In 1871 was published Charles Darwin's famous book, The Descent of Man. This controversial volume created a furor in the religious world, for it presented a man's speculations on the probable origin of man. Darwin traced the descent of the human race back to an ape-like creature. Then he went still further back until he reached the speck of protoplasm containing in itself, as he supposed, all those evolutionary potentialities, which after centuries of slow advancement resulted in man. However, with strict honesty he pointed out that with all his research there was a missing link. Till every link should be indisputably proved and the missing link discovered, Darwin's theory remained a speculation.
The human heart is prone to believe anything put forward against the Word of God, and Darwinism became the popular thing. Tens of thousands were swept into skepticism. Hundreds of preachers proclaimed this doctrine from their pulpits, doing incredible harm.
While this theory did not deny God as Creator—for who created the speck of protoplasm?—yet it brushed aside the truth of man's creation as set forth in Genesis 1 and 2. And if that account is mythical, what sure foundation have we for any statement in God's Word? Darwinism also denied the fall of man. And if that is denied, where is the necessity of the atoning work of Christ?
Years have rolled by since "The Descent of Man" appeared, and today Darwinism is an exploded or an unproved theory in the estimation of many who are competent to judge.
In 1882 Darwin, the apostle of evolution, died, and was buried in Westminster Abbey. We quote from the account given by The Gleaner, U. S. A. It gives us the account of a great and sorrowful tragedy. This is the scene: Darwin is propped up in bed. Out of his window stretches a beautiful view. The sun is setting, lighting up with its soft radiance the face of nature. The dying wildfire. People made a religion of them!"
True, his book appeared only eleven years before his death, but it contained the "unformed ideas" of his early manhood, as he himself confessed.
Was there a more tragic scene? Darwin, with Bible in hand, speaking with glowing enthusiasm about "the grandeur of this Book," deploring the modern evolutionary movement in theology which has resulted in covering Protestant lands with the blight of skepticism! Earnestly he implored Lady Hope (he knew that she read the Bible in the villages) to "gather her servants, tenants, and neighbors, and present to them Christ Jesus." Sadly he confessed that his "unformed man is reading—The Bible. His visitor is. Lady Hope, a well-known Christian worker. She says: "In my conversation with Mr. Darwin I made some allusion to the strong opinions expressed by many persons on the history of the creation, its grandeur, and then their treatment of the earlier chapters of the Book of Genesis.
"He seemed greatly distressed. His fingers twitched nervously, and a look of agony came over his face as he said: 'I was a young man with unformed ideas. I threw out queries, suggestions, wondering all the time over everything. To my amazement, the ideas took like ideas" as a young man were the basis of the evil evolutionary theology.
What a challenge to every modernist! What a rebuke to all who scoff at or neglect the Bible!
Further, Darwin revealed his sense of the absolute necessity of belief in the Lord Jesus Christ to every man, woman, and child, when he begged Lady Hope to show forth Christ to those around her. Gladly would he have undone the mischief wrought by his earlier "unformed ideas," but it is left to later generations to refute his "unformed theories" and to "earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints." Jude 33Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. (Jude 3).
A. J. Pollock