The Story of the Earth and ManDawson, John William, Sir
Science
The Story of the Earth and Man
Dawson, John William, Sir
Human beings -- Origin; Paleontology
It may be that theologians also are needed who shall be fit to take
the place of Moses to our generation, in teaching it again the very
elements of natural theology; but let them not look upon science as a
cold and godless demon, holding forth to the world a poisoned cup
cunningly compounded of truth and falsehood; but rather as the natural
ally and associate of the gospel of salvation. The matter is so put in
one of those visions which close the canon of revelation, when the
prophet sees a mighty angel having the "everlasting gospel to preach;"
but he begins his proclamation by calling on men to "worship Him _that
made heaven and earth and the sea and the fountains of waters_." Men
must know God as the Creator even before they seek Him as a benefactor
and redeemer. Thus religion must go hand in hand with all true and
honest science. In this way only may we look forward to a time when a
more exact and large-minded science shall be in perfect accord with a
more pure and spiritual Christianity, when the natural and the
spiritual shall be seen to be the necessary complements of each other,
and when we shall hear no more of reconciliations between science and
theology, because there will be no quarrels to reconcile. Already,
even in the present chaos of scientific and religious opinion,
indications can be seen by the observant, that the Divine Spirit of
order is breathing on the mass, and will evolve from it new and
beautiful worlds of mental and spiritual existence.
CHAPTER XIV.
PRIMITIVE MAN. CONSIDERED WITH REFERENCE TO MODERN THEORIES AS TO HIS
ORIGIN.
The geological record, as we have been reading it, introduces us to
primitive man, but gives us no distinct information as to his origin.
Tradition and revelation have, it is true, their solutions of the
mystery, but there are, and always have been, many who will not take
these on trust, but must grope for themselves with the taper of
science or philosophy into the dark caverns whence issue the springs
of humanity. In former times it was philosophic speculation alone
which lent its dim and uncertain light to these bold inquirers; but in
our day the new and startling discoveries in physics, chemistry, and
biology have flashed up with an unexpected brilliancy, and have at
least served to dazzle the eyes and encourage the hopes of the
curious, and to lead to explorations more bold and systematic then any
previously undertaken. Thus has been born amongst us, or rather
renewed, for it is a very old thing, that evolutionist philosophy,
which has been well characterised as the "baldest of all the
philosophies which have sprung up in our world," and which solves the
question of human origin by the assumption that human nature exists
potentially in mere inorganic matter, and that a chain of spontaneous
derivation connects incandescent molecules or star-dust with the
world, and with man himself.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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