Smyrna times., 1884-09-17
Science and RELIGION.

One Of the most significant features |
of the scientific conferences at Montre- |
al and Philadelphia is the marked |
change of feeling respecting religion.
The leaders of these associations, with |
few exceptions, are men of profound |
religious convictions, and the prevail |
ing sentiment at each meeting is in |
sympathy with the broadcast and most !
progressive utterance Of the Christian
pulpit. The sessions of the British
Association were attended by a large
number of English clergymen, some of
whom took prominent part i'll the
proceedings. The Non -Conformists
were represented by the Rev. w. II.
Dollinger, the eloquent Methodist lee
turer, and by other distinguished min
listers. Father Perry, Il Jesuit priest,
was one of the most learned astrOnO-
mers present, and was listened to with
profound respect whenever he discuss
ed any question of physical science. A
week ago to-day the pulpits in Mon
treal were occupied by the preachers
of the Association, and two religious
meetings were held in the halls where
scientific questions had been earnestly
debated during the week. At one of
these assemblies Sir VIM. Dawson de-
MED, a most emphatic gesture, that sci
entific investigation was irreligiOus in
its tendencies. At the other a great
master of the microscope met materi-
alists like Huxley and Tyndall upon
their own ground, and accepting the
entire scheme of evolution prOpOunded
by them and Darwin as a close APP
1 ! 1
from their own confessions and by
strictly scientific methods of reasoning
that the beginnings of matter, of life
and of moral consciousness implied an
inevitable necessity for creative i'm
pulses of a supernatural order In like
manner the scientists Sunday at Phila-
delphia will give characteristics of re-
| ligiOus feeling.
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 pro-
mise and the potency eff all created
| things. He deems it his duty to con-
/ tradict the nasty assumption that sci
ence is hostile to religion and to re-
! buke the pretensiOns of men of his
school of thought and habits of inves-
/ tigation, who are not content with be-
ing modest truth-seekers, but aim at
being prophets and theolOgians. Sci
entific leaders seem to have become
conscious of their own limitations and
are anxious to find common ground
| whereOn they can meet the most liber-
al and brOad-minded thinkers of the
Christian world. In like manner, the
tone of the pulpit toward the achieve
ments of science have changed. The
theory of evolution is no longer re-
garded as incompatible with revealed
religion. 1t is accepted even by theo-
logians as according in spirit with the
Genesis recital of creation, with an or
derly and progressive scheme of devel-
Opment from the evening to the morn
ing, from darkness to light, from lower
to higher forms of life and intelligence
from inferior to superior conditions OF
existence, with the promise, even al
the dawn of human history of q second
and spiritual Adam. 1t is courageous.
ly conceded to be an hypothesis, which
dignifes the Supreme Architect of the
universe without detracting from hi:
wisdom and power. Evolution, the
pulpit argues, simply furnishes a more
orderly and progressive series of effects
it does not dispense with the first grea
cause. The beginnings. of matter, o
life and of moral agency are still to b,
accounted for only by the Intervention
of infinite agencies outside of what i
finite in matter, life and man.
Not only is the pulpit evincing les
timidity in dealing with the advanced
theories of science, but it is also adopt
ing abstract methods of reasoning
which are purely scientific. The thee
logian, who is now fully abreast wit
the movement and tendencies of tn
worlds wisdom, refutes scientific crit
! .cism by the only methods which it
! willing to consider valid and compC
tent. Tyndall, Huxley and Darwi
I are quoted against themselves; thei
! reluctant admissions are made tn
> ground of scientific deductions; an
by processes of reasoning appealing
scientific minds on abstract principle
4 and apart from theology or reveale
I religion, the limitations of what is finit
u in a created universe are brought fol
> ward as demonstrating the necessit
: for an infinite first cause. It is this e
" fective use of scientific argument
y which is imparting vigor and courae
!. to the ministratiOns of the Christia
y y pulpit of the day.-N Y. Tribune.
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