The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1867-05-30
by REV. HENRY S. OSBORN, D. D.

dead bones of the past to scare Chris
tianity with? Has she not thrown stones
at her from geological quarries! Has she
not caused the stars to look down upon
her in venerable contempt Has she
not stirred up the blood of Egyptian
oatacombs aud temples against her,
and soiled her beautiful garments by
dragging them through the skulls and
ceremeuts of Egyptian mummies and
threatened her with zodiacs, cartouches,
crania, and the "vestiges Of creation" in
generall In fine has not science usurp-
ed the throne in Gods place, and de-
manded worship due God alone?
Never. Never. Philosophy "falsely
so called" may have attempted such
things, but science and philosophy, tru-
ly so called, never. The time has ar
rived when this libel upon science, this
asserted antagonism OF science to Chris
tianity, shall be proved fallacious,
Christianity shall be known to be; what
1t claims to be, the PhiiosQphy Of all SCI
ence And, as the laws of science are
equally the laws of the universe only
modified by time and space, Christianity
shall yet be known to be the final PHI
LOSophy oftIe uauer8e. The temple in its
beauty should illustrate the value of the
shrine and altar. This world was the
altar ofan incarnate God in Christ. The
universe was Gods temple for Christ's
sake. Christianity is, historically, the
predisposing cause Of all true science
And shall accept an incarnate God and
not feel the antecedent necessity which
subjects all science to Christ and his
birthright! "All things were made for
him" as well as "by him"
Christianity is the philosophy of nature.
Nature is Gods platform upon which he
works out his vast purposes terminating
IN Christ, and God uses all science eth
er to bring us or to drive our Christ
ianity closer to Christ, and further from
mere theologies and moralities which
had not enough of the heart of
Christ in them. Our theology is not so
much what God is, as it is what we think
God to he, and it is not so surprising
that what we think ofGod and ofhis work
is not what God himself thinks. Now
science is sometimes brought in to whip
the indolent and negligent into the ranks
OF the order and harmony of truth.
An architect, whose skill was famous
in the days OF Egypts giant architect
ure, was required to crafty the pride of
the king in the erection of a splendid
temple, but upon the front of that tenn
pie was to be engraved, not the name of
the builder, but that Of the man who
wished the name of the architect to per-
ish before his own naughty pride. The
granite pile was finished. Upon its
front was seen, by all Egypt, in deeply
cut letters proud name, which for CEN
turtles was the only name associated with
that splendid monument. Even the
children OF many generations, as they
gaZsd on the monument which carried
their thoughts far back into traditionary
mystery, had learned to reverence that
name, and TO attribute to its owner all
the honor and glory of this vast aud SOL
emn structure in the valley of the Nile.
But all was not granite that was called
sEoh. The seeming stone crumbles
around the sacred symbols of the king,
and with the crumbIing there disappear
some traditions which the people had
most held sacred no priest nor altar, no
fleecy clouds OF incense prevent the ca
tastrophe, till down from the front there
falls a plastered coating, revealing now
the eternal granite and deeply engraved !
therein the name Of the architect which |
the pride of the king had refused to ac-
knowledge. Nothing was lost of true
beauty and harmony, much was added,
and above all the crumbling plaster had
revealed the truth upon granite base.
''The word of the Lord is tried" but
tried more bitterly at times by the ig-
norance OF its friends than by the science
OF its enemies. Time may mend our
theologies,-some OF the plaster may be
rubbed off by the attrtion, but the
grand temple in which God has en-
shrined His Christ shall stand not only
unimpaired, but strengthened, and ev-
cry discovery of true science, every adj
vance in true philosophy, shall only be
an advance upon the realms of spiritual
Ignorance, every height attained, ev-
cry mystery unrayeled, shall only, in tho
long run, establish the truth that, after
all, Christianity is the philosophy of sci-
enee, aud science the grand postulatc of
Christianity.
Then let US hail the victories ofscience
over which an enlightened, an educated
aud thoroughly equipped Christianity
shall rejoice TO cast her liyery-lor SCI
ence is her servant, not her antagonist,
nor shall be so regarded any longer for
ever, The oden days when Christian
ity fought inhdelity and scepticism with |
helmet aud spear, with sling and cata.
pnlt, have gone by, and we put these
venerable weapons and arguments of
ancient warfare aside in our theological
museums, The necessities of the day
demand that gainsayers OF the truth
shall be met with armor fitted to the |
day, and he is culpably supine who
draws upon the old weapons which hay-
ing answered their end are useless.
The adversary has opened upon new
field and Christian men must march to
occupy the fortress OF science, which is
their own fathers planting aud creation.