The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1885-05-29
science and theology,

ger, on ana MCrl6FH
Thought" in The Century for Missy,
we quote as follows: when chemiS
try put the KEY of the physical uni
verse into the hand of science, it was
we'll enough to give up a century to the
dazzling picture it revealed. A oen-
tury of concentrated and universal
gaze at the world out of whose dust
we are made, and whose forces play in
the thTobs of our hearts, is not 700
much; but after having sat so long be-
fore the brilliant play of elemental
flames, and seen ourselves reduced to
simple gas and force under laws for
whose strength adamant is no measure.
we have become a little FESTIVE and take
up again the old questions. Science
has not explained us to ourselves, nor
cnmpassed us in It's retort, nor
measured us in its law OF continuity.
You have shown me of what l am
made, how put together, and linked
my action to the invariable energy of
the universe; now tell me what l am;
explain to my consciousness, will,
thought, desire, love, v~eneration. /
confess myself to be all you say, but /
hnOW Ill SClL W 10 IiOiOs ICht ~ HAsAA
that more is. Science, in it's early and
wisely narrow sense, could not respond
to these demands. But it has enlarged
its vocation under two impulses. Ii
has pushed its researches until it has
reached verges beyond which it can
not 90, yet sees forces and phenomena
that it cannot explain or even speak OF
without using the nomenclature of
metaphysics. In q recent able work
of science the word spirit is adopted
Inro the scientific vocabulary. Again,
physical science has yielded to the
necessity of allaying itself with other
demonstrating itself on their bor-
ders. Chemistry led up to biology,
and thisin turn to psychology, and so
on to sociology and history and re-
ligion, and even to metaphysics, whose
tools it had used with some disdain of
their source. In short, it is found that
there is no such thing as a specific
science, but that all sciences are parts
of one universal science. The broad
studies of Darwin and Herbert Spen-
Ger have done much toward establish
ing this conviction, which has brought
about what may be called a comfy of
the sciences, or an era of good feeling.
The chemist sits down by a metaphy-
stefan and says, Tell me what you
know about consciousness; and the
theologian listens eagerly to the story
of evolution. Unless we greatly mis-
read the temper of recent science, it
is ready to pass over certain pheno-
mena it has discovered and questions
it has raised to theology. And with
more confidence we may assert that
theology is parting with the conceit II
had assumed as squeen of the sciences,
and-clothing itself with its proper
humility-is ready to accept a report
from any who can aid it IN its exalted
studies.
This comfy between the sciences, OF
rather necessary correlation, not only
leads Il good feeling and mutual re.
speet, but insures q recognition oi
each others conclusions. Whatever
is true in one must be true in all,
Whatever is necessary to the perfection
of one cannot be ruled out of another.
That which is true in mans spiritual
life must be true in his social life; and
whatever is true in social life must MOI
contradict anything in his physica
life. We might reverse this, and say
that no true Psychologist will define
the physical man SO as to exclude thu
social man; nor will he so define III,
social and political mar as to shut on
the spiritual man; nor will he so de
fine the common humanity as to ex
clude personality. He will leave /;
margin for other sciences whose claim
are as valid as those of his own. Ii
for example, Immortality is a neces
sary coordinate of mans moral nature
Ian evident part of its content, 18th
chemist and Psychologist will not Sc
it aside because they find no report 0
it in their fields. If it is a part of spir
itual and moral science, it cannot b,
rejected because it is not found in ply
steal science. So much, at least. ma
been gained by the new comfy In tn
sciences,-that opinions are respected
and questions that belong to other de
partments are relegated 10 them in
scientific spirit.