The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-07-14

''Their conscience also bearing witness."-
Rom. ii, Is.
The founder of modern critical philcs-
ophy said that two things filed his
soul with awe,-the starry heaven
above, and the moral law Within" In
these days the increasing knowledge of
the universe in which we live has
somewhat strangely diminished the
feeling of awe and reverence which its
contemplation years ago inspired. Why
this should be is rather hard to say.
When, as a matter of fact, every step
in advance shows how more closely re-
lated every fraction is to its neighbor,
and how the whole is bound together
with marvellous links, one would have
thought that the result would have
been quite in an opposite direction.
But the difficulty receives at last par
tial solution in the reflection that men
are ever apt to mistake discrimination
for explanation. Thus, for example,
the simple faith of ancient days was
accustomed to say, of these moral
bodies of ours, "Dust thou art, and in
to dust shalt thou RETURN" and then to
think with reverence of him who could
from such material build up the i'm
perial personality of man.
To-day we speak somewhat different
ly. Instead of writing ''dust'' as that
of which all living things are created,
we have been taught to speak of 'pro-
toplasm." And, although if you have
this physical basis given, you are
yet no nearer the production of life,
still it is true that all life-from that
of the lowliest weed to the highest ami
mails manifested in connection with,
though not as the result of, this proto-
plasm. But what of this? Suppose it
possible to identify all living things In
this common eleme emit, and then to trace
step by step, the wondrous ascent of
living organisms, now marking OF this
as plant and this as animal, this as YER
tebrate, this as invertebrate; and sup
posing we could see in each separate
step the gradual transition of lower
into a higher form;-what then have
we really accomplished? In the scien-
tific interest very much, in the practi-
cal sphere very much; but in the way
of explanation, little indeed. The COM
plexity of the whole process thus
brought to light has only furnished a
vast amount of material in addition to
the initial problem, also requiring solu-
ton.
There is no doubt that the deep in
terest which the study of details and
processes always creates, does, to a
large extent, in ordinary men, give rise
to the mistake that, whilst the details
are being enumerated, the explanation
is also being supplied. 1t is the pecu-
liar function of what is called "philoso-
phy'' to recall mems thoughts, from
time to time, to forgotten aspects Of
the many questions occupying their at
tention. Science in any Of its special
spheres is occupied with the phenom-
email, with the world of appearances;
philosophy reminds men of the per-
manent and real, underlying all.
Science speaks of laws and forces, and
builds its whole structure upon certain
assumptions, the truth of which can
not be established by any demonstra-
ton. These laws and forces are spoken
of in uncritical moments as though
they were huge phantoms in the mid
air. These assumptions are taken for
granted, as the most necessary truths.
But this is all matter of faith. 1t
has sometimes been made matter of
reproach that the Scriptures have in
sisted so often and so earnestly, that
the ''just shall live and walk by faith"
But it would appear, upon closer in
vestigat1on, that, not only do the just,
but also the unjust-they, if they walk
at all, must walk by faith. 1t is the
function of philosophy again and again
to point out how large an amount has
been taken for granted in scientific con-
clusion. 1t asks, too, what is really
meant by law and force? 1t is well to
be reminded that we do not explain
anything by merely giving it a name.
1t is because philosophy has been to a
large extent neglected in England that
the suspicion of an irreconcilable an
tagonism between science and religion
has become confirmed in the minds of
so many. And it would be happy in
deed for our church, and for Christian
ity generally, if some dawning of this
might come into the minds of those in
authority.
But although for reasons such as
these, the ''starry heaven above" the
world of nature around US, has lost
somewhat of its Importance as means
of leading men to God, yet even to-day
the voice of conscience within still as
serts itself, bearing its unsolicited, in
disputable testimony to the eternal dis
tinctions between right and wrong,
and to the existence of the moral COVER