Cambridge Street | St Neots | Hunts
Ap 1880
Sir
Having taken great interest in your work ``The Origin of Species'' and regretting, that
its doctrine, as far as man is concerned, is antagonistic to the strict reading of the
Bible: I have been trying if some solution to the two first chapters of Genesis cannot
be found, which might bring those chapters in accord with your Theory.
Whether my theory has been made before, or whether great minds will think it tenable, I
leave you to judge. Briefly then I will explain.
1st. ``Let us make man in our image'' May man not have been previously
created, as an animal of a superior order, and God seeing that all living creatures
required a head, and earthly master, he marked man as the most suitable, and then
fashioned him after his own image. Had the text stood ``Let us make man, and let us make
him in our image'' we could hardly argue that man had been previously created among the
animals; but as the text now stands, and considering that the higher order of animals
were created on the same day as man was, I think my theory is not far fetched. It does
not say that woman was made after gods own image, and the fact that she was not made
as woman until afterwards, and then out of a man, helps to make my theory
good, and to reconcile what has been considered two distinct creations. Man, male and
female created he them, man after his own image afterwards, then he required a superior
female and one was accordingly made. If any fossil remains have been found of the
highest order of Mammalia, of which the male is wanting, such might have been the female
to man in his primeval condition. For it is possible that the male being elevated from
his original state—would not be replaced but be entirely destroyed, leaving
the females to die natural deaths. From what I have now said you may see the drift of my
argument, which, after all may be worthless, but in the space of a letter I am afraid
that I have not made it so clear as I intended. I must apologise for trespassing on your
time, but I hope the interest that I have taken in reading your works may be some excuse
for the liberty that I have taken in addressing you.
I am sir | Your humble servant | William Tearle.
Professor C Darwin LLD FRS, Etc
