THE SPIRITUAL EFFECT OF EVOLUTION.
It is apparent that the adoption of such a theory as Evolution must
affect the spiritual state of the person receiving it. Man's mental
and spiritual natures are intimately connected. While those in a
settled previous spiritual experience may carry Evolution as "a
working theory" only, those in an immature state will be vitally
affected. Especially is this true of youthful minds. It is indeed
a fact that many young men have started with high purposes to
prepare for the ministry, and even for foreign missions, and have,
after adopting these modern theories, abandoned their purpose, and
thousands have abandoned all personal religion. Pastors can tell of
many such instances.
Some have said that the adoption of Evolution has helped their
faith. They fail to see that bringing the Bible down to their faith
is not bringing their faith up to the Bible. It is a weakening of
faith and not a strengthening of it. This apparent increase of faith
simply prepares the way for its utter ruin. The first step leads to
a wider divergence, as many have shown, that leads to wreck of all
faith in a supernatural God or world or Bible. The mind will follow
its natural workings. Loss of faith in the facts of the Bible leads
to loss of faith in its truths. The acceptance of this theory still
further leads to a lessening of the sense of our need of Christ that
the Bible teaches and man should feel. And further the acceptance
of this theory, while it may not affect materially the minds of
experienced Christians, will through them affect others.
There is also a latent unconscious loss of faith that is realized
only in some great emergency, when in "the storm and stress" of life
the soul looks out for something to hold to. It is then that the
rotting platform of unbelief goes down in wreck. The other extreme
is also a cause of ruin. In the time of great prosperity when all
the allurements of life and time and sense present themselves, it
requires all the purpose one has to stem the tide of temptations. It
is here that a false belief will work havoc. The mind conceives that
after all sin is not so hateful or salvation so needed or doom so
fearful.
The effect on experimental personal experience is evident. Instead
of looking for a regeneration, a revolution of the inner state, the
believer in Evolution necessarily looks for a change from education
or other form of development. Such a thing as conversion or a
baptism of the Holy Ghost he will cease to look for or desire. There
will come declining feeling, lessening devotion, prayer will become
perfunctory and there will come increasing occupation with and love
for other things. Evolution as a belief makes right many things that
were before held to be wrong. It is an easy religion to hold. It
strikes the world at the angle of least resistance and enables the
holder to accept almost anything that the natural man desires. The
conflict of "the flesh and the spirit" ceases; the flesh, that is
the natural man, has conquered.
These theories in many seem to be but evidences of a previous wrong
state of heart. The wish is father to the thought. The theory is
accepted because it allows the laying aside of views that restrain
the desires. Such persons are willing to admit the existence of God
and his contact with man at Creation if relieved from any nearer
relationship. It is therefore worse than unbelief. It is antagonism.
It is enmity. Christ said, "Men love darkness rather than light
because their deeds are evil." The heart and life are the basis
of their opinions. It is evident that argument here fails. "A man
convinced against his will remains an unbeliever still."
Evolution is a comfortable theory to the world. It elevates man.
It hides the presence of God. It calls for no repentance or
consecration. It boasts of human progress and claims merit therefor.
In short it is the worship of man rather than the worship of God. It
deifies man and it ignores Christ. Once committed to this theory,
there is no extreme the person may not reach. Some have abandoned
Christ and Christianity because of it. It is in fact in doctrine and
experience and conduct, the antithesis of Christianity.
Such a theory as Evolution and its vaporizing method of Bible
interpretation, prepares the way for "isms" of every kind. It is to
this we are indebted for the swarm of these that afflicts the church
to-day. Once allow that the Bible may be interpreted to suit such
theories and any heresy or absurdity can prove its position from the
Bible as all of them by this same process do.
It is already weakening the power of the pulpit, and this in turn is
one great reason for the declining effect of the preached word. Once
received into a minister's heart the edge of his sword is dulled if
indeed the sword is not itself sheathed. He may not preach Evolution
either as a method of creation or a method of salvation, but his own
inner faith is weakened in the old truth which had such power to
convert the souls of hearers. When openly advocated and taught, it
is useless to seek revivals among those so taught. So it is the fact
that conversions to-day are mainly confined to the young and others
not affected by the error.
All the indications point to the further weakening of the hold upon
men of the supernatural and the eternal. To eliminate the former
and, while acknowledging the latter, to disparage all reference to
the future life, seems to be the tendency of the day. As already
cited, one of its chief advocates tells us, "Heaven is no longer the
center of the Christian's hope." The consequence is the material and
intellectual interests receive chief attention and other agencies
take the chief place religion should have. Education received in
the United States over $200,000,000 in gifts during the last few
years, to say nothing of the many fold more received from incomes
and public funds. Meanwhile the causes of Christ are languishing,
missions are dwarfed, small churches in great masses of the
population are struggling for existence against fearful odds, while
the money of professed Christians pours in these mighty streams for
all other purposes. No sensible person will disparage education, but
"Religion is the chief concern of mortals here below."
Further it is the few who can take advantage of the higher education
for which these millions are given. But five per cent of the
common school scholars can attend college. The many must toil for
existence. It is to the poor the gospel was preached by its Founder.
It is to the poor it means most. To those who have little else it is
the all in all. It is to these it should be preached in its freedom
and fullness. The principles of natural selection of the fittest
which sends millions to higher institutions and neglects the masses
of the people is the opposite of the gospel.
Cardinal Newman wrote: "There is a special effort made almost
all over the world, but most visibly and formidably in its most
civilized and powerful part, to do without religion.... Truly
there is at this time a confederacy of evil marshalling its
hosts from all parts of the world, organizing itself and taking
measures enclosing the church of Christ as in a net and preparing
the way for a general apostasy." (_Quoted in "Christianity and
Anti-Christianity."_ S. J. Andrews, p. 4.) Whether this is the
final form of unbelief is difficult to say. It bears the marks of
anti-christianity the apostle speaks of. The unbelief of the latter
days will rest on belief in the unvarying stability of nature. (2
Peter 3:4.) The coming of this theory is aimed to dissipate any
looking for supernatural changes such as the Scriptures teach are
coming to earth, such as the last day, the coming of Christ, the
resurrection and all the vast series of changes therein declared.
Hence that wholesome fear of God so operative in deterring evil and
stimulating good is removed. Based on this unbelief, the enemy of
God and man can advance to the accomplishment of his purposes as
never before. All satanic methods before this have been crude and
coarse compared with this last invention. It is the most subtle and
sweeping of all evil methods to ensnare the mind of man. Based on
what is called science, promoted by the scholars of the day, taught
in the fountains of learning and preached from pulpit and platform,
it must have a widespread effect. Heretofore attacks on Christianity
have been made from without. This is from within. It is the trusted
leaders who are now undermining the fortress in which they live.
But revivals always begin at the bottom. It was a few poor fishermen
who commenced the gospel age. It is their successors to whom we
must look as we have in the past for return of apostolic power.
"God chose the foolish things of the world that He might put to
shame them that are wise; and God chose the weak things of the
world that He might put to shame the things that are strong; and
the base things of the world, and the things that are despised did
God choose, yea and the things that are not, that he might bring to
naught the things that are: that no flesh should glory before God."
(1 Cor. 1:27, 28, R. V.) So we look hopefully to God for that only
which will deliver the church from this and all other pestilent
evils, theoretical and practical, a revival of true religion by the
power of the Holy Spirit, and the preaching of the old gospel of the
cross of Christ.
INDEX.
Page
Abbeville, peat beds, 90
Abbott, Dr. Lyman, xi, 3
Abydos tombs, 92
Adam, 77-127
Adjustments, complex, 56
Adaptation of species, 55
Agassiz, 13, 50
Age of earth, 15
Antiquity of man, 90
Ape-man, 75
Ape, relics of, 68
Assyrian antiquity, 93
Assyrian religion, 103
Armadillo, 43
Architecture of body, 58
Askenazy, 9
Aurora Borealis, 16
Authors, list of, xiv
Babylonian civilization, 99-103
Backbone, origin of, 31
Baer, Carl Ernest von, 9
Balfour, Prof. Francis M., 59
Ballard, Prof. Frank, 118
Barrande, Joachim, 38
Barrows, Dr. John Henry, 62
Beaument, M., 16
Bee, cell of, 57
Bermuda lizards, 44
Bible account, 61
Bible interpretation, 121, 123
Bible theology, 131
Bonaparte, Napoleon, 111
Bowers, Prof. Stephen, 81
Brain, argument from, 84
Brewster, Sir David, 59
Brown, A., 4
Bruner, F. M., 104
Bunge, 9
Calavaras skull, 80
Carlyle, Thomas, 9
Chamberlain, Dr. Jacob, 103
Chance, 115
Chimpanzee, 74
Christ, 109
Christ and the Old Testament, 126
Christian experience, 107
Classification, 41
Clodd, Edward, 17, 29, 73, 75, 83, 84, 85
Colorado skeleton, 81
Conn, Prof. H. W., 5, 25, 27, 29, 30, 39, 42, 48, 50, 96, 115
Consensus of scholarship, 10
Congo languages, 87
Cook, Dr. Joseph, 13
Cope, E. D., 53
Coral theory, 13
Croatian skeleton, 81
Cross, test of evolution, 106
Crystallization, 57
Dana, Prof., 42, 64, 86, 89
Darwin, Chas., 5, 17, 29, 41, 55, 61, 87
Darwinism, 29
Dawson, Sir J. W., 9, 36, 95, 114, 116, 135
Degeneration, 53
De Rouge, 102
Distribution, 43
DuBois, Dr. Von Eugene, 82
Earth, age temperature, 15, 20, 23, 58
Egypt, mummied animals, 58, 85
Egyptian dynasties, 92
Egyptian civilization, 100
Embryology, 49
Eohippus, 46
Etheridge, Dr., 9, 59
Ethics, 105
Evolution--Meaning, 1
Definitions, 3
Unproven, 5
Scientists reject, 7
Cause of, 30
No case of, 26
Geology against, 38
Phantom tree, 42
Mental, 89
Unverified, 112
Chance, 115
Bible, 120
Conversion, 107
Eyes, origin of, 32
Fiske, Prof. John, 85
Force, origin of, 18
Fossils, 59
Foval, 8
French Institute, 12
Galileo, 12
Galton, 101
Geology, argument from, 37
Geologist, testimony of, 38
Germ, the, 50
Giraffe, origin of, 33
Gladstone, 117
Green frogs, 118
Great Pyramid, 100
Greeks, 101
Gregory, Dr. D. S., 8
Grote, Dr., 8
Haeckel, Ernst, xiv, 3, 5, 8, 9, 19, 23, 39, 41, 118
Haecke, Dr. W., 8
Harmann, Otto, 9
Harnack, Prof., 13
Harrison, Frederick, 14
Hartmann, 102
Heathen origin, 135
Heer, Oswald, 9
Herschell, 15
Hilyrecht, Prof., 19
Hindu Vedas, 103
History, 98
Higher Criticism, 13, 94
Hoffmann, 9
Home of primeval man, 72
Howison, Prof. Geo., xiv, 86
Human characteristics, 70
Humphrey, Gen., 16
Huxley, 6, 13, 25, 29, 30, 44, 45, 48, 69, 72
Ingersoll, Robt., 110
Jones, Prof. Wm., 116
Kelvin, Lord, 18, 24, 74, 86
Kangaroo, 43
Kent Cavern, 16
Kipling, 74
Koelliker, 8
Land, animals, origin of, 33
Lang, Andrew, 102
Lange, 99
Language, 86
Lecky, 101
Le Conte, Prof. Joseph, 3, 23, 24, 40
Legs, origin of, 32
Liebig, 24
Life, origin of, 23
Livingston, Dr., 91
Lyell, 16
Making of a man, 73
Mathematical adjustments, 56
Matter, origin of, 17
Mental changes, 90
Mentone skeleton, 89
Meyer, Dr., 81
Mind and consciousness, 85
Missing link, 78
Mississippi Delta, 16
Molecular creation, 50
Monier, Sir M., 104
Monkey language, 88
Moon, mountains of, 15
Morphological argument, 44
Mueller, Prof. Max, 86, 87, 97
Murchison, Sir Roderick, 38
McLaughlin, 57
Naegeli, 8
Natural selection, 29, 34
Neanderthal Skull, 80
Nebular Hypothesis, 21
New Orleans skeleton, 91
Newman Cardinal, 142
Origin of life, 23
Orion, Nebula, 21
Paine, Thomas, viii, 110
Parker, Theodore, 110
Patterson, Dr. Robert, 40, 70
Pattison, S. R., 95
Patton, Prest. Francis L., xiv
Paulsen, Prof., 8
Petrie, Prof. Flinders, 110
Pfaff, Dr. Frederick, 79, 85, 95
Pfliederer, Prof., 62
Pithecanthropus-Erectus, 82
Poetry, 121
Post, Dr. Geo. E., 9
Prehistoric man, 89
Protoplasm, 49
Quatrefages, 45
Religion, 102
Renan, 109
Renouf, 102
Reymond, DuBois, 9
Rhodes, Cecil, 136
Richter, Jean Paul, 109
Ridpath, J. Clark, 41
Rocks, origin of, 37
Romans, 103
Rousseau, 110
Rudimentary organs, 67
Ruskin, 9, 67
Savage Races, 96
St. Pierre, 13
Sayce, Prof. A. H., 93, 100
Schliemann, 13, 91
Schmidt, Dr. Rudolph, 5
Schults, D. Kerfoot, 41
Scientific theories, 15
Sedgwick, Adam, 40
See, Prof., 19
Simultaneousness, 42
Snell, 8
Solar System, 19
Species, evolution of, 26
Spencer, Herbert, xv, 2, 14, 17, 20, 31, 41, 105, 114
Spiritual effect, 137
Star, Prof. F., 101
Stone age, 91
Stuckenburg, Dr. J. H. W., 8
Succession, 2, 37
Sully, Prof. James, 62
Swim-Bladder, 48
Taj Mahal, 97
Terra Del Fuego, 87
Theistic Evolution, 4, 77
"Theistic," Adam, 77
Theology of Evolution, 128
Thomas, Dr. Jessie B., 28
Thomson, Sir Wm., 13, 34
Thomson, Dr. J. Arthur, 30, 51
Thompson, Dr. James, 105
Troy, 13
Tyndall, 2, 5, 20, 24, 50, 52
Universe, evolution of, 17
order of, 19
Varieties, 28
Vedas, Hindu, 103
Virchow, Dr. Rudolph, 7, 9, 65, 82
Wagner, M., 8
Wallace, 66, 83
Whales origin, 33
White, Andrew, 12
Whitney, Prof., 5
Wiseman, Cardinal, 12
Wilson, Woodrow, 15
Wilson, on the cell, 25
Wilson, Andrew, 55
Winchell, 26, 94
Wright, Geo. Frederick, xv, 12, 21, 58, 95, 112
Zahm, Dr. J. A., 6, 12, 90, 94
Zoeckler, 9
Books by Rev. Alex. Patterson
BIRD'S-EYE BIBLE STUDY
With Introduction by Dr. J. Wilbur Chapman
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THE OTHER SIDE OF EVOLUTION
An Examination of Its Evidences
With an introduction by George Frederick Wright, D.D., LL.D.,
Oberlin College.
This book undertakes to show that Evolution is not accepted by
all scientists and gives names of many who oppose it; that it is
admittedly an unproven theory; that it has never been verified
and cannot be; that not a single case has ever been known, or
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Transcriber's note:
Minor typographical errors have been corrected without note.
Irregularities and inconsistencies in the text have been retained as
printed.
Mismatched quotes are not fixed if it's not sufficiently clear where
the missing quote should be placed.
The cover for the eBook version of this book was created by the
transcriber and is placed in the public domain.
In the index, the transcriber has changed the following names to
match the text:
Beaumont to Beaument
Chamerlain to Chamberlain
Kerfort changed to Kerfoot
Muller to Mueller
Naegali to Naegeli
Pflieder to Pfliederer
Quatrafoges to Quatrefages
End of Project Gutenberg's The Other Side of Evolution, by Alexander Patterson