National Republican., 1876-01-27
SCIENCE AND RELIGION.
A Debate IN a Celored: Church in South
Washington.

The colored religious community OF South
Washington, It seems, for several days past has
been considerably excited and put in a state of
efervescence by reason OF o statement made by
Mr.. ]. d. Baltimore in an address to Sunday
school, to the effect that the words sin the BEGIN
ming" in the first verse of Genesis, did not def
niteiy fix the age of the world; so DR.. J. L. N.
Bowen, one Mr.. Commodore and VIM. q. CostIn,
after due notice given, appeared Tuesday even
ing in Zion Wesley church, d street southwest,
to meet and take issue with Mr.. Baltimore and
those scientists who believe that true science har-
monies with the Biblical account of creation.
The novelty of the debate, as we'll as the inter.
est cccasioned by the pItting of a well-known
District politician against an unassuming ma.
chinist, who gained his first notoriety by his exc
cution several years ago, with few simple tools,
a complete steam engine, now in the museum OF
Howard University, drew O large house and in
sured an attentive audience.
Mr.. Baltimore, though admitting Divine
agency. presented the generally.accepted scien-
tic idea OF creation, fortiiying his statements by
aPls and BY producing several
Bible was intended for the purpose OF revelation,
and not for scientific instruction, be said. Re-
lgion should feel stronger that science in her re-
searches is proving from the works Of nature that
the Word and Gods works are in perfect har-
mony. She should not brand as inhdels, atheists
and irreligious those who are endeavoring to give
additional reasons for belief In God from the law
order and design manifest everywhere in nature.
Dr. Bowen, IN reply TO the facts presented,
made an appeal rather than an argument. His
address was little more than the usual protest
made in the name of the Church against construc-
tions not in harmony with our previous ideas, but
yet not destructive to the spirit Of ChristIanIty
or ofrevelation.
Tho Doctor mad the advantage over his op-
ponent, and although he (the Doctor) did not
succeed in showing tnat the world is but 6,OOO
years OLD, he had the audience with hin. Mon
could take wood and bury 1t in the beds OF streams
and in few years they have bones but take the
bone TO scientitc men and they will tell you how
many millions of years It has been in fermenta-
tion. An excavation is made and the petrihed
body Of man, buried for q score or moro Of years.
is exhumed, and these men put on their spec!acles
apply their microscopes and revel in the idea OF
having a great geological treasure" Such re.
marks as these brought down the house.
The Doctor was not very fortunate in his cita-
tions from Adam Clarke, Buck and Wood. They
are about as good authority against the scientific
facts of the day as the bulls Of the Church we're
against the discoveries Of Copernicus or Galleo.
The 9th, T disputants very wisely decided no: to
prolong the discussion. The judges, twelve in
number, brought in verdict Of nine to three that
scierce does conflict with religion, and that the
first verse Of Genesis does definitely fix the period
OF creation. Let "the world and the rest Of man.
kind" take warning!