I n his second epistle Peter wrote about scoffers in the last days who would reject the promise of the Lord’s return, presenting as evidence their observation that since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” Peter mentions specifically that these people would wilfully disregard the scriptural account of the flood which destroyed the life which was upon the earth. The fulfillment of this prophecy may be said to have begun when James Hutton published his Theory of the Earth in 1785. He denied the belief held by the scientists of his day that there had been geological events in the past which were of a nature different from those we ob serve today. He stated that in explaining the origins of geological formations “no powers are to be employed that are not natural to the globe, no action to be admitted ex cept that of which we know the principle.” Little atten tion was taken of his view until 1802, when John Playfair published a book called Illustrations of the Huttonian Theory.
orthodoxy on this voyage was, of course, his reading of the first volume of Lyell’s Principles of Geology.” An other biographer calls it “ the book which influenced him more than any other.” Still another biographer re marks, “ Possibly, without Lyell’s Principles of Geology, Darwin would not have written his Origin of Species.” Darwin himself acknowledged his indebtedness to Lyell. He dedicated to Lyell his report of the voyage “ as an acknowledgement that the chief part of whatever scientific merit this Journal and other works of the au thor may possess has been derived from studying the well-known and admirable Principles of Geology.” Years later he said, I always feel as if my books came half out of Lyell s brain, and that I never acknowledge this sufficiently . . . for I have always thought the great merit of the Principles was that it altered the whole tone of one’s mind . . .” Darwin is the one to whom the credit is given for making the theory of evolution acceptable to men of science, and this theory has had a very prominent place
The geologist Charles Lyell took up the idea and he is the one whose writing .caused it to become the ac cepted theory among geologists ever since. In 1830 he published his two-volume work, Principles of Geology- Being an Attempt to Explain the Former Changes of the Earth’s Surface by Reference to Causes Now in Action. To this day geologists attribute the greatest geological changes to such phenomena as earthquakes, volcanic ac tion, tidal waves, local floods, and the like. This view is known as uniformitarianism. The year after the publication of Lyell’s book, a young man named Charles Darwin set sail on a voyage of scientific exploration which was to last five years. He took with him a copy of Lyell’s Principles of Geology, given to him by his friend Professor Henslow, a devout and orthodox man of science, who advised him “ on no account to accept the views therein advocated.” But this advice was not heeded and the reading of Lyell’s book marked the turning point in the life of Charles Darwin. One biographer says, “ Darwin’s point of departure from 12
in bringing about the present liberal theology which rejects the Gospel of salvation by grace through the atone ment of Christ. But this is not the end of the chain reaction from the pronouncement of the uniform itarian principle. Karl Marx wrote to his colleague Freidrich Engels concern ing Darwin’s Origin of Species, “ Darwin’s book is very important and serves me as a basis in natural science for the class struggle in history.” Marx found Darwin’s evolution theory so valuable to his cause that he desired to dedicate his book Das Kapital to Darwin, which honor Darwin modestly declined. From the efforts to Karl Marx has emerged Communism, w hich opposes the Gospel hv force. All of this has come about through the development of the same concept as that which denies that our Lord Jesus Christ will return as He promised and as the Bible prophesies that He will. Please turn to Science and the about this subject. Bible in this TH E KING'S BUSINESS
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