The N.Z. Churchman.

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume XVII, Issue 5, 1 November 1926, Page 1 (Supplement)

The N.Z. Churchman.

The Scientific Account of ttje Origin of Man. Whence is man? In the answer that physical : science gives to this question; we shall see something of- the grounds for that dissatisfaction with science on the part of the Christian ; that I, have, elsewhere spoken of. That answer is r such as to leave us no room ~f or doubts Let Haeckel be our, witness..; Cle^lyf. analogically the great German has traced foibusu the life history . of .th^racfi^epitQmized^by^tfee^life history of i each individual;! Erom. a i single

cell, through, various; -.stages, of ever-in-creasing. complexity, to wxirm; from worm to simple .vertebrate; from that to fish; through, fish, amphibian, and; bird, to mammal ;,•■ thrpugh lemur, and ape to the finished product, man: such m condensed form is Haeckel 's, story of, the human race. One by one the successive links m the chain are forged from material supplied by the sciences of palaeontology, comparative anatomy, and embryology. Much has been dpne since Haeckel wrote his. great work to elaborate and further explain his account of man. The names of Darwin, Huxley, and Spencer are of world-wide fame, and it may be fairly said that the scientific world generally, has endorsed their hypotheses. It is. true, there have been protests against what is known as the- Darwinian doctrine of the evolution of species, even from the ranks of science. Fabre, the great French* naturalist, for one, woujd, as is well known, have none of Darwin, and his voice has. carried far. Yet the attitude of the scientific world towards the origin of species generally, as taught by the schpol' that bears the name of Darwin, and. of man m particular, is as above stated; and .this doctrine, Christian Modernism, m its feverish anxiety to be thought educated and up-to-date, . tells us is not contrary to Christian teaching. Let us see. From the Christian viewpoint what is man? In his earth state he is body and spirit, but are both of' these essential to his identity? The answer that Christianity gives to this question- is- clear-cut and definite. Whatever he may be m manifestation; on- the earth- plane, hfe is- in essence a spiritual entity. The. physical bpdy belQiigs only, tp his present sjage;. of '.exjlst-,, eniae j : butito Jhim as jinan ; thatf physical ; bady? is not essential. With or -without it he-is mail. Is, this an oyerstatement? Isubmit r that on, the weightiest ;, authority we. have it is not. When our tord said to the,penitent ■ thiefv",To-day--shal > t;i thjOUsbertWAth. me in<.i paradise/ the physical ; body^ of; that

"thou" to whom He referred wpyld soon be mere lifeless • matter. Similarly with other references made by our Lord 1 to a life beyond, such as- the Eich Man and Lazarus. The body had no part m the existence beyond the grave, but the man himself went on living. Hene.e. the man,, that evolutionary; science prof esses i to account? far." is- a being.:, quite, other than Christianity knows-, of » Science and> Christianity,, are .- speaking of entirely; different, things. In., so; f ar • as, science' professes,- to., trace : the origin of the ;- physical man, it may or may not be, true^. , Tfte subject is, too,. trivial, tp hold. a- debate ; over. In so far. as. it. ignores what to, Christianity, is essentially man, and: calls, that man which is not. man,, it is erroneous and.misleading. More.oy er, it debases..a being who, according^ to, Revelation, . was, made, m the image and likeness, of God,, to. the level of a mere animal— a thinking, animal it. is true, a moral animal, if : ypujike, .but. still an animal. It leads, man into the habit of thinking* of "himself ; m. terms of. materialism. In;, this process the essentially spiritual nature of the real man '.falls' further and further into the background of thought, materialism enters more and more fully into possession, of the human mind, and "Christ m you, the hope of glory, "is kept— without — an exile . from His throne and kingdom. I. am aware, thafcr, the, gxeat scientists.w--men, of. great: humility,, that?, th^y,. admit that: of. aU. there* is. .to., be- known,, of the, universe.. they know, but, an, infinitesimal part (instanceii Erpf essar Huxley) ; .but.thait does not. do,, aTrayrwath;, the, fact,that t ,on the positive -side th.eyjhay.e, put. forward a^t account: of the, origin .of man. that, m the lightr of the.. Christian, revelation,, is-., not tenable; aRd.. on,, the., n^g^,t*vfi r f side^ , they have failed, tp..ofler.. any -sug i gfl»tioji..to explain,, the ; m,a.nr o£ ? Christian, teaching. , Because. o£, thajfc I,asigg^s,t,, thatfthfijiattitude of mind dictated by. commjon^jjidence., for those who caninot accept as, satisfactory the Biblical account of man is to ''wait

and ses," to hold their- judgment m suspense until further light is available. ; • Doubtless when the time is ripe that further light will come. EDGAE WAED.