ARCHDEACON WILLIAMS AND THE LATE CHARLES DARWIN

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3169, 21 August 1917, Page 6

ARCHDEACON WILLIAMS AND THE LATE CHARLES DARWIN

Sir,—As one who has studied the mental attitude towards orthodox religion of such scientists and master thinkers as L'mines iianviu, i believe as tieepiy 4"d in tho nature of things probably with less bias, than the Yen. Archdeacon 'Williams, with all respect to that learned man I venture to say that his reference to Darwin's belief in Christ, made in his eermon. as reported in The Dominion of August 13. under the . head-line of Science and Religion, was rather unfortunate, and calls for some criticism. The ven. iirchdc.icon treats us to his own delightfully epigrammatic little sentence, "1 hope* to die as 1 have lived, with my faith in .lestis Christ unshaken." Then he explains that a friend of his says that ho heard Darwin use words to that effect in conversation with eomeone else. It is unnecessary to comment on the value of this as evidence. Quite possibly the ven. archdeacon happily believes it, and repeated it in all eincerity; but at the time he -was speaking with the. responsibility of a high-placed teacher, and neither crodulitv nor sincerity ought to be tolerated as makeshifts for imperial truth in such a connection. To a hearer who knew little of the uotablo scientist s history there might sceni to be nothing incompatible in the saying; but to anyone who has studied his life and work it would appear that the ven. archdea con is engaged on behalf of Mother church in a. little- "body-snatching. However, there is no reason why any person's opinion in the matter should bo "iiided by either tho ven. archdeacon or myself. "Charles Darwin was singularly ca'pable of settling the question to his own liking, and as long as his monumental works endure there is scant room for any doubt in the minds of his readers. For the benefit of those who lack the opportunity of perusing his writings, however I '.beg permission to quote a lew extracts from his own pen and leave the decision to the unprejudiced mind that troubles to weigh the evidence, merely adding that Darwin appears to have been a, wanin" Christian until he was about forty, and a Deist for about ten years longer. In his Autobiography, written in 1876. he writes: "The mystery of tho beginning of all things is insoluble to üb, and I for one must be content to remain an Agnostic." Are tho words Agnostic and Christian, then, synonymous? In a letter to Sir J. D. Hooker, in 1563, referring to their mutual friend Lyell. he remarks: . . . "for I feel sure at times he no more l>elieved in Creation than you or I. . . ." Yet, I understand that belief in Creation is still orthodox. Now, one extract from Dr. E. B. Avelinj's book "The Religious Views of Charles Do.nrin," which has the approval of his Bon. In conversation with Dr. Biichner. in ISBI. only one year before his death, ho said: "I never gave up Christianity till I was forty vears of age." When his guest asked him his reason for abandoning it, he simply Rnswend: "Tt is not supported by evidence." Much more might be quoted in the same strain; but after what has gone, 1 think the ven. archdeacon is heartily welcome to all that Darwin leaves him of his great personality.—l am, etc., H. JONES. Auckland.