The Portland daily press., 1873-05-19

day afternoon The church was hiieu ~ al
audience composed of people of all -denonllna'
t;ons The desk and altar were tasteIuiiy oec'
ona..a rr;th ovaroreens and flowers. Upon the
49, vasa of magnificent Gala lilies
-. a~ar RI. alcove was beautiful evergreen
o.o., round which was entwined a garland Of
roses. After the voluntary and the anthem a
very brief and very appropriate Introductory
prayer was offer by Rev G. w. Buck of PARK
street church. Recalling of the Scriptures fol
lowed by Rev. w. t. Phelan of Preble chapel
After the singing of hvmn the sermon was
delivered by Rev. DR.. Peabody. We give an
abstract below:
SERMON.
Dr. Peabody began by saying it was an early
New England custom for the minister to preach
his own installation sermon, with the view OF
Showing his colors' and indicating his posi-
ton on questions at ISSUE In the spirit OF th
custom he should give views. as far as may be,
in sympathy with those of the new pastor on
some Of the fresh topics of the day His text was
| Tim. VI-20, 'Nppositions of science falsely So
called" There is no scriptnral type repeated
oftener than Uzzah, who thought that the ark
of the Lord would be overturned because the
oxen shook the cart. Good men in our time
are fearful that the results of scientific research
sion is virtual inidelity, and these fears do
more injury to the cause than avowed enmty.
True science and divine revelation cannot by
any possibility contradict each other; they must
coincide so far as they cover the same ground.
The hieroelyphes of nature must correspond to
the alphabetic writing of revelation But what
are the science and the christianity we may ex-
pect to find harmonious? Not. indeed, whatev
er any scientist or cratic student of nature may
choose t. term science; nor We. whatever any
OIL 4 or m a r. ct in tu
Science is not hypotl eses that may, but princi-
piles that do explain the phenomena of nature
The name is inapplcable to deductions from
partial phenomena, or to those incapable of
verifcation or the mere opinions of scientific
men, however plausible these may he. The
as necessarily hostile to religion. If specific
creation implies creative wisdom, mvch more is
it implied in the endow ment of prmeval atoms
with the power of development into organized
life. If we believe our race sprung from an
ancestry of apes we may believe it destined to
the developed into a posterty of angels. But
these theories are as vet mere hypothesis, and
it is to De doubted if they will ever be more
Now what is this christianity which must fall
it it be in opposition to fully established scen-
tiis truth? 1t is the ethical teachings of Christ,
the reality of his divine mission as Teacher Ex-
emplar and Saviour This religion has been
transmitted to US in human language in con-
nection with biography and history and incl
dental references TO opinions of the time. But
history aud chronologs and opinions are not
revelation. Though for my own part have
faith in the earlier revelations of which the
Hebrew scriptures are the receptacle, all that
directly concerns us now as christians is the
genuineness of the divine mission of Christ
Science and religion have in common three
sources of evidence, testimony, experience or
experiment, and intuition.
1st-SCientic truth rests in great part on
transmitted fad
does the historical portion of Christianity. The
speaker here reviewed the question of the au-
thenticty of the gospels. He said there were two
OF three legal principles that apply to all sub
jects of human testimony. One of these is
the statute of limitations If Christianity
PRAYED itself to the minds of men during its
first three centuries when it had to combat pow
erful pre-established religions it cannot well be
doubted now. Now most of these objections
have seen the light during the last thirty years
enity were demurrers. The authenticity i,
the gospels was admitted, but Christ was az
cused of being necromancer. In this ag
when the existence of necrotnancy is denied,
the admission of authencity at time when
the facts must have been kuowr is strong
proof. The testimony for Christianity is as
v'i, as much of that upon which science is
based.
1a.- Science and Christianity equally rest
in great part on experiment OF expert nce.
SuctnistIy HOGdDy uO5S so. NOW TEST CnrlSt-
lauIty by experience, and you will find that
it furnishes the peace, the charity, theconsola
ton which it teaches.
Sd. The evidence of intuition is claimed
equally for silence and christianity When
facts have been collated. experiments M, de
and deductions drawn, the established princi-
pie becomes to the scientist a necessary truth.
He sees not only that it is, but that it must be.
So with the Christian. He comes to that stage
when he can no more donbt his religion an
he can his own existence. We all have cen
thousands who have this faith.
We have thus considered the evidence on
which science and christianity rest L no
one then suppose that he does honor to CT. risti-
anlty by Jealousy of science. Let no one imag-
inc that he reveres science by discrediting
christianity. They are equally divine.
In closing the speaker expressed his gratfca-
ton at being present, and said that nearly for
ty years ago he received the apostolic charge
from the pastor of this church He then re-
ferred to one of its members, but recently dead,
whom he had hoped to take by the hand. In
conclusion he commended their pastor as one
who, like the high Priest of an earlier dispen-
sation, will stand between the Irving and the
dead and stay the plagne of doubt and unbe-
lief.
Rev. j. f. Morrison then made the prayer
of Installation and Rev. j. T. G. Nichols, with
many appropriate remarks gave the right-hand
OF Fellowship. Rev. W. e. Gibbs offered the
concluding prayer, and the pastor pronounced
the Benediction, The last Anthem was from
the Oratorlo of St. Peter
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