CHAPTER V II EVOLUTIONISM IN THE PULPIT* BY AN OCCUPANT OF THE PEW
Perhaps the most remarkable movement in philosophic thought that has occurred in any age was the rise and general acceptance by scientific circles of the evolutionary theory as propounded by Darwin, Huxley and Spencer. I t was remark able that men of science, whose peculiar boast it is that they deal only with established facts, should have so readily de parted from this rule and accepted a system based upon hypothesis only, and which was, and is still after the lapse of forty years, without a single known fact to support it. Even when allowance is made for the well-known eagerness of many scientists to do away with all dualism, which was Mr. Darwin’s aim, it was still remarkable that men of trained in tellect should have so promptly accepted at face value his two principal works, in which the expression, “we may well sup pose,” occurs over eight hundred times, as a basis for the argu ment. Pure supposition may answer as a foundation for fan ciful sketches like those of Jules Verne’s; but as ground upon which to base a sober scientific argument it appears to the average man as little less than farcical. Why it did not so appear to the scientific mind, the scientific mind may perhaps be able to explain. We frankly confess our inability to do so. Still more remarkable was the fact that so many theolog ians and Christian ministers adopted the new philosophy and were so ready to give up large portions of Holy Scripture be cause they could not be reconciled with it; inventing, as a ♦From "‘Herald and Presbyter,” November 22, 1911, Cincin nati, O.—We reprint this excellent paper as the remarkable u tter ance of a Christian layman on a most important subject.— Ed. 88
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