CHRISTIANITY AND EVOLUTION.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2358, 14 January 1915, Page 7

CHRISTIANITY AND EVOLUTION.

Sir, —In your leading article of. Decomber 26, you have given us a queer mixture of the Christian religion and evolution. You say "the present stage, of the physical and mental development of the human race is tlio result of a process of evolution that lias been going on for countless ages," etc. This theory of evolution strikes at tlio very root of Christianity, and must not go unchallenged. To deny the fall of man, which evolution docs, denies also, the necessity for bis redemption, and is therefore anti-christian, for it rejects the Saviour. Will you kindly allow mo to present the Plan of the Ages, as revealed in tho Bible, in contrast? It mil provo that truth is stranger tliiin i fiction. The Plan of the Ages spoken of in Epb. iii, 11, shows three disI tinct oges (or worlds). The first of fciieso agos was from Adam's creation to the Hood. Adam was created perfect, but fell (the roverse of evolution). Then, loft measurably to his own course, it proved to be downward 'evil and that continually." The second opoch (or age) called "the present evil world" was from Noah to the end of the Gospel dispensation, and included _ three dispensations: First, the Patriarchal Age, during which God dealt only with the Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and made them certain promi6n», flmrniK whioh wiw "In the? and la thy ail the families of ta£ gftrta., i

be blessed." The second, the Law, or Jewish dispensation, during which God dealt only with the Jows ignoring the Gentile or heathen nations. The Jews expected a King who would lead them to victor}' over their oppressors, and that through them (tho- natural seed of Abraham) all the nations of tho Earth would be blessed. But "they knew not the time of their visitation," and were nob prepared to receive a King, 'humbio and lowly, and so "through their fall salvation-is come to tho Gentiles." During this third, tho Gospel dispensation is revealed "a mystery which in other ages was not made known to tho eons of men, but is now made known to Mis holy apostles and prophets, (Eph. iii, 11.) That the Gospel should be preaohed among the Gentiles (not to convert a'l the Gentilos, but for a witness) and to tako out of the Gentiles a people for His Name. Acts xv. 14, which people are declared to be ''Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise," and the Church. His Body (Gal. iii, 16 and 29), in which all the nations of the Earth are to be blessed. The Church and the Church alone is granted, in the resurrection, a change from the human to the spirit nature, made Kings and Priests (both) and reign on the Earth (Rev. v, 10) as invisiVe beings during the following dispensation of Millennium. Bible chronology shows that this Gospel dispensation (or world) closes about the year 1914 in "a great time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation or ever Khali be afterwards (Dan. xii, 1 and 2). That this time of trouble will be Bevere is proved by the words in II Peter iii, 10, the fire being the "fire of God's jealousy," also called an "earthquake" and "tire" in Heb. xii., 26 and 29. That this is now the end of the Gospel dispensation is proved by two thingß apart from time propheoy first we have already entered upon "the time of trouble, the "earthshaking" or "conflagration," and, second, the way is being opened up for the return of the Jews to Palestine, for "Jerusalem shall be trodden down by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentilos be fulfilled." Then commences the "Dispensation of tho Fullness of Times" (Eph. i, 10), commonly called the Millennium. During this dispensation, the Church, "Hi* Body," united to the "Head" (Christ) reigns witn Him as spirit beings on the Earth for one thousand (1000) years. "For He must reign, until He hath put all enemies under His feet," and the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death" (Cor. xv, 25 and 26). The work of this ago is the gradual uplifting of mankind (living and dead) (Rev. xi, 18) from sin and degradation until all that was lost in Adam is restored, "for the Son of Man came to seek and save that which was lost," also spoken of by Peter in Acts iii, 21, as "the restitution of all things" which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His Holy Prophets since' the world began. There is not space for a detailed account of the work of this age, but we are told that tho Kingdom is delivered up, perfected, to the Father with sin and sinners blotted out in the Second Death (not eternal torment of which the Bible knows nothing, the "Lake of Fire" being a symbol in a book of symbolisms). We are told, too, that the wages of sin is death (not eternal torment). ' With apologies to you, sir, for trespassing so much on your valuable space,—l am, etc., BIBLE STUDENT.