The Story of Creation as Told By Theology and By ScienceAckland, T. S. (Thomas Suter)
Religion
The Story of Creation as Told By Theology and By Science
Ackland, T. S. (Thomas Suter)
Bible and science; Creation; Religion and science
The Geological records harmonize exactly with the Bible as to the
date of man's appearance on the earth. It is towards the close of
the age of gigantic mammalia, that the earliest remains of man's
workmanship make their appearance in the shape of tools and
weapons rudely fashioned from stone. Parts of human skeletons have
also been occasionally found, but they are exceedingly rare.
Weapons and bones are alike confined to superficial, and
comparatively very recent formations. From such traces as have
been found there is no reason to believe that any physical changes
of importance have taken place in man's body since his first
appearance on the earth. The differences which do exist are of the
same kind as, and not greater than, the differences which exist
between individuals at present.
The gift of dominion over the lower animals seems to indicate
something different from that which gives one animal superiority
over another, and accordingly we find that it is not by physical
power that that dominion is exercised; but that in most of his
physical faculties man is inferior to the very animals which he
holds in subjection. It is partly in virtue of his intellectual
superiority, and partly perhaps by means of an instinctive
recognition on the part of the animals of man's higher nature
(Gen. ix. 2) that that supremacy is maintained.
SECTION 10. DEVELOPMENT.
We have now to consider the question of development, in reference
to the Mosaic Record of the last two days, and to the known facts
to which that record has relation. The account of the third day's
work has also a bearing on the subject, but as the same
considerations will to a great extent apply to animals and to
plants, it will not be necessary to make any special reference to
it.
The facts in favour of the theory of development are these:--1.
The different classes of plants and animals are not separated by
broad lines of demarcation, but shade insensibly into each other.
2. The characteristics of the same species are not constant; the
lion, for instance, the horse, the elephant, and the hyena of the
present day differ in many minor points from the corresponding
animals of the Tertiary period, so that unless there was a
possibility of spontaneous change, we must assume successive
creations of animals, with only trivial differences. 3. In all
animals there are minute individual differences, and if under any
circumstances these differences had a tendency to accumulate, they
might in the course of time result in great structural
modifications. 4. Man has been able to take advantage of this fact
and by careful selection to mould the breeds of domestic animals
to a certain extent in accordance with his own wishes.
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