New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-10-17

ing theiI antlers III n IL comes to this think his
tory suggests tsat pt sSfer Huxley thinks dnty In
mis- law sermons be remarks: ~ Is une so Pa,nIv
pners n"S tinguishod theoogans lie about the cradle
G % acience as the stranged snakes beside lat Oh
& have been fairly opposed, the latter has
been forced TO retire from the lsts Dleeans ana
innce has achieved ia noble work. as all the wOru
now teses IL has gsned supremacy oyer te dorSSs
f human action. IL has liberated the human nina Iron
parayzng fear ana thradO Tor Inn
nanty. But its grandost achievement ~ that IL nas
rcreatrd In thought, ana Oy eevatng ana
expanding mans conceptions OF the sphere OF harmony
ana law, has exalted reyerentla feelings toward
the lnSne Power Y %T rsyontop a. science has
accomplished must DO felt III every department OF
thOught-lheoogloa as "1i. az or no ~ "a seen
here Is something moro than aperturDaoni Us sSen
radical modification OF views. Less ana Tess 90 We
hear theOOgians Of what to DO learned irOn the
apses and Suspensions or physical law, ana ode aa
more OF tho teachings OF its uubrOken order IneOOgy
begins 10 accord TO science the leadership OF thought
her readiness to accept whatever science can
establish truth Take a recent case.
Within the present generation scientific men nave
promulgated the doctrine that the universe did not
come existence IN the way generally De
eved but that IL has been gradually uniOueu ana tndJ
be world and ali that il contains but the final terms
In an of changes which have Deen brought
time 10 theory ever before prOpounded by science
was alldisturbng this 1t resets ali the proDemS
Of nature and OF man. If evolution De ruin,
then must we reconsider all the questions OF physics
and that have been settled under the nv
existence as we now them. II evolution be true,
the stand point Of all philosophical and scientific i'll
quiry must be changed; old explanations VIII not an
swrT The convention OF orthodox theologians just
held city did not shirk TINS question: hey gave
place aud time and provided ior its oOnsaeIalon'
A distinguished divine appointed to report upon ~
winch he did in elaborate paper on The Religious
Aspects of the Doctrine OF Development" For science
there but aspect 20 the question, Is truef Ihe
oogy other interests to consider but the inquiry
into its bearings uresuppOscd the possible verify OF inc
theory Dr. McCOsh does not deny IT, but atter survey
ing the OF plants and animals IN the geolog
cal epOchs he said: In looking at these phenomenal
men discover everywhere development or evolution;
10 appears in iDanmate nature IN suns planets ahu
moons being evolved out of an original matter In way
which implies that the earth Is Older thah Tue sun ana
must existed IN ages and had ight SHINING upon
De ore the his solid form. IL IA CHARACTERISTIC
of organized beings 70 produce others ater her khd
Those who view development In the proper gnt see ID
II on form or manifestation OF law. GraYltalon Is
law cOempOraueOus nature extending over all bodies
simultaneously sun, moon, ana stars he most re-
mote Development is law of successive nature, and
secures connection between the past aud the present
ooJ may add the future securing unity and II
be progression from 10 age. IL Is merely an eX-
hibiOn OF order running through successive ages as
the other is order running through coexistng OBJ
iects" Dr. MoCOsh then points out that there dill
cules with the doctrine and ADDS am not sure Itt
reIic0u mas any interest in holding absolutely by one
side or other OF TINS question which IL is for scientific
settle. AIN not sure that rehglOn Is enutled To
insist that every species insect has been created by
spccal NAT OF God with secondary agent Employed
Dr. McCOsh again says IL useless To te younger
uatrahss truth In the doctrine OF deVel
oumrD Tor they know there IS truth which Is not
to be set aside by denuncatiOn. iSous philosophers
might be more prohtably employed In showing tnem
the religious aspects OF the doctrine OF development,
aud some wOud 10 grateful TO any who would hep them
10 keep their old falth in God and the Bible with their
faith la SCIENCE" In discussion which followed,
which was free from bitterness, aud which, If eyincng
some ignorance, evlnced also wholesome desire lOr
knowledge one of the delegdte the Rev, Dr. Brown, OF
large opportunities, as ne represented ST. Petersburg,
Cape OF Good Hope and Berwick-upon-Iweed declared
tnat as Of 20 years standing he accepted the
development hypothesis Indeed. he declared his con.
yictOn that the confirmation or general adoption OF
The nv pofhess of development will ultimately exercise
a beneficial influence religion, which benign lnnu-
ence Will be due to the labOrs OF the sGiehtne
men who have worked the truth out IN the
pitiless hail-s0rm OF general execrauon. DE- hodge
OF Princeton BOancrges of orthodoxy neither denied
the doctrine Of evolution nor denounced It's Deeyer as
uuChrstlan, and was only sOicous about s theO0gGd
relations He said the great question which dVldes
thesis atheists Christians from unDeieFefs is
this Is development an intellectual process guided Dy
Goa, or ID it bind process OF unnteingiDlt, uncon
scIous force which knows no end and adopts no
Z" 1t worthy Of note that the most retrogade
position was taken by distinguished scieuual' Dr.
Dawson the geOlOgis proposed 10 reegate he question
To scrptural decision The theoogians no longer claim
for the Bible the character OF an infdibe scenthc ex
book Dr. Dawson avowed n as ms authority III BIOLOGY
He is reported have said that as regards varieties
Darwin is well enough but as resaIds speeles 40 ~
believe in it, because 1t comes IN contact with the Bible
President Anderson was willing To adjust DdfWlnsIn'
not as an established fact, but working hypothesis
which OF implied that c0Ordinated tue Facts ana
expressed the truth more perfectly than any Other view
He said iii talks to me about evolution and be-
heves God that unr0s the magnificent plan OF the
universe humbly thank God such doctrine When
a development is put before me that excludes God, l
do Mt believe a word OF IT,
HOW TO MELT SCIENTIFIC QUESTIONS.
We certainly cannot complain that the theOlogians
be careful that false light What would DIR.
Anderson think Of who should annex the condition
he proposes 10 the acceptance of the law Of gavtaton
or the theoryi The question OF evolution is to
be settled by evidence as true or false and this as
Dr. McCOsh admits IL belongs 10 science alone to deter
mine II II be rejected by science there Is an end OF II
for everybOdy If 1t be established nothing remains for
theoOgans but to ADJUST u ID ler system ana put TO
its proper theological We are here however,
chiefly concerned to note the register OF advancing
hberality among the eyangelcas, as Indicated by the
discussion. They defer TO science, and do not shrink
from the most obnoxious theories as research shows
them TO be true. They be congratulated their
own development, which - 50 marked as 10 lend no
small support 10 tue nypOthesl Iwenty years ago Dr
Brown would have been eeoted from such convention
by explosive Indignation, leprOuB with heresyi and
things proceed this rate, In twenty years more
shall expect TO the whole Alliance rise TO It's feet in
expression OF respect and gratitude when the names OF
Spencer and Darwin are mentioned. believe myself
that evolution Is a grand ODlecuVe tThth OF me
universe, still much Obscured and beset with
difficulties but unmistakabiy outlined ana supported
by mass OF evidence tbat prepOhdefates over
whelmngy In religious point of view 1t has but one
significance. Offering grander conception OF the cos
mical order, and deeper insight into lts wonderful
workings than had before been attained 1t Is the
subimest tribute that the human mind has ever made
TO the glory of tho Divine Power To Whlch must be
ascribed With the acceptance of evolution the unwor
thy philosophy which has sought TO honor God by the
derangements OF his work comes TO an end. and
the argument passes into new phase TINS We owe
theoogans OF the orthodox stamp are beginning
to appreciate 1t and to be powerfully influenced by H.
views which We now frequently hear from orthodox
pulps. - - -
DOMAIN OF bCIBh0b.
In a sermon preached before the British Association
for the Advancement of Science in Edinburgh 1871 the
Rev DR.. Card, principal Of Glasgow University,
said: When God conceived 10 place Him out
side Of nature the tendency would be 10 seek the most
significant proof of his presence in nterferences with
her order regard the assertion Of the absolute
uniformity OF her processes as equivalent TO denial or
Providence or tue exclusion OF Cod And there could
be DO question that false Jealousy bad often been
tertaned by sincere but mistaken reg0nsts, with ref
erenee TO the idea Of nataral law and the ever
widening domain which science had won for IT,
There was stage of mental development HI
was translated into the direct expression OF divine
will ana purpose. But knowledge advanced the do