The New York herald., 1871-07-18
THE METH0DISTS.
Commencement Exercises of the
Wesleyan University.
SCIENCE AND RELIGION.
Baccalaureate Sermon by President Cummings
Missionary Discourse by Rev. DR.. Newhall.

The commencement exercises or the wesleyan
University (which is the oldest college connected
with the Methodist denomination In this country,
and which Will be continued throughout the week,
were opened this morning by Rev. DR.. Cummings,
The President OF the University, who preached his
Baccalaureate discourse In the Methodist church.
The members Of the graduating class occupied re.
served seats In the body OF the church. The PresI-
dent took for his text the third verse OF the first
chapter OF Jude-"COntend earnestly for the faith
delivered to the sans.n In his Introductory state.
ments the speaker said that judo deemed 1t neces-
sary to give this exnOrtatlon because ungodiy men
at that time presented errors against the fuDdamen.
tai truths OF the Gospel. The same reason existed
at present for this exhOrtatiOn, inasmuch faith
and culture had not always been nor were they now
united. The time OF the French revolution was a
period when the opposition between faith ana cul-
ture was most strikingly manifest. This
volt was now In the demand that
the Bible shall be excluded from the schools;
In tho theory relative to colleges, that their object
Is SIMPLY for instruction In scientific truths and
most efficient when under secular control, ana
that in them religion has no place. Atheism was
not so prevalent as the disposition TO exclude God.
Napoleon expressed his wonder tnat Laplace could
have written so much and not once introduce the
name Of Goa. The latter said that he had no Occa-
sion for that hypothesis, ana he the speaker Of
day sympathized very much with the idea OF the
French nhdcl; Or as COmtc expressed it. they take
God TO the frontiers of science, and dismiss hin
with thanks for his provisional services. Numerous
reasons assigned for this practical infdelity
In addition to the general reason Of mans
natural enmity to God. These apostles Of
science magnify The importance OF the tndvidu-
ality OF man, and recognize no other au-
thoriy, while the Bible taught that he
is dependent, feeble ana wicked A reason for this
was also found in the great advance in scientific In
vesugation. The opinions OF scientific men have
been connected with their religion ana inasmuch
rs many of these views have been found to be erro-
neous, especially with reference to the immediate
operation that God has In the material world, which,
so far from being ascrbed TO arbitrary interference
is now considered rs manifest In general law, good
men nave limited scientific attanments and opposed
themselves to science, deeming 1t athelstlc; ana
this has led to the contempt on the part Of men Of
science for religion surposlng that these men airy
represent religious views. Then the other reason
for this apparent conflict between science and reli-
gion is traceable to the advance in scientific and
moral truth. Scientific truth has been audaclous.
and has not hesitated to attempt the
SOLUTION ANY PROBLEM;
but there have been startling discoveries or ad.
in moral truth. Tne science of mind is about
the same. ana scientific men finding errors in the
past connected with moral truth say that this Is the
result OF ignorance, and that the true remedy for the
worlds errors Is in The discoveries that they ore
making tendency to sceptcism results from the
subdivision Of study which tended to clog the mind
and limit its range OF thought. Just as the profess
sional man has little interest IN studies not con-
neced with his profession so these sceptlcal sclen
Dr. Cummings spoke OF the unfortunate use OF the
term ''sclence,N which was limited to one single
TO include all truth, moral well as phSsi-
sa s Culture nS only being Uuns % When S nss
departments are blended He then proceeded to
say that one OF the tendencies to the materiaism
which he was discussing resulted rom the mode OF
investigation. Scientific men confined themselves
to facts ana did not consider the efficient cause
design with reference to which an act was done.
Hence they rested In law, ana used that term ex-
p. essIng cause. This was illustrated by reference to
principle natural selection, who said that by that
principle the best species were contnued-good at
species dying out because the qualities In them, not
bling well adapted for continuance, perish.
The next point discussed was that no man was
completely developed whose spiritual nature was
not cultivated. scientific studies do not develop the
suits directly lead to God. No man who confined
himself merely to material pursuits could rise 10 the
heights OF the spiritual development OF his nature
Scientific mon who are religious are not religious
because Of their scientific pursuits but they con-
nected their religion with them. Newton ended his
treatise with hymn because he was plOus man;
but other distinguished men have considered their
Investigations tending to nddelity because their
sympathies were with those Views It must be ad-
ntted that q very large class OF scientific men
not religious; and however poetic 1t might be to
say that IAN undevout astronomer Is mad ryet very
many distinguished astronomers nave been very un-
devOut. The Doctor then pointed out tile mistake
that many made In the importance they attached to
the opinions OF scientific men, whose opinions were
valuable only In respect to the pursuits In winch
they were engaged. AS a painters opinion IN law
IN medicine would be or very little avail, more
was the scientific mans opinion OF worth on
subjects beyond the range OF his Investigations.
part Of many dcyolees OF science OF spiritual things
and contempt for their manifestation. Many man
who would watch with kecnest interest the steps OF
a fly and the
wRANGIINd OF A SNAKE
has nothing but contempt for the manifestations OF
spirituality In uncutlyated natures; The labor OF
such men was over estimated. The man whose
wnolc life and all his study has led TO other dis
covery than some new form or a snow fake or
new species of a lizard could hardly be compared IN
usefulness with the common laborer, who digs the
ditch that drains the marsh. the tendency TO dis
regard God In scientific studies was increased ny
the same spirit among certain reformers, who, by
reason of the slow development OF moral truth, have
been lei TO conclude tnat other means than the
great principles revealed In the Bible for the clcva-
ton OF society should be resorted to for this pur-
pose
DR.. Cummings next considered the importance OF
iaith In Its highest sense and most important TO
man, and said that this trust Is by no means con-
trary to reason or opposed to the evidence OF
science. Faith IN religion does not diner in any
respect from faith In common things only as 1t had
higher authority and stronger evidence. Those
who asserted that the teachings of the Bible were
contrary 10 science dlu not understand the design
OF the Bible, which was not to teach scientific trufh
The speaker clucilated that thought by remarking
that man Is an impressive being and was designed
to he so and that The truth yet 10 he learned Is as
important as the elementary truth known In the
first ages. He affirmed that II the Bible undertook
10 teach all this truth 1t would be absurd and mex
pcabe 10 tue men OF any given age and con-
trary TO the nature Of man, who, by his own
Investigations, Is expected to acquire truth or
this character Natural science IL no more opposed
to tie teachings OF the Bible than Is mental science
The Bible no more contradcts any other science
language SuDDOsed
dict astronomy. Guizot very aptly said that the
Bible was designed TO teach men how TO go to
heaven, and not to teach how the heavens 90. It
was designed TO teach the great doctrine or the
cross, and all these other subjects were Incidental
God required the confidence OF man In himself and
lie inspired trust the revelation OF His power and
moral excellence, implicit faith In which being
essential to man highest development.
This able and exhaustive argument upon this I'M
norfanf fhnmn uns conc Lx ON On rinat hnr.