The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-09-17

At2 O'clock the delegates to the confer
ence gathered in the auditorium of the
church for the afternoon exercises. A large
congregation was awaiting the opening Of
the proceedings.
Resolutions in respect to the memory Of
Rev. DR.. F. w. Hedge. the noted scholar. the
ologian and philosopher, were passed While
speaking ON the resolutions DR.. Stebbins
declared DR.. Hedge to have been "a man
above Christianity, religion and Unitarian
ism, devoid of all regard for what Is termed
the politics Of truth and the minor matters OF
religion"
"Literature and the Church in which he
said: THE traditional domain of the
Church has been toward religion and theol-
ogy; no consideration OF literature Las ever
been taken by it. The Church in a general
sense has eve repulsed knowledge and toll
Grated, aye promoted, the air of mystery.
THE preacher and the teacher may close
the horizon about them, but the seer and
poet will be ubiquitous, and will search
everywhere for the bright jewels OF truth.
Any lover of letters must regret the dis
couragng attitude of the evangelical church
to their divine love for such studies.
such organizations among the young
people Of the evangelical churches as The
Kings Daughters and The Christian En-
deavor' have not IN their entire curriculum,
e&JenNlDR over years, slHSle pHaSe Ol III
te.lectual effort 1t is SUPERFICIAL aud not
even deep enough to promote the desire
Tor solid knowledge, let alone grant that
Knowledge
"The Unity Society of our church, on the
contrary, grants all this. 1t promotes the
tastes for study as well as satisfies that de-
sire as it arises. Besides, the society unites
in one band all humanity"
CHURCH AND SCIENCE.
Professor Joseph lie Conte was next called
upon for an address on THE Church-Its
Relation to Scientific Thought" He stated
that so long as the church claimed to dis
pense absolute knowledge it would be sure
to fail. Science will triumph" he said, ''and
every victory of science toward absolute
truth results in the defeat of the church;
but the church merges purer from the de-
feat.
"rhe method of science is the method f
reason, and as such 1t Will ever assault SUI
perstition. 1t rounds out the views of the
world as 1t discovers the similarity in
methods in all causes and effects. The re-
suit so far as the church is concerned is that
at first only the Jew could be saved, then
the Gentle also, and later the whole human
race.
''The conceptions of God have been en-
larged by its reign. AT first God was thought
to be large man acting directly through
nature. 1t was the lowest form OF aDthro-
pomorph ism. That conception eliminated
"
ceived to exist outside, above nature and to
act through nature by method or laws. The
later thought of him is that he is nature
and exists everywhere.
Law itself is but the mode of operation
of the first cause. There are nc secondary
ca uses. All cause is part of the first cause.
All actions are direct like the first action,
aud all effects are similar and part Of the
first effect. All are alike general and spe-
ciaL General by the method of operation,
its law. All is special by direct action"
"What think you of Christ? That is the
test question. | shall tell you what think.
AS all nature reaches its elimination, so did
man. That perfection was found in Christ
He is the perfection of man, the ideal. He
is also our brother. He is son of God, so
are we. The Christ must be human, even
more human than we are; but in the laws
OF evolution we will find the working out of
this difference. He, being more perfect, is
the result Of the operation of evolutionary
laws, ami we all must undergo those laws to
become Christ-lke."
CHURCH AND PHILOSOPHY.
Professor G. III. Howison read an essay
upon "The Church, Its relation to Phil0-
sophie Thought" prefacing by remarking
that he was not Unitarian and never ex-
prcted TO be, hut had come where his words
would be welcomed.
He said: "lf were to tell what / think
10 be the most characteristic phase of mod
ern philosophy | should say that it is TOO
high regard Tor what is termed scientific
research.
Most Of his time was devoted to the
Spencerian philosophy, or "agnosticism," as
it is called, and in refuting the points made
by Professor lie Conte's essay. He con-
Guided by declaring his allegiance to God
whose thoughts are not to be ete!nally hid
den from his children. and declared that he
would rather be a lump Of clay. doomed to