Systematic Theology (Volume 1 of 3)Strong, Augustus Hopkins
Religion
Systematic Theology (Volume 1 of 3)
Strong, Augustus Hopkins
Baptists -- Doctrines; Theology, Doctrinal
See A. H. Strong, Christ in Creation, 163-166—“This conception of
evolution is that of Lotze. That great philosopher, whose
influence is more potent than any other in present thought, does
not regard the universe as a _plenum_ to which nothing can be
added in the way of force. He looks upon the universe rather as a
plastic organism to which new impulses can be imparted from him of
whose thought and will it is an expression. These impulses, once
imparted, abide in the organism and are thereafter subject to its
law. Though these impulses come from within, they come not from
the finite mechanism but from the immanent God. Robert Browning’s
phrase, ‘All’s love, but all’s law,’ must be interpreted as
meaning that the very movements of the planets and all the
operations of nature are revelations of a personal and present
God, but it must not be interpreted as meaning that God runs in a
rut, that he is confined to mechanism, that he is incapable of
unique and startling manifestations of power.
“The idea that gives to evolution its hold upon thinking minds is
the idea of continuity. But absolute continuity is inconsistent
with progress. If the future is not simply a reproduction of the
past, there must be some new cause of change. In order to progress
there must be either a new force, or a new combination of forces,
and the new combination of forces can be explained only by some
new force that causes the combination. This new force, moreover,
must be intelligent force, if the evolution is to be toward the
better instead of toward the worse. The continuity must be
continuity not of forces but of plan. The forces may increase,
nay, they must increase, unless the new is to be a mere repetition
of the old. There must be additional energy imparted, the new
combination brought about, and all this implies purpose and will.
But through all there runs one continuous plan, and upon this plan
the rationality of evolution depends.
“A man builds a house. In laying the foundation he uses stone and
mortar, but he makes the walls of wood and the roof of tin. In the
superstructure he brings into play different laws from those which
apply to the foundation. There is continuity, not of material, but
of plan. Progress from cellar to garret requires breaks here and
there, and the bringing in of new forces; in fact, without the
bringing in of these new forces the evolution of the house would
be impossible. Now substitute for the foundation and
superstructure living things like the chrysalis and the butterfly;
imagine the power to work from within and not from without; and
you see that true continuity does not exclude but involves new
beginnings.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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