Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-04-13

The Relations o. Natural Science aao
Religion Spencer 5 PHILOSOPHY.

Reilzion Spencer PHILOSOPHY.
aes r H. hexfsnd. ~ ~ " Detfsia ne
laraa.i fr',ll Chieago Satardag. .hither be
.sut u c0lagaas ellh Rss Ar. flaarez
safiy u the s.ek ~ 4iten ths Lnlses-all=t
s. lllstsrs lasatals. Dr. hszford came -
ms elts for ras parIo-s of SLING tae tnlFer-
sallst cilarcn aDIoluta.ellis yesterday -a4en
o. ass u tle great -.lt4-fsctiol 4ld leilsni -
ths e.n.g .gregalIo8. af.d be sll rslsEI 4, tnl-
eas8 l8-.iay ald attend he reiaa-l-lsf ~ lie
Institute. Hearing shat q soule@lsf hFeig
.isaclssi0l had aFLsel a. tae Cll.sa.sg l4eeiias
ba13ee4 Rev Dr AsrrIasia. " iLA-
asls. aAd De- asaford. zLsGaaA felorteI
taok occasion ~ intsryle~ the latter geatie-
ual gssts rGag. 4Asn The foll0~lng intsrezi-
"a, facls zefs cleaned
There are some nfty 0r slxty tnlversallst
clarzs msn IL attenlanee agou tna meetings
~ lhe mssitate. fhcss represent one,
Michizzn. Illinois. io~a. Wisconsin and
Nebraska, and Lne meetings are hsid ia -.
Paul. chuTch. The institute Opeued llst
tuesday morning for ten days study oT
professional problems. carefully prepared
program. iaciEsilng Tapers GA 4 great variety
Of bieets Vac closely followed ~ % >atur-
dag. Ia the progress Of which there Was
much sharp and spirited, though en-
urely good -natuFed discussion Perhaps
the most exciting debate vas elected b a
payer read On Wednesday oy Kew Dr.
Merrined. Ut Illinois, on The Relations
of Natural Science aud Religion. ine
F.lr ffa.a
word, Natural, asserting that All science
Nas natural, and there can be no unnatural or
supsrnatural science. Or Mrrrineld argued
that religion il part OF -clence. and l. a.
natural ~ humanity-as natural IN the
economy Of the world, a. any other fact OF
phenomenon. he Ignored the supernatural,
and regarded the wosd a. misleading and
peruieious-
Rev Drs. Ryder and Hanson, of Chicago,
dissented from the paper IN some respects.
while Il VA manifest that a large majority
Of the ministers present eoineided with the
sentiments of the paper read. rejecting the
traditional ideas, al least, concerning super
natarali-In and religion. Ia the course OF
an animated speech, Rev. Dr. Ryder charged
that Herbert Spencer philosophy was ma
teriali-tic, and characterized him a. a
crank" in the realm OF philosophy and
religious ideas. Your obedient servant
defended Spencer against tie charge of
being materialistic and asked DR.. Ryder to
name the book IN which Spencer teaches
what va charged and then reminded tie
brethren that u was quite surprising 70 Tear
a Cniversalist minister call man crank"
whose industry no less a man than Prof.
John sish had ranked with the work Of
Aristotle and Newton, and differing from
them IN the circumstance of greater scope.
Attention Was called % the emphatic posi-
ton taken On the side Of theism by Mr.
Spencer IN hi- reply 10 Frederick Harrison.
a. published IN me August number OF the
Popular Scisisce Monthly Of lSSl. and quot
ed Prot. Fish's express statement that no
where in his philosophy does Mr.. Spencer
undertake to evolve mind from matter
The discussion was renewed on Thursday.
Or. Ryder appearing in the morning with a
round armfG OF books. he read numerous
passages, bat the general verdict Was that
the charge Of materialism was not sustained.
Then We quoted IN reply the expressions Of
Spencer in his criticism of Harrison, where
In he set forth his thought of a higher
power" an infinite and eternal energy
from which all things process" and re-
minded DR.. Ryder that Mr. Spencer said 70
Mr. Harrison that the above clause. "a orr
ginally written. was: 4" An infinite and eter-
nal energy which creates and sustains all
things and that Mr.. Spencer also said that
he modified II. not because 1t expressed more
than he meant but for the reason that he
feared it might be perverted. Rev. Mr..
Fluhrer, of this city, submitted passage
from Mr.. Spencer's work on Psychology.
opposed 20 the materialistic accusation and
Rev. Mr.. Adams, saccessOr of DR.. Ryder a.
pastor Of -. Psul's Church. said n the dis
cussion that he regretted to see his dis
tinguished predecessor Occ upying an in
defsnsible position.
The discussion consumed half lay near
ly. and the fact became very prominent that
a majority Of the Uaiversalist ministers Of
the West are strongly but reversntIy ration
alistic in these interpretations, looking upon
Christianity A. the most ratiOnali-tIc expires
sion Of the religious sentiment or instinct 0i
humanity the world possesses