New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-10-01
RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

DR.. CARPENTER on RELIGION AND SCIEECE
A nota.Ie address on "The Influence OF
Science on the Progress of Religious lhought
was given at the recent Unitarian conference
at Saratoga by DR.. William Is. Carpenter tle
English psychologist and former president Vi
the British Association. lew extracts arc
here given. He began by defining science
as the intellectual Interpretation OF ndtuIe do
distinct from the poetic or artistic lnterPreta,
tion. each of which has its own special hcld ana
the first consideration | would Drlng oeiore
Won is the vast extension or our renRIous con-
centions which science has gwen us AZ All
illustration, he showed now tue ntoui"I y,
thesis has gradually become the DeOuial
theory. which "gives Us the conception OF
creation not finished and completed, but OF
one which is ALWAYS going on, which has Oeen
going on since the 'line Wheh theie Was pu'
one diffused tire-mist. 1t gives distinct con-
ception of a beginning, for 1t Is lncOncelNaole
that there should have been an Infinite
existence of matter in any shape except IN a
condit, of perfect hOmogeneousness; ii mus
nerfectly homogeneous, it would have re-
NAMED in the same condition through all
eternity.r Dr. Carpenter then proceeded I'd
show that the unity and continuity OF creation
are now fundamental ideas OF science Inc
universe in all Its parts, ana with All It's vary
ing energies, IS only one great unity. geo,
LOG cal science now I" no longer CONCERNS ltselI
with the great cataclysms which were once
supposed TO interfere with the orderly success
sion of formative processes sweeping OH inc
u
ducing a new series with eacn new group OF
mineral depCsits Geological science Tor
many years has completely adopted tne
principle of continuity, and accepted 1t IN IT'S
fullest entirety. There may have been more
active changes at certain periods than at Others
but there has never been cessation OF change.
The same processes are IN operation aI inc
present time as when the Laurentlan noun
tains were worn down by air and wafer 10
supply the materials of the sedlmcntary strata
at their base.
These facts have a direct bearing on
religious thought in extending our Ideas not
only of the yastness OF creation, nut Oh tne
continuity of creative operation, ana III leau-
inc us to those conceptions OF order ana system
which strangely Ito my mind have lei some
to see in all this the result OF blind necessity
Law he says, is only an expression OF the
uuiformities which science dlscernS IN nature.
Force. OF which the sun Is the physical source
is tue expression OF the phenomena OF nature,
and there is neither beginning nor cessation OF
its action. Une OF the most important OF tne
infiuerces of science on religion has been It's
emancipation from the trammels OF authority
We ali know what these trammes were IN the
Middle Ages. We know 1t was not merely the
Church of Rome with It's dogmata put the
support that the Church gave to the dogmata
of Aristotle that was the great obstacle 10
proyrcss 1t has happened, rather curlOusly,
that this prejudice has been strongest IN
Protestant countries, perhaps stronger In
Great Britain than elsewhere. why GU al
upon the Bible. It was based on the authority
of the Church. The Church undertook the
eyDlanatiOn Of the Bible, or such parts OF IL as
il chose to pronounce upon. But, when Luther
and Calvin and Melancthon undermined the
authority of the Roman Church, they were not
prepared 10 accept perfect freedom of Thought
They felt that they must base their doctrines
on authority; and they fell back upon tle
Bible, and 50, rs Dr. Martlneau mas tOld, the
early Professionalism was as mucn based on an
inf hook Is
Church.
once more would say that one of the most
important influences which science has
exercised and is exercising is the cultivation
OF truth for its own Sake Prove all things,
hold fast that which Is good, Is the motto Oh
ever true scientific man. The readiness 10
confess error has been the characteristic OF all
orr most eminent workers. | remember that
when Professor LieDig was tainted with
mistake he had made, he replied, SHOW me
a man who has made no ml}tdke, ana VIII
show you one who has never worked. Every
man Of genius who has opened no new path
of inquiry has, from the very nature OF things
made mistakes III the early periods of his IN
0uiTles. 1t was inevitable that he should
sometimes go upon wrong track now
can "A new and difficult country be explored,
except by frequent divergence from the
path that subsequent experience may prove
to have been the besti Every man who
serves truth serves God, and the unconscious
servants are often the truest servants or all
| claim that many of my scientific friends
who are earnestly devoted To the cause OF
scientific truth are true servants OF God,
though they may not be consciously serving
him for they are all striving To promote that
ultimate victory Of knowledge over ignorance
of truth over error, OF light over darkness,
which is the greatest work of science. And 1t
will be through the reflection of that light IN
religious thought that the highest influence OF
science will be ultimately exerted, by promct-
ing that victory of good over EVIL, OF right
over wrong, which will constitute the real
millennium of our race
THE FAILURE OF THE ANGLICAN CHURCH.
The phenomenal success of the Salvation Army
in England has provoked an earnest dlscussl0n
of the detects and Deficiencies OF the EstaO-
lished Church as a Outstanding agency. Adj
hitting that the type OF Christianity presented
by the Salvation Army is faulty and crude,
that its leaders are people OF no culture, rehne-
ment or intellectual power, and That Its
methods are sensational. vulgar and Tepulslve
20 intelligent people, the great fact still remains
that il has reached and reclaimed to lie OF
virtue thousands of people whom the Church
OF England not only did not, but could not
reach. This fact Is serious Indictment OF
the Church, which its authorities will have to
notice some day. The best presentation OF the
case is made by The London Spectator IN the
following pointed comments: Explain IL now
we may, the existence and success OF tle oal-
walton Army are not creditable 10 the Church
of England On the one side, we see rell-
giOus organization cO-eXtensve with the cOun-
try, surrounded with all the dignity that comes
from State recognition and support and
wealthy, we imagine, beyond any National
Church now existing i'll Europe. On the
other, we see a voluntary association or persons
not belonging 10 this religious organization,
but at the same time not hostile to it, and able
to say with truth that they have found ample
material to work upon which the Church as 10y
law established cannot pretend to have touched
i'm any way. For the most part, the converts
of the Salvation Army are not men and women
to whom the Church of England has appealed
in yan they are men and women to whom
the Church of England has never appealed at