e,
and of nature's power over us, to what goal are we tending, are the
problems which present themselves anew and with undiminished interest to
every man born into the world."[1] Mr. Darwin undertakes to answer these
questions. He proposes a solution of the problem which thus deeply
concerns every living man. Darwinism is, therefore, a theory of the
universe, at least so far as the living organisms on this earth are
concerned. This being the case, it may be well to state, in few words,
the other prevalent theories on this great subject, that the points of
agreement and of difference between them and the views of Mr. Darwin may
be the more clearly seen.

_The Scriptural Solution of the Problem of the Universe_.

That solution is stated in words equally simple and sublime: "In the
beginning God created the heavens and the earth." We have here, first,
the idea of God. The word God has in the Bible a definite meaning. It
does not stand for an abstraction, for mere force, for law or ordered
sequence. God is a spirit, and as we are spirits, we know from
consciousness that God is, (1.) A Substance; (2.) That He is a person;
and, therefore, a self-conscious, intelligent, voluntary agent. He can
say I; we can address Him as Thou; we can speak of Him as He or Him.
This idea of God pervades the Scriptures. It lies at the foundation of
natural religion. It is involved in our religious consciousness. It
enters essentially into our sense of moral obligation. It is inscribed
ineffaceably, in letters more or less legible, on the heart of every
human being. The man who is trying to be an atheist is trying to free
himself from the laws of his being. He might as well try to free himself
from liability to hunger or thirst.

The God of the Bible, then, is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and
unchangeable in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, goodness, and truth.
As every theory must begin with some postulate, this is the grand
postulate with which the Bible begins. This is the first point.

The second point concerns the origin of the universe. It is not eternal
either as to matter or form. It is not independent of God. It is not an
evolution of his being, or his existence form. He is extramundane as
well as antemundane. The universe owes its existence to his will.

Thirdly, as to the nature of the universe; it is not a mere phenomenon.
It is an entity, having real objective existence, or actuality. This
implies that matter is a substanc