NEW CHAPTERS IN THE WARFARE OF SCIENCE. 731 



his professorship, and has honored itself by maintaining him in 

 that position, where, unhampered, he has ever since been able to 

 utter his views in the midst of the largest body of students on the 

 American continent. 



Disgraceful as this history was to the men who drove out Dr. 

 Winchell, they but succeeded, as various similar bodies of men 

 making similar efforts have done, in advancing their supposed 

 victim to higher position and more commanding influence.* 



A few years after this suppression of earnest Christian thought 

 at an institution of learning in the western part of our Southern 

 States, there appeared a similar attempt in sundry Southeastern 

 States. 



As far back as the year 1857 the Presbyterian Synod of Missis- 

 sippi passed the following resolution : 



"WTiereas, We live in an age in which the most insidious at- 

 tacks are made on revealed religion through the natural sciences, 

 and as it behooves the Church at all times to have men capable of 

 defending the faith once delivered to the saints ; 



"Resolved, That this presbytery recommend the endowment of 

 a professorship of Natural Science as connected with revealed re- 

 ligion in one or more of our theological seminaries." 



Pursuant to this resolution such a chair was established in 

 the theological seminary at Columbia, S. C, and James Woodrow 

 was appointed professor. Dr. Woodrow seems to have been ad- 

 mirably fitted for the position — a devoted Christian man, accept- 

 ing the Presbyterian standards of faith in which he had been 

 brought up and at the same time giving every effort to acquaint 

 himself with the methods and conclusions of science. To great 

 natural endowments he added constant labors to arrive at the 

 truth in this field. Visiting Europe, he made the acquaintance of 

 many of the foremost scientific investigators, became a student in 

 university lecture-rooms and laboratories, an interested hearer in 

 scientific conventions, and a correspondent of leading men of sci- 

 ence at home and abroad. As a result he came to the conclusion 

 that the hypothesis of evolution is the only one which explains 

 various leading facts in natural science. This he taught, and he 



* For Dr. Winchell's original statements, see Adamites and Pre-Adamites, Syracuse, 

 N. Y., 1878. For the first important denunciation of his views, see the St. Louis Christian 

 Advocate, May 22, 1878. For the conversation with Bishop McTyeire, see Dr. Winchell's 

 own account in the Nashville American, June 16, 1878. For the curious reply from Dr. 

 Winchell's colleague, see the Nashville Christian Advocate, July 12, 1878 ; and for the 

 further development of the matter, see the Nashville American of July 19, 1878. For the 

 further course of the attack in the denominational organ of Dr. Winchell's oppressors, see 

 the Nashville Christian Advocate, April 26, 1879. For the oratorical declaration of the 

 Tennessee Conference upon the matter, seethe Nashville American, October 15, 1878; and 

 for the " ode " regarding the " harmony of science and revelation " as supported at the uni- 

 versity, see the Nashville American, May 2, 1880. 



