The Red Cloud chief., 1884-10-10
Sunday.Sshool Lessons.
rnrrTn
RELIGION AND SCIENCE.

RELIGION AND StlENtE.
One Of the most significant features
OF the scent liz conferences II Montre-
FL and Philadelphia is the marked
change Of feeling respecting religion.
The leaders Of these associations are.
with few exceptions. men oil profound
religious convictions, and thu prevailing
sentiment AT each meeting Is in sympa-
thv with the broadc>t and most pro
gressiyc utteranccs of the Christian pull
pit. The sessions OF the British A>so-
citation were attended by a large mum
Der OF English clergvmcn, some OF
whom took q prominent part III the
proceedings. The Non-'On.ormists
were represented by Rev. W. III. Dol
lingcr, the eloquent Methodist lecturer.
and by other distinguished ministers.
Father Perry, n Jesuit priest. was one
Of the most learned pres
cnt. and Wa listened to with profound
respect whenever he discussed any
question of physical science. A week
ago the pulpi:S in Montreal were oc IL
ped by the preachers of the Associa-
ton. and two religious meetings Were
held in the halls where scientific ques-
tons had been earnestly debated during
the week. At one of these assemblies
Sir William Dawson denied. with "A
most emphatic gesture, that scientific
investigation was irreligious in it, ten
denotes. AT the other a great master
of the microscope met m~aierialIsts like
Huxley and Tyndall upon their own
ground. and accepted the entire scheme
of evolution ~propounded by them and
Darwin a a close approach To funda-
mental truth, argued from their own
confessions and 5y strictly seize: tile
met obs OF reasoning that the begin
I ings o matte, o. life ami Of moral ON
sciousncss implied an inevitable neccs-
sity for creative impulses of q super
natural order. In ike manner the sci
entists' Sunday at Philadelphia gave
cha acteristic tokens of religious ieel-
ing.
Ten wears have witnessed 4 rcmarL-
able change both in the relations u;
science 10 religion and of religion to
science. The President of the British
Association no longer ventures TO as
sumo, rs was on. done N Belfast. that
the primordial atoms Conta the
promise and the potency OF all created
things. He deems il his duty to on
trad;ct the hasty assumption tina.
science is hostile to relig on. and &c
rebuke the p%retcnSions of men Of his
school of thought and habits of invest
CAT On. who are not content with being
modest truth-Seekers. but aim NJ being
prophets and thcologians. Scientific
leaders seem to have become conscious
of their own limitations aud are INK
inu> TO find common ground wacTcon
they can meet the most liberal and
broad-miuded thinkers Of the Christian
world. In like manner. the tone Of
the pulpit toward the achievements of
science has changed. The theory D.
evolution Is no longer regarded as in
compatible with revealed religion. IL
Is accepted ven by thcologians rs a.
cording in spirit with the Genesis re-
cital Of creation, which is an ORDERLY
AMI progressive scheme OF develop
ment from the evening to the morning.
from darkness To light, from lower to
h gher form, of life and intelligence.
from Interior 10 superior conditions of
existence. with the promise even al the
dawn of human history of 4 second
AM spiritual Adam. Il is Courageous
~ o edcd TO he IN hypothesis. which
diyn,iieS the Supreme Arch tcct OF the
universe without detracting from His
wisdom and power. Evolution. the
| pulpit argues. Simply furnishes a more
orderly and progressive series or e.
tects; it does hot dispense with the
first great cause. The beginnings of
mater. % life and of moral agency
are still 10 be accounted for Only by
the intervention of infinite agencies
outside what Is finite in matter, life and
man.
: Not only is TIE pulpit evincing less
timidity in dealing with the advanced
theories OF SC ence. but it is also adopt
ing abstract methods OF reasoning
which are purely scientific. The the
ol"g;an. WHO i, now fgily abreast with
the movement and tendencies of the
world wisdom, ~rcfutes scientific cTiti-
cism By the only methods winch il is
willing 20 consider valid and comp
tent, Tynial!. Huxley and Darwin are
quoted against themselves: their re-
lGciaR: admiss ems are made the ground
@ scientific deductions; and by pro-
ccS>eS of reasoning appealing To sci
cutiiic minds on abstract principles and
apart rom theology or revealed reiig-.
ion. the limitations % VIVA; - finite in Z
created universe are brought forward
- demonstrating the necessity for IT
infinite first cause. Ii Is this elective
us n. scientific arguments when Is i'm
parting vsor AID courage 10 the minis
,~ra;ionS OF the Christian pulpit U. the
day. J.. IFljanc.