THE FIRST CHAPTER OF GENESIS. 



165 



evolved from a lower form. The distinction is important. The 

 question of man's actual descent is one of scientific evidence ; but, 

 if he be so descended, then we know by the revelation of this 

 chapter that that living form which stood to him in the relation of 

 ancestor, had in itself no power or potentiality of ever producing a 

 man, no matter what the influence upon it of selection or environ- 

 ment. That which rendered the evolution of man possible was the 

 •creative word of God, " Let us make man." Whether man was, or 

 was not, formed of new material, unrelated by descent to any other 

 form of life, is unessential ; that which is essential is, that all that 

 makes him man, and not brute, was by the new creation of God. 



But if it be the case that man is descended from the brute, and 

 has become man by creation, what evidence can Science offer us as 

 to the Creation? It can only testify as to the descent. 



I do not wish to call in question the parallelism which i. ■^v(page 

 132, section f/) have traced between the succession of events recorded 

 in this chaj^ter, and the history of the earth as Science presents it. 

 But it seems to me, that, if used as an argument for the inspiration of 

 Holy Scripture, it is not free from the charge of circularity. From 

 the scientific point of view there is the further objection that it 

 would appear to stereotype scientific conclusions : in other words, to 

 put an end to scientific development. But there is one thing upon 

 which the man of science will always insist: — that is, his perfect 

 freedom to change any scientific conclusion, however firmly held to- 

 day, if fresh evidence should be forthcoming to-morrow. 



There is also a serious religious objection, as Mr. Bishop has very 

 wisely reminded us. A complete scientific demonstration of this 

 chapter would remove it from the sphere of faith, and it is " through 

 faith we understand that the worlds were framed b}^ the word of 

 God." I have heard faith defined as " the assent of the intellect to 

 a demonstrated proposition." This is exactly what faith is not, 

 and if we could make this chapter a demonstrated proposition, 

 Hebrews xi, 3, would be made of no effect. If we have faith in our 

 fellow-man it is not because our intellect assents to some proposi- 

 tion that has been demonstrated concerning him, but because we know, 

 or think we know, his character. So faith in God means that we 

 know Him : that is, we in some measure apprehend His character ; 

 not that we agree to some logical proposition respecting Him. I 

 think we are sometimes tempted to forget this. 



