New-York tribune., 1875-02-11
SCIENCE AND RELIGION
ND np,ppp,s RECENT BOOK.

uornrvc FAST To THE OLD BELIEFS UNTIL fhhf
1py CIFARIY PROVED TO BE WITHOUT FouNpA-
TON. .. .....f
TO the razor Of The Trtehne.
SIR: DR.. Draper has written popular booR.
His stvle IA a model OF good English. finished orten
eloouent and always transparently clear HIS hisor
co reviews are comprehensive aud, while bis facts are
mara or less familiar TO readers Of history they are
skillfuly marshaled aud made to bear win power
upon the positions which he attempts either 10 deienu
or assa There is general air OF candor and an eE
dent desire 10 be just and true pervadng the WHO'S
honk Tbs is not surprising TO one VINO KNOWS hnu
,oveh as well as does the writer OF this article iua
nr Draper intended TO soften and In n measure pfr
bans hiring TO an end the conflict between religion a"
sclence no one can doubt that he has not cohiou'o
IN his avowed design WILL think, hardly DC maih'aheu
by an attentive reader Of his book.
He mas successfully shown the uniyinS opposition OIL
tho Roman Church. in every age Of its existence, to
scientific investigations he has portrayed In viva per
spectve her persecution OF men OF science, ana tou
forcbly of the might which her influence Tor 1oO years
threw over Europe. This review makes up nearly nan
of he book. The narrative while true and PROFOUNDLY
Interesting is not new. Few intelligent persons out OF
that church will doubt or even attempt to DENY MS
statement Had DR.. Draper stopped hero In his arSu
ment md limited his generaliz atoms to that church anc
10 religion as represented by IT, all would nave oecn
well While his work would have had little that was
srlkngly new 1t would have been useful to the multi
tude Of readers which IL is sure to have But he mas
done moro than this In the sixth chapter and onwards
he extends his generalization and makes II cover ho1
only the Papa but the Protestant Church. and not only
them but Christianity itself He attempts TO prove that
religion that Is ChrStiany-for 30 he uses tho term
religion and in the Of 1t gives uuintentionaly
magnificent tribute Christianity rs II 1t were the re-
l,iop of the world-has always been antaGonstic 10
science He gOes further STILL aud labors to prove tha
the Bible, or at least, all OF II that may nave gearing
on scientific facts, Is wholly untrustworthy ana untrue
In doing this he has essayed work which is as Illogical
as think unsuccessful o. this want OF logical Sc
ouencc Dr. Draper aware, and occasionally, by SEN
tence or two TO desire to make the necessary dis
crnination But the attempt is momentary, and does
not feet the general drift Of his book II bis own con-
scousness seemingly the whole matter Is controversy
not simply between science and religion as represented
by the Roman the Protestant church. or even by
theoogaus but between science aud the Bible as rev.
elation from God The Pope and the Bible are put by
him on the same platform. "whe thus" he says q.
22D "the Protestant churches have insisted on the
ackuo gment OF tie Scriptures the criterion OF
truth. the Catholic has, In our own tunes,
declared the iniainbity OF the Pope. 1t -
LOT for science compose these cOntestinG CLAIMS
Tic whole Bible not simply tue Penateue", Is quietly
pushed aside and another revelation stands or the men
OF science For her the volume OF Inspiration Is tue
Book of Nature which the open scroll is ever spread
forth before the eyes Of every man" n 24 Dr. Draper
has little say OF other parts OF the Bible The feut
teuc course claims the most OF his attention. ana us
rejects it with the utmost freedom OF assertion. WIN
an assumption OF knowledge which is not unusual WIN
the class OF men whom ne represents lie settles the
whole matter of the authenticity of the books in sen
tence or two Thus (p. 2l0-22D: Many good ana well
meaning men have attempted TO reconcile the state
uens OF Genesis with tho discoveries OF science but
Is in vain" He is not unaware OF the Dearing oI ths
upon the great doctrines OF the Bible. lie saws tp 2l9)
She uhe church, taught that there was hrst man.
Who some Elk or eight thousand years ago, was sud-
denly created or called into existence In c0ndion OF
physical and moral perfection and from that condition
he fell But anthropology has shown that human beings
existed far back IN geological time, and In
a savage state but little better than That
of brute" 1t is not, therefore, strange
that he asks the significant question (p 224), what
then2 Suall give up these booksf Does the adms-
SION nat OF the fan IN Eden is legendary
carry with 1t the Of that most solemn and
sacred OF Christian doctrines, the AtOnementP' He
does leave his readers in doubt how TINS question
should be answered since ne endeavos to show
that that great doctrine is only device or Invention OF
human thought in these later centuries, thing that
" originated among the Gnostc heretics" about which
Christianity earliest days knew lttle moth
ing" 20 him the whole Bible stands precisely the
same platform Genesis and be does not hesitate to
set It aside readily whenever science may seem to
demand it, The conflict Is between science and the
Bible and as far Dr. Draper is concerned the question
s settled The book Divine revelation is gone.
perseded by another. a new revelaton-the facts of
nature as discovered and interpreted by the scientists.
To those who believe the Bible revelation
from God there Is little need Of controversy here.
CHRISTIAN people may be supposed 10 have some things
settled and these things they have neither the time
nor the inclination 10 dispute at the call of every man
who chooses to challenge their belief or demand their
defense. with this statement of the scope OF DIR.
10 Uopfh hrphi1
and then to ask, WHAT this science which these peo
pe with such cOnIpacent confidence put against
the Bible and whose authority they ask us 10 reject
tf Science is large word and sweeps a field.
These people usually limit IT, III their discussions it is
represented almost wholly by geology, and by an
generalization, que common with them, this part is
made TO stand for The whole. may eeitimately ask,
What 10 the science OF geology How much OF science
~ iti Indeed can by any accurate use OF language
call it q science-scientia-lt ALI WHAT prominent or
facts demonstrated 10 DC facts and uudis
putcd fellow geOOgsts has this in pos
session. Dr. Draper, with his usual candor aud ineli-
eence. himself, when speaking OF the teachings OF
geology the ags OF the earth, of tho points
Of the system ana the general tone Of part OF hs
book says (p 1889: Though the general postulie OF
the immensity OF geological times may be conceded
such calculations are on too uncertain theoretical
bass furnish incontestable results" Such opinion
would seem to demand more doubtful and modest
cusons than DR.. Draper seems 10 have reached. 1
quote It not show his inconsistency but simply the
opinion OF really scientific the scienha OF
geology With nearly all toeraby educated men
tho writer OF this letter believes IN the general prin
cples OF geology and endeavors 10 keep pace with its
theories aud advances. But the perplextes and
prises which meets cartons AMI astound
ing IT, taken up with other occupations and studies,
he has no, for time "read up on the subject, he sud
denly fluids himself left on one sde and the teachers
whom he Thought he was following off in another
direction and perhaps smiling AT his bewilderment
they chide his ignorance. Oaly few years ago the
doctrine OF internal fire. that the OF the earth Is