The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-10-10
i'rogf css Of Religious Thought.

Rev. DR.. Carpenter made notable nd
dress on "rho Progress Of Religious
Thought" at the recent Unitarian onier.
ence at Saratoga. Speaking Of the "vas.
extension OF onr religious conceptions
which science has given lis" he instanced
the ''nebular theory" and said that it had
given us the conception Of creation not
completed, but constantly going on. 1T
gives distinct conception OF a beginning,
for it is uncomfortable that there should
have been an infinite existence OF matter
in any shape except in IL condition Of per.
feet homogeneousness. II unexpectedly
homogeneous, it would haverenlaincd in the
salnecondition through all eternity" Not.
ing TINT the unity and continuity OF crca
ton are now fundamental ideas OF science,
that geology shows the SAME process 10 be
in operation now MS when the Laurentian
mountains were worn down by air and
water to supply the materials Of the sedi.
mentary STRATA ut their basc. DR.. Carpen.
ter said "These facts Of science have Il di.
rect bearing on religious thought In extend.
ing our ideas not only OF the vastness OF
creation, but OF the continuity Of creative
operation, and in leading lis to those con.
ceptions Of order and system which
strangely Ito my mind), haye led some tc
see in NIL this the result OF blind necessity
Law is only m expression OF the uniiormi.
ties which science discerns in nature
Force, OF, which the sun is the
physical source, is tho expression
Of tho phenomena Of nature, and there
is neither beginning nor cessation o.
its action. One Of the most important O.
the influences OF science on religion has
been lis emancipation from the trammel:
Of authority" In conclusion he said
Once more, I would cay that ono OF tn,
most important influences which scienc,
has exercised and is exercising is the cul
livation OF trutl, for its own sake. "Prov,
all things, hold fast that which is good" i
the motto of every scientific man.. TIL
readlncs' 10 confess error has been tn
characteristic OF all our most eminen
workers. l remember that when Prot
Liebig was tainted with mistake he hat
made, he replied, "show me man VIII,
has made no mistake, and will show 70,
one who has never worked" Every man o
genius who has opened up new path O
inquiry has, from the very nature o
things, made mistakes in the early period!
OF his inquiries. It was inevitable that he
should sometimes 20 upon n wrong track
How can a new and difficult country be
explored, except by frequent divergence
from the path that subsequent experience
may prove to have been the best;
Every man who serves truth serves God
and the unconscious servants are often
the truest servants Of all," I claim that
many Of my scientific friends who arc
earnestly devoted 10 the cause oil
scientific truth arc true servants OF God
though they may not be consciously scrv.
ing him; for they arcall 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 it will be through the renec.
ton Of that light in religious thought thu,
the highest influence OF science will be
ultimately exerted, by promoting that vic,
tory OF good over evil, Of right over wrong
which will constitute the real millennium
oil our race. .I.lsy Al IL 4 lf2zaI2 10 " =,