The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-05-07
THE OLD AND THE NEW.
SCIENCE AGAINST THEoLoGY-LECTURE OF
PROFESSOR FELIX ADLER

SCIENCE AGAINST THEOLoGY-LECTURE or
PROFESSOR FELIX ADLER.
Standard Hall, cornor OF Broadway ana Forty
.ecoud street, was crowded to its utmost capacity
yesterday morning to hear Professor Aders discourse
upon "rhc Old and the New" He said that tho
charge against modern liberalism that II has dared
to proclaim It's sentiments. There is lukewarmness in
all the churches but objects that; there Ia
a failing OF in the attendance OF members among
tho CHRISTIAN Crceds, but nobody murmurs;
rank unbelicf is abroad among Thorn all, yet every
thing Is CLOSED over. A wild and frightul
fable which exists in many lands says that the
dead find rest in their graves and the
weird spectres OF spirit land pass BY young and old
are afrighted to behold Thorn In their hdeous cere
mcnts OF tho tomb. And thus 1t Is with past super
stitions, they dead and buried, but they cannot
rest the grave where the might OF reason and the
hands of science have laid them They stalk about.
the fearful ghosts OF their former solves that
the enlightened portion of the community. knowing
them 10 be what they are, shudder and remble at be
holding them, but denounce them not. Aud yet this
policy OF temporizing with exploded traditions Is un-
worthy Of the modern liberal II is the part OF honos
ty to confess facts they are and OF prudence to
penetrate their consequences.
TESTING THE BBLg.
We are conscious OF entering upon now era and
feel q fresh faith within us. We liberals have pro-
posed In these days theories for mems considcra-
ton, and these progressive ideas are fully sustained
media Those are:--F,rst, the science Of historical
criticism; second, the study OF nature and third the
cism took up the Bible and tried IL by the crucial
test oil tbe purest scholarship OF tho day.
and not In a spirit lacking reverence to 50
venerable a tradition. II was placed by tho
side OF Homer, the Rig vcda, and the Per.
sian account OF Ormuzd, whero it ought 10 be-
long; and this result OF critical investigation every
day more and more generally accepted by those whose
testimony - worth having Tho old Hebrew
tive Of Abraham merely legend; tho Pentateuch.
connected and inconsistent In It's parts while those
great doctrines oil the Ten Comma dmcnis are found
be extant in three separate versions But although
unique value still attaches 10 OF its books, THIS
does not warrant us IN atribung the Bible TO super
natural agencies. Many OF lis well known passages
spurious; and So too, are much OF tho records
nccted with the life OF Jesus TO restore these shat
tered documents is now impossible Even the Sermon
on the Mount Is found scattered in various places
throughout the Hebrew legends. II IS PLAIN that tho
nnaing out OF weak places revealed religion could
not long remain n secret with the learned Tue works
OF Ernest Renan and some other able writer's are now
read everywhere, and are preparing the way Tor
rationalistic religion.
ORTHODOXY AND nErERoDoxY
There was little love lost at any tmo between
science anu theology the orncr was always content
peacefully pursue tho even tenor OF It's way but the
latter would never suffer this inc conflict bctweer
them inevitable Tho crude conceptions OF the
creation. proper to age that lived many centuries
before geology biology were known, as recitcd IN
OF truth were fought Bu, .horS are those who believe
that every word the Bible tho word OF God hence
We had the prosecutions Of Galeo and Copcrncus, tho
burning oil Bruno and others, who were tho Ia
great thoughts.
In religion tho priest stands between the people and
their God. IL Is his privileged duty to bring he wants
OF TO The notice OF the Creator; the agencies Of
prayer ceremonies and pous works arc brought into
requiston. Ii the crops fail or an epidemic visits
the land the priest Is called to pray that these
calamites may pass away just as II his prayer would
have any weight In moving tho DEGREES oil al omnipo
tent God. III the sinners conscience is weighed down
by s load OF niquites the priest steps IN 10 assure
the OF iorcIveness-a thing which Is con-
trary TO all the preccpts OF morality Now, II Is
widely known and generally believed that wo are
mutable laws, hut as this wholesome doctrine spoils
the power OF the priests liberals who entertain them
made odious Indeed, teachers oil the people viii
always be necessary; out the priests who can
bring US salvation anu happiness when tho laws oil
morality and justice condemn US to fatc tho reverse
OF this-pricsis OF this class will DO no longer
necessary. IL Is not wonderful then, that such
works Of transccndent genlusas Newton's 'Princpia
the astonishing deductions vi Lapacc, ana many
other impcrishable monuments OF human progress
should bc loudly condemned by the theloaians. The
Darwinan theory, also another triumph oil Thought
has como IN Tor poodly share OF vtupcration ana
denuncatiop. IL attempts to explain tho progressive
steps by which has arrived ut his present coudi.
tor whether tho first man made Of dust or do.
sccnded from an ape, no was human
and distinguished from all else that went
before him. Ana II Is duty TO display MS little
oil the wolf hyena and tiger our natures as the IN
tellgcEcc enjoyed by us VIII make II possible Here
the lecturer claimed for Darwtnsm that It's principles
at least clear and susceptible OF proof those
OF thcism lie claimed that like all natural sciences,
tho and brightest talents OF age the
side OF science The great trouble OF the day ~ thai
tho hearts ana tho brains oil the people AT war with
each other and the only way to bring about recon-
| citation Is by means OF education.
4