
in the book of Genesis, is either true
or it is false. If II is false the whole
Book is a lie, for falses in uno. fall
lsus in omnibus | do not believe IL
is false. Let the reader recall that
Genesis does not pretend TO give a
formula of creation. but just the
lplain facts, and those facts agree with
the science Of geology. | shal! only
follow the creation of mankind for
man genuinely differs from man as
We know him from the whole OF man
kind as science has discovered writ
ten upon the rocks In the plan Of
creation there was a distinct inten-
tion TO make this earth a fitting
dwelling place for Gods ideal animal,
the fully developed man. The max
ing of our earth was a very long and
slow process. II was not done upon
the model of God said let there be
so and So and il was so not at all
but mechanically Each part was fit-
ted before it was placed in the struc-
ture. As the environs we're so were
the animal and vegetable growth; and
when each lad fulfilled its part. a
new age began ty changing environ
ment and life. Such was the way un-
til the surroundings we're sufficient
to support the rUdest man. This first
of the genus homo was a being who
would have made first class stran-
ger for he was a fierce and forbdding
creature.
But we viii not follow the different
creation Of man but jump to the ere
alton of the man for the home prepar.
ing for him millions of years before
Here / will quote the Goth verse
chapter 1. of Genesis: And God said
yet us make man in our image. afte
cur likeness; and let them have do
minion over the fish Of the sea, an
over the fowl of the air, and owe
the cattle, and over all the earth. an
over every creeping thing that creep
. eth upon the earth"
The reader will note that everythin
? earthly was Dut under mans contro
], and to make il more emphatic
{ clause-"and over all the earth wa
= added. Is the above true? If il is
. then man is the sole arbiter of al
= things done upon this globe and ha
no superior Tor God relinquinshe
y all power when He gave man His dc
= minion over all the earth If 1t /
, not true the Bible is false and be
S comes a rhapsody of words only"
r Another meaning has been incul
a Gated from the phrase, lin our image
and after our likeness" it has give
1 us the idea that God mas a person
5. ality like unto that of men: an
d nothing could be more false or foo
d ish. The Image and Likeness is tha
# which enables US to build up and tea
n down: and are the divine attribute
e which God had to give to man whe
J. He made HIM absolute upon cart
n Coo handed over to the control
T. man the earth slled with great bl
h unknown riches, but gave as a con
d pensation the power TO his sIprem
l. creation the ability to meet all necel
y stiles by discovery of their remedie
4 The earth has improved every ds
ID since the coming of the civilized ma
Adam He was placed in a rarde
r. typical of the end of wildness and Il
ir beginning of home life, and the al
sr turn of man from the wilderness.
Is Look abroad today. A warrior
Q. footsteps imprint almost every fo
IS of Europe. and inventive mind is en-
le ployed in discovering new means
Id destruction. Had Othello lived in q
r. present he could well cry that h
n Occupation" IS gone indeed The CO.
4" quest of the air has ruined tho "bes
j. laid plans o. mice and men," and p
b generalships out of business. A me
r. blockhead can command an army
h. well as Grant, and submarines ha'
rt rendered the strong navies as we;
=. as doll houses built of cardboar
J., This great war is positive proof tn
I'd mans control Of the earth is abs
IS lutte. and can je settled only by m,
s. conquering men Gods power ov
them is nil, ;or all men believe tn
God is on their side. What J ha