, 1873-12-01
THE PULPIT.
Lecture by tho Rov. Laird
Collier.
The Teachings Of Science as IN Ex-
FOUNDER Of Religion. F.

Sermon by tho Rev. c. Day Noble on
Individual Inspiration.
Eloquent Address by the Rev. W.
.E. NIilburn.
SCIENCE AN ExPouNDER OF CHRIS
TfANiTr.
Lecture by tho IRcv. laird Collier OF
the church OF tho hacaatnh.
Yesterday oyeuiug tho Rey. Laird Collier de-
Nvorod the following locturo at tho Church Of
Che Mossiah on "8cience IN E1pouudor Of
Uhristianity:"
It would bo pure assumption, and intolorant
hogmatam, to undertake to toll what original
Christianity WIS. No living man knowa. Recent
criticism OF the original Christian documents has,
however, dono somewhat toward tho clearing up
Of this matter. Tho educated and soholur1y
world Is very much nearer the truth NON than
eyen the educated and scholarly world ever waa
before. Certain mon liko schenkel; aud 1eenan,
lnal soripturos and tho old MSS.
TO find out what JceuH himself said and did; aud
what those who wrote his life made hin to Say
genuine from tho spurious; tho chhH from tho
wheat. Upon tho whole, thoae Tise and oarncst
mon havo not labored III vatn. They have
4hroWn much Light upon tho Scriptures. AS
scholars, they Wore by tloir scholarly instinct
and training arivon to the noionttfo, at least lit
ezaxy, method OF dealing with these records. The
.Hobrow aud Christian Scriptures wore treatod
just aa tho writings Of Josophua, or Eusebius,-
about plenary inspiration had to be iisrogarded.
Ono roBult Of biblical critiotBm Ia TINT the
Biblo is bottor understood than It used to be,
and what Is voluab1o in the Bibto la valuable
upon intrinsic, and not arbitrary and faho,
grounds.
Another result Of investigation into tho
authority mud credibity Of tho Bible is til at 1t is
mado real book. and wo now begin to know
pretty vol who tho writers of the several Y parts
and tito aims they had before them In writing
And tho very best, tho most important aud
practical result is that nov. tho vslu-
.b9 .bs not q s tho o e9 a y IT, snart4 hasSd true
~ neutrality-suspicious. educated. scientific aud
disdain. Tho school Of Paine. .Volney, and Vol
taire haa passed away; that kind Of Biblical
criticism can neyer roturni il was superficial and
sconiugi 1t was textaal, and appealed to the un-
educated and vulgar, and suited the tastea Of tho
morally looao and vicious.
Now, thero ia scionco Of Theology. Christ
tanity ~ among g+tiaua Educated people, stsne up,
ia :called the supernatural elou,snt is
found in it,--if it contains . divine personality
known ns the Christ, and ao-callcd miracles,
By LAWS and agencies Of which as yot NO know
nothing,-theu this gcionce. Of Theology, tbis
open-eycd teon-scented criticism, will find thcao
things and leave thom there naharmed, and
thoro to do the good intended BY God and his
benetlcont Providence. For thoae are honest
men-thoy aro thinking and writing, not iu tho
Interest OF error, but in tho interest OF tho
truth. They haye no motive that can think Of.
70 70 ageinst the traditions nnd prejuliecs Of
the people, unless tloir integrity of soul aud
devotion to truth put them tAore. And should
1t turn out that all this miraculous elo,uent,
and all these signs and wonders are only accre
tionB-are wild stories that have no foundation
and imaginative pooplo-then criticism must say
go. Honest criticism can keep nothing back,
aud, so far as Christianity is concerned. IT eau
not be harmed X " tho truth nirasle g. Iss
Nothing In tho contents Of Christianity that
Nter1ry criticism car throw out can iniure
it. greut cnrgo Of doctrines and rights and
superstltionB and traditions might be thrown
OF tho craft.
But tho civilized world does not mean tothrow
Chriatiauity overheard. The Whole civilized
world is not "a race ready for suicide. Chrint has
has guided them too well to be disdainfully Or
ungratofully dismissed in tho age of His most
glorious achievements over tho passions and pro-
juatces, tho Ceaknoasea and wickedncssca Of
men.
And 200 no signs anywhora OF mntinous
procedures or purposes. Certainly not among
thuao who arc sometimes most suspected OF
the1n. Whom tho CoparnicRn system began to
spread nd prevail, il sas nupp0'ed BY many
universe were imperieu-:hat oven goyorument
and social ordor must 60 to tho wall. BUTT hss
turned out not according to thoae evil p1ophcses,
but On the worry contrary. mankind has progroaa-
ed intellectually and morally as never in tho tino
before. Civilization has lenpea forward in n
most astounding manner, and by reaaon In fact, Of
this radical enlargement Of 1noWledgo.
Now, 1t u Darwin, rot Copernloas, who ia
volopment thoory Is little less than q eoandaloua
tnpiety. It ia supposed that tie Biblo teaclca
that tho genus homo. TINT man, was special,
complete creation, that man. Just as ho is found
WAS morally pu1er and spiritually highor than
now, was moulded by the hands Of God and
placed in the Garden OF Eden, and TINT then,
Darwin, sohaa atfh.uaen, Haochol, and othera 6ave
which lies far beyond ali historical
tradition" Natural history ''has put tho; I'M
the European man fought with tho cave animnls
OF the diluYlum. md not only ato tho tlosh Of
the mammoth and rhinocoros, and tho marrow
OF their bones, but even laid cannlbal hands OF
tho tieah Of his own kind; into time whom man
fed his herds. Of reindeer amongst the glaciers,
or lived in the pile-dwellings OF the lakes, OF
heapcd up on the northern coasts great mount1e
Of shells. the relics Of his neala."
Natural science has irretrievably destroyed the
very. foundations Of tho Bible chronological
Whether it can. nuke 1t plain that all
1orms OF natural life hare an identica
immeAsurably distant and indnitesimallY
meagre beginning. has not yot beon absolutely
demonstrated. All analogios and tho posture ot
present inquiry Indicate 1t Hili. Nearly al the
natural scientists are committed to these posl
tions, and ahall frooly for one, give ny. adher.
once promptly and Thole-heRrtedty to the con.
clusions OF theBe noble and Industrious men,
who, no doubt are "co-laborors together With
God"
an worry proud to belong to the aoientiao
Fellowship now Of 0ope1niou1, Kepler, Galileo,
and Newton, and I do not moan to break faith
with such SERIOUS and useful mon, who in tic
same fellowship haVo in order Of timo come In q
little later, US tamarok and Darwin.
Thoo1orical scieioe Is about In the game poBitoE