Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-10-24
SCIENCE AND RELIGION.

oOAALANNh AMI 1eGIl/lNIlUN.
One Of the most significant feat,,e,
of the scientific conferences at Montrs
al and Philadelphia is the married
change OF feeling respecting religion
The leaders of these associations o ara
with few exceptions, men of profound
religious convictions, and the prevailins
sentiment at each meeting is in symns'
thy with the broadest and most nro.
gressive %utterances of the Christian mi.
pit. The sessions of the British Asso.
citation were attended by a large nun.
Der of English clergymen, some Of
whom took a prominent part in tha
proceedings. The Non-Conformists
were represented by Rev. W. H. DOL
linger, the eloquent Methodist lecturer
and by other distinguished ministers
Father Perry, a Jesuit priest, was one
OF the most learned astronomers pres.
ent, and was listened to with profound
respect whenever he discussed anv
question OF physical science. A week
ago the pulpits in Montreal were ocru.
pied by the preachers of the Associa-
ton, and two religious meetings were
held in the halls where scientific oues.
tons had been earnestly debated during
the week. At n of these assemblies
Sir William Dawson denied, with
most emphatic gesture, that scientific
Investigation was i%rreligious in its ten.
denotes. AT the other a great master
of the microscope met materialists like
Huxley and Tyndall upon their own
ground, and accepted the entire scheme
OF evolution propounded by them and
Darwin as a close approach to funda.
mental truth, argued from their own
confessions and by strictly seize. 1iip
methods OF reasoning that the bepinnI
ings of matter, Of life and of mora COZ
sciousness implied an inevitable neces.
sity for creative impulses of s super.
natural order. In like manner tho SCI
entists' Sunday at Philadelphia gave
characteristic tokens of religious feel.
ing.
Ten years have witnessed a remark.
able change both in the relations Of
science to religion and of religion to
science. The President of the British
Association no longer ventures to as.
sumo, as was once done at Belfast, that
the primordial atoms contain the
promise and the potency of all created
things. He deems it his duty to con.
tradict the hasty assumption that
science is hostile to religion, and to
rebuke the %pretcnsions Of mon Of his
school of thought and habits Of invest.
CATION, who are not content with being
modest truth-seekers, but aim at being
prophets and theologians. Scientific
leaders seem to have become conscious
OF their own limitations and are any
ious to find common ground whereon
they can meet the most liberal and
predetermined thinkers of the Christian
world. In like manner, the tone Of
the pulpit toward the achievements Of
science has changed. The theory Of
evolution is no longer regarded as in
compatible with revealed religion. 1t
is accepted vel by theologians as &C.
cording in spirit with the Genesis re-
cital Of creation, which is an orderly
and progressive scheme of develop
mcnt from the evening to the morning
from darkness to light, from lower 10
higher forms of life and intelligence.
from inferior to superior conditions Oh
existence, with the promise even at the
dawn Of human history Of q second
and spiritual Adam. It is courageous
~ conceded to be an hypothesis whlcs
dignifies the Supreme Architect OF the
universe without d%etracting from hs
wisdom and power. Evolution, tns
pulpit argues, Simply furnishes a more
orderly and progressive series OF ea,
iects; it does not dispense with tne
first great cause. The beginnings u
matter, of life and of moral agene!
are still to be accounted for only ..
tho Intervention of infinite agenct,
outside what is finite in matter, lite anu
man.
Not only is the pulpit evincing les'
timidity in dealing with the advance"
theories OF science, but it is also aooPr
ing abstract methods of reasohlns
which are purely scientific. The ln1,
ologian, who is now fully abreast WI" ,hs
the movement and tendencies OF NV ~;
worlds wisdom, refutcs scientific ef'H
cism by the only methods which /.
willing to consider valid and comp,
tent. Tyndall, Huxley and Darwin a ~.
quoted against themselves; thell
luctant admissions are made the gfouns
OF scientific deductions; and by p,S;
cesses of reasoning appealing. 10 and and
cntiiic minds on abstract princlPles ,o1;a.
apart from theology or revealed ai IN a
ion, the limitations of what's hnile nu
created universe are brought 1os"" an
as demonstrating the necessity a io
infinite first cause. 1t is his eneet IN.
use Of scientific arguments whlch n - y
parting vigor and courage to the li the
trations of the Christian pulpit o.
daS.-N 7. Tribune.