HIS ANTIQUITY AND CHARACTERISTICS. 



29 



theory rests absolutely on evidence of acquired characteristics, 

 and I believe that we have no evidence here of that kind. 



As we know, the Victoria Institute is a Philosophical and Scientific 

 Association ; and if we dwell upon the religious aspect at all, it is 

 the wisdom from Scripture itself and the Divine philosophy of it 

 that we accept. It is upon that line that I make one or two sugges- 

 tions. First of all, as to time. We all know that though Grod works 

 in and through time, He is in no way subject to time. The lecturer 

 has quoted the first chapter of Genesis, but the second chapter 

 shows another method altogether. Why should not God work by 

 a long process of development, and why could He not act specially, 

 as in the second chapter ? There is no contradiction. Then as 

 to the humanity of our Blessed Lord, upon which everything depends. 

 It is stated of Him, and supported in two other statements : " Thou, 

 Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth ; and the 

 heavens are the works of Thine hands. They shall perish, but 

 Thou remainest ; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment ; and 

 as a vesture shalt Thou fold them up, and they shall be changed ; 

 but Thou art the same, and Thy years shall not fail." That quota- 

 tion, relating to Jehovah, is, as we know, by the Spirit of God, 

 applied directly to Christ. The next is, that all things were created 

 by Him, whether visible or invisible, thrones, dominions, principali- 

 ties, and powers, all were created by Him." Again in John's gospel : 

 " He was in the world, but the world was made through Him, but 

 the world knew Him not." These statements affect the whole ques- 

 tion. The present upheaval of all civilisation suggests that we should 

 cling more closely to the Scriptures, and to Him upon whom every- 

 thing depends. I see no reason whatever to thank the lecturer for 

 all that he has said. I think those of us who accept the Bible view 

 of the Creation, and the Divine humanity of Christ, can rise above 

 all discussions, interesting though they may be, and go on from time 

 to eternity. 



Mr. M. L. Rouse, B.A., B.L. : I think the lecturer has dispas- 

 sionately set before us two views, but I cannot agree that man is 

 so normally fashioned, or that he is descended from an ape»man. 

 First of all, I cannot understand exactly how people can square 

 Darwinism with the account in Genesis. Supposing that man had 

 " developed," and that ape-men are to be found in diverse parts of 



