The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1875-03-04
the glories of limitless and infinite be.

S'ci hdl ueStlny. Mr.. Locke's illus
tratlons Of infinite space and infinite dura
ton are bald and poor in comparison with
the rich and living infnities which we ma :
find in Christ. -
And II inquiry takes the other end Of
the line, and employs itself with the inf.
nlteSsImd, Christianity, so far from check.
iIng' fosters it. The least things as well as
the greatest were made by the One Hand
winch created the animalcule as well as the
archangel. Atoms as well as worlds and
considerations OF systems of worlds are en-.
oraced IN his universal domain. The en-
tomologlst, the comparative anatomist. with
microscope and needle, may 90, with Hux-
ley, to search for protoplasm but he can
never get down so low in his most delicate
manlpulations and even in his most attenu-
eted surmises, but the hand of God is far
lower still, Nay, he never can pierce 50
low but the Incarnate Person of the Son Of
God has been there for he became an EN-.
bryo, and science has never got down lower
than the germinal atom, and has never
reached it except in conjecture.
But Christianity is the promoter of lib
erai culture and inquiry, because
Secon"ly: k IS IN harmony sc.tk all
true Scjexce.
'Sclence is thing known. A conjecture
or hypothesis IS not a science, any more
than conjecture is knowledge Where hy-
pothesls begins science ends. True science
restricts itself to what is known. The
realm Of the unknown may be more and
more explored, and so far as it is the realm
OF science is enlarged These enlargements
OF the empire of science is the true province
OF broad, generous, liberal inquiry; and
the power to make them calls for broad and
liberal culture.
Christianity encourages both the inquiry
and the culture to prosecute it, because ali
these developments Of science will prove in
the strictest harmony with itself, and so
far from antagonizing will confirm it, both
as historic fact and as moral truth.
4 priOrt we must infer that if Christian
lty be true 1t must be in harmony with
science. Truth is always harmonious. 1t
Is unit, symmetrically compacted or
ganism. Milton very sublinely describes
Truth as having been dismembered and the
parts of this beautiful form thrown in all
directions to be put in the different systems
OF morals and philosophy, all of which have
some truth but more error, Just as the
LevIte from Bethlehem, Judah clave in
pieces his concubine and sent parts of her
person all over Isreal the mission Of Chris
tianity is to bring these dismembered parts
together again from the four corners of
bpr-h ky-l-,ol ~, lz1,-
gether in the valley, and the breath of life
is to come again with that resurrection
from as 1t did come when the diving Saviour
rose from the tomb. That living Form Of
Truth is not only the organic structure of
doctrines and morals going to make up re-
vealed religion, but all truth in the broad
est sense and this symmetrical organism
must be in harmony with itself 1t is not
a monstrosity, but as Milton saw it and as
Jesus revealed it, it is beautiful in divinest
perfection Of organization.
And what are the facts ? So far as the
historic accuracy of Christianity is con-
cerned, all the Investigations without cx-
ception, which archaologists have made in
the deciphering Of hieroglpyhics on stones
- NN-NiS- ANl NI4C lCi-ltlS VI ll1tu 0SCI lIS
which throw light either directly or cola
.erially on the sacred word, or in the exca-
Tations Of the ruins of ancient cities, are in !
the most perfect harmony with the bibli- |
eal narratives and confirm their truths in |
even the minutest details. These explora- !
ions are still going on, and Christianity
osters and welcomes them for they will
al tell the same old story. Tischendorf, |
who died the other day brought to light |
he Sinatic manuscript, which proves ex-
valuable Other old archives |
viii be ransacked and fresh voices will come
rom the tomb of the past, Ike angels
Voices from the tomb of our risen Lord, |
lttesting the truth as it is in Jesus. The
pade and pick-ax will be used in Jerusalem
IS Mr.. Layard used them in Nineveh, and
Christianity wants it done, for it will all
)e in the interests and not in the prejudice |
f the historic truth of the Christian reli-
ton.
And SO far as the moral truth Of the
Christian system IS concerned, as every ut
erance in the past has been harmonious
With it and conirmatory of it, SO will it be
!nborn sciences and with the fresh dis
losures Of such as are now feeling their
yays into untried fields of truth.
1t is not disputed that science, falsely 50
allied, stepping out of the limit Of what is
nown and dogmatizing with heated and
-ild coniectured has not hesitated to assail
Astronomy, when the Co
ernican system was announced, was thought
0 antagonize the bible Geology, which is
ut in It's youth, as most youths do, has
ut on airs, as if revelation would have to
-and aside. Many Of what are termed
he positive sciences have been at some
-age Of their development very positive in
sserting that Christianity had more or less
fear from them but as hypothesis in
lem has given place to demonstration, they
ave turned out to be allies and not foes TO
le gospel. And the frequency with which
lese sciences have had to be rewritten, g