Adamites & Preadamites; Or, a Popular Discussion Concerning the Remote Representatives of the Human Species & Their Relation to the Biblical Adam

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1878 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER I. A SAGACIOUS DUTCHMAN. In 1655 a small book appeared in Paris, which had for its title ihe unheard-of subject," Pre-Adamites." It was written in Latin, and its full title was as follows: Pne-Adamite, sive Exercitatio super Versibus duodecimo, decimo tertio et decimo quarto, capitis quinti EpistoUe D. Pauli ad Romanes, quibus inducuntur Primi Homines ante Adamum conditi." The book appeared anonymously; and those acquainted with the spirit of the dominant ecclesiasticism of that date will readily divine the motive of its author. It very '.' soon became known, however, that it was written by La Peyrere, a Dutch ecclesiastic, whose name when Latinized was Peyrerius. The work was an attempt to prove from biblical authority that men must have lived on the earth before Adam. Within a year appeared its complement, from the pen of the same author, in which the whole subject was newly argued and more thoroughly discussed. This was a "Theological System based on the Hypothesis of PreAdamites." The two works may now occasionally be found in one volume. The Syracuse University possesses a copy. The following year a book appeared in London, the title of which is a literal translation of that of " Praj-Adamitre," but it includes also the "Systema Theologicum " of Peyrerius. In the undeveloped stage of scientific inquiry existing two and a quarter centuries ago, it is certain that no investigation respecting Pre-Adamites could have been conducted on true anthropological principles. In Europe the Bible was the source and basis of all belief. Whatever the ecclesiastical authorities had accepted and sanctioned was held to be taught by the Bible. Whatever the ecclesiastical authorities did not understand the Bible to teach was denounced as heresy....