Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-09-18
RELIGION, SCIENCE AND TRUTH.
EDITOR PosT-IkTELLraKScER

EDITOR OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES:
Having noticed an article in the col
umns of your issue of September 4th.
entitled, :" Baptist Barnacles," | beg
leave to make the following comments
| heartily concur with our reverend
friend and brother of the Baptist per-
suasion in his claim. that religion has
done much toward lettering the condi-
ton of mankind. While we are ready
to give all due credit to the great good
that religion has In all ages done, may
there not be dark side to Christianity,
as he says "every sensible man knows
there is to human life"
Let us see. Graves says the early
Christians discouraged the study of
science, and condemned and prosecuted
those who attempted to propagate its
principles, and even put some of them
to death. Copernious was prosecuted
for setting forth principles Of astrono-
my which confiicted with the teachings
Of the Bible Calico was sentenced TO
death, because he taught the rotundity
and revolution of the earth in opposi.
ton to the Bible, which declares :" the
earth has foundations, and cannot be
removed" (Ps., civ. 81 ; and Bruno suf-
fered death for teaching substantially
the same doctrine, and every discoverer
in science was condemned and perse-
cuted. Much was written by the early
fathers in acknowledgement of the in.
compatibility of science with religion
and the teachings of the Bible, and to
warn the pious disciple OF the danger Of
occupying his mind In she investigation
and study of science. Even Easebius,
the popular ecclesiastical writer of the
third century, and one of the most in.
telligent Christians of that age, ae.
knowledged he had contempt for
1.-The useless baubles of the philoso-
piers" We think little Of these
matters, turning our souls 10 the
exercise of better things" And
Lactantius, Christian of the same
century, pronounced the study of phys
ical causes of natural things "empty
and false" And st. Augustine, a shin
ing light of the church." treated with
contempt the notion that the earth is
round, a. trees on the other side would
hang with their tops down, and the men
there would have their feet higher than
their heads" He condemns il as false.
because no such race is recorded In
Scripture among the descendants OF
ADAM" What profound reasoning
Martin Luther says: This false Co
pernious will turn the whole art of
astronomy upside down; but the Scrip
ture teacheth another lesson, when
Joshua commanded the sun 10 stand
still. and not the earth. OF course
Joshua's order for the sun 20 stop
knocks the science of astronomy on the
head, and men have had TO outgrow the
apparent teachings of the Bible before
they could accept the teachings of "a.
tronomy. But in spite of all opposition
science has steadily marched on. and
one cause of its prosperity NAV be ex.
plainabie on the hypothesis of the we'll
known fact that when any measure
meets with opposition, the latent ener
gies OF the mind are awakened, new
thoughts and ideas are generated which
otherwise might have lain dormant for
centuries.
In this way, il in no other, religion
has aided science; and may not Mr.. In
gersoll be doing some good in persecut.
inc Christianity Igo further, and saw
it has already been admitted. Prof.
Swing, in his defense of Christianity
against ln2ersoliism, says: " Besides
rendering unpopular old follies. they
1.-THE Coloners logio) invite new lines of
argument from the clergy, and enable
the pulpit 10 see itself in new and mora
rational light" There are two pictures
of God, says our friend. coming from
the highest authorities Of the Old and
New Testament; first exodus, xxxiy.,
6, u, "And the Lord passed by be-
fore him and proclaimed" ETC.; Visit
ing the iniquity Of the fathers upon the
children, and upon the ehildrenNs chill
drsn to the third and fourth genera
ton The parable of the prodigal
son luke, Nv. Is the second picture.
II 10 true this dual mature Of God is
remarkably Get forth in the Biblical rec.
ords. will now quote few passages of
scripture Exekisl. xviii, !, :. Os . The
word of the Lord came unto me again,
sayine what mean ye that ye uss this |
pf0yeEb concerning the land of Israel, |
saying tbs fathers have eaten sour |
srapxs sni the ehlldren's teeth ere SET |
IN edge ' The son shall not bear the |
lslqsily 0f tbs father. neither shall the /
fatEsr bear the 'nlqulsy Of tbs son the /
Righteousness u the righteous shall be
n1sya him, asd tina wieksdnsaa of the
: ,stsd shall he upon him."
This ssssas W contradict piciare No. l.
estn, Aam, ars, a. and the Letd
.ssa ssss Hseas. lake al the heads of
~ gsggda sud hang them np before tbs
fz,g1 sgsiast The san. that the hsrea
lsess "A s.ss Isfa asst Ls iafnad assay
'fehs tAfs4I,T hssssnd psa.asss-i John.
=, ~ HfIssa u iays,r flfss pietmSs
i1egssssf iseag'i, gsgH,yF "kgw 81 and
shgf3 ksszlss STD sstsfsy destroy n