Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1832-09-27
On THE RELIGION OF SCIENCE.

In giving this title to the following
piece, nothing more is intended than to
express the idea that if Natural Science
developes proofs of design in the material
universe, it affords no inconsiderable sup
port to the sublime doctrine, which is the
basis of religion and of moralty-the ex.
istence of an Almighty Being, who made,
and who sustains all things.
That it does develope thcih is certain.
An enumeration Of few Of them, with
reflections upon some misapprehensiors
Of the use Of Scicnoo, forms tho subject
Of these remarks.
TO 90 into detail, within the limits Of a
brief essay is impossible. Never did
man embody more truth in few words,
than did the royal poet of Israel, when,
addressing the deity, he exclaimed, "saH
Thy works praise thee" Yet a cursory
view of even small part of nature, may
be useful.
But the main object of these remarks
is to expose some false views Of Science,
which, to the detriment of religion, pre-
vail among many good people: views to
which they may have been led, by the
fact that the majority Of infdels have
pretended to philosophy; or, to use the
words of the late Rev. J. S. Buckmin-
ster, "could not afford to be at once wits
and Christians.
OF fthese proofs Of design, what multi
tudes are presented to us by knowledge
of human anatomy. The wonderful ar
chitecture Of the skull-so remarkable,
that when, after countless failures, men
at length succeeded in the construction
of dome, it was said that though one ar
chitect alone had succeeded in the ac-
complishment Of the work, every man
had the model in his own head-the re-
mark was made with perfect truth the
masonry in the articulation Of the ribs to
the spine; the hinges, the pivots, the lew
ers, the contrivances for varied motion;
the provision for lubricating the parts ex-
posed to frction--all the wonders Of the
human frame, to say nothing of the other
parts Of the bodv--evince design, and in
many instances, such design as none but
super human intellect could have con-
ccived---surely none but supernatural
power could have executed.
Nor does human anatomy alone unfold
these wonders, but comparison of the
frame of other animals with that Of man,
corroborates the testimonies, already con-
elusive, that nature is the work Of an
Omniscient and Almighty Being. Here
we find an answer to that futile objec-
ton to the idea of design in nature, that
all animals are originally formed alike.
The resemblance which animals bear to
each other is only in such parts as are
formed for a ccMrnon purpose. And
when we find one organ in an inferior an
imal, answering the same purposes which
are provided for by several in human
being, we find it differing from the hui
man being, precisely in that degree re-
auired by the wants Of the animal. We
find, too, animals requiring organs which
human beings do not possess, furnished
with them. The air-bladder Of the fish,
by which he is enabled to rise to the sur
face of the water--the reservoir Of oily
matter, by which the bird preserves his
plumage from the wet--the strong cords
on each side oflhe neck of the larger
which serve TO keep tho
head in horizontal position, when It
would otherwise be prone, are instances
Of this peculiar organization. These