Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1876-05-12
Religion and Science.

In card denying the report that lie con-
templates accepting the astronomical chair
in an English University, Professor Proc
tor says: ut seems impossible for many
10 distinguish between religion and dog
mas which long habit has taught them to
associate with religion. Two hundred
years ago men were thought TO he defend
ers OF the faith who taught that 1t was es-
sential for Christians 10 believe in the fix
ity and central position of the earth, but
such teachers wrought incalculable mis-
chief 10 the cause for which they were so
jealous. In our own time a similar mis-
take is being made by persons who sup
pose that thereby they are serving religion.
Their intentions may 0e excellent, but they
are In truth the worst enemies of religion.
He who teaches men 10 believe that certain
scientific viows, which are all the time
gaining ground, are incompatible with par
ticular religious doctrines, helps 10 make it
certain that those doctrines will, before
long, be widely discredited." A great
many very excellent and intelligent peo-
pie are troubled in mind, lest the revela-
tions OF modern scientific research will
have the tendency 10 weaken the faith of
mankind in the more ancient revelations
of the Old Testament as regards the crea-
ton OF the world and the origin of the hu-
man race. They dread 10 think of the con-
sequences that must ensue il the facts of
science should be generally accepted, as
disproving the statements in Genesis, that
God made the world in six days, that
Adam was created in an instant of time
out Of the dust Of the ground, and that his
wife came into being afterward, having
been fashioned out of one OF his ribs while
he was asleep. We believe all these dis
quieting thoughts arise from the fact that
so many confound theology with religion,
and mistake one for the other. Less than
two centuries ago thoughtful man, of an
investigating turn of mind, made the great
discovery that all the movements of the
heavenly bodies-planets, suns and worlds
that compose what we call the universe
were controlled by positive law, and that
the law was always operative, that ii had
been operative from the beginning and
must continue to be forever. The theory
was far in advance of all the wisdom of the
age and of all the ages that had passed.
There was not the slightest hint of it be-
tween the lids of the Bible. The specially
inspired nen-priests and prophets, who
had lived and died before Sir Isaac New
ton was born, had no conception of "the
reason why" the earth maintained itselfin
space, or by what agency the movements
of the heavenly bodies we're controlled
but that philosophers demonstrations
were so accurate and so absolute, at the
same time so simple, that persons endowed
with the gift of reason could not doubt.
After while the truth found almost uni
versal acceptaiion, and 1t is to-day the very
foundation of every system of philosophy
which helps TO explain the mysteries OF
creation, and 10 bring man into nearer
communication with his Creator. The dis
covery of the law of gravialion no doubt
was very damaging to the dogmatlsm that
insists that everything is so, because every
body says so, but ii has furnished the
strongest argument TO strengthen the faith
| of mankind in the existence of Great
| First Cause; and SO IL will ever be. The
same beneficent results are sure TO follow
from the discovery OF every new truth, and
the more such men as Proctor, Darwin,
Huxley and Spencer investigate the hidden
mysteries of creation, and of animal and
spiritual life, so much the more will the
cause of true religion be strengthened and
encouraged, and The scepticlsm that is born
of an intelligent contempt of unreasoning
| dogmas will be superseded by a more sub
| goodness of an All-wise CreatoT.-BOStOn
| Herald,