Jackson County journal. (Sylva, N.C.) 19??-19??, 1918-02-08


Not an Exalted Ape.
There are some wise m:.n who would
have US believe that man is the off
spring of an ape; if so, then man is
an exalted ape because between man
and the ape, as we know them, there
Is wide difference. In arriving at
their conclusion it is barely possible
the wise men were led into it by fol-
lowing Pope's suggestion, and in so do
ing discovered in man what they
thought to be ancestral traits, for if
there is any being on earth who can
one.
Many have accepted the Darwinian
theory of the evolution of man as a
substantial fact, when the truth is
there is not single proof in support
Of it. It is simply hypothesis sup
position assumed. The late DR.. James
Orr, the Scotch theologian, who was
competent to speak upon this subject.
says: ut is vain to speak of science
demonstrating the slow development
of man from the anthropoid ape, for it
does no such thing. There is 10 proof
of this in science up to this present
hour. There is no evidence of any
such gradual process"
A Created Being.
Turning now from the hypothesis
Of men, we note that the Bible teaches
that man is a created being. This
fact which is stated in the first and
second chapters Of Genesis is confirm
ed by other Scriptures, so that we are
by no means dependent upon the Cen
esis account for it. Our Lord him.
self adds his confirmatory words when
he says: Have ye not read that he
which made them at the beginning
made them male and female. and said
for this cause shall man leave father
and mother. and shall cleave to his
wife; and they twain shall be one
flesh?" (Matt. 19:4-5).
Upon this account Of the creation of
man in Genesis and the quotation from
that book, Christ bases his teaching
upon the sanctity of marriage. It is
surely subtle reasoning that admits
the truth OF Christ's teaching and at
the same time charges him with bas-
ing 1t upon what he knew, as some
say, was only fable. Surely, such
q one should not be what he claimed
he was. 1.-THE way, the truth, and the
hfe." No matter what men may say
about the origin Of man, the fact re-
mains that the Scriptures, substan-
tiated by Christ, uniformly teach that
he is created being.
In the Image Of God.
Further the Scriptures teach that
man was made in the image of God.
This is quite different from being
evolved from an ape. This makes man
the offsuring of God, and not of a
monkey. It exalts him, instead of
debasing him. He begins his being
as man, and not as a something of
the lower creation which gradually
through long periods of time changes
into what he now is, which if the nv.
pothesis be true, would make him an
exalted ape. If the theory be true,
what Is to hinder the process of evolu-
ton going on and man developing into
something specifically different from
what he now is, and so on ad infin.
itum?
We have mentioned the wide differ
ence between man and the ape. Now
the essential difference between them
does not consist in the brain capacitv
OF the skulls, in hairy or smooth skin.
out In the fact that man was made in
the image of God. By this is not
meant a bodily likeness, for we know
God is spirit" and ga spirit hath
not flesh and bones" (John 4.o4.
Luke "a :39).
The Image Marred.
But alas! man fell through sin and
the image was married Such is the
teaching of the Bible, which Is quite
contrary to the hypothesis of men who
boast OF the ascent of man, while sin
has gone away from God and not to-
ward God; that this apostasy in.
wolves the whole human race. so that
al; have sinned and come short NJ
the glory of Cod" that the catastro.
pho of sin is SO complete that man ia
helpless and hopeless because of # to
save himself from it. The Bible, how
ever, does not leave man, in whom the
image OF God Is marred without hone.
for 1t tells him that "where sin ahound.
co grace did much more abound" and
that God has made provision for the res
t1tut1on of man in the redemption which
ne provided on Calvary's cross BY
which the image Of God marred BY
SIN shall be restored In those who ar.