New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-10-11
THE CHURCH AND SCIENCE
DISCUSSION BY THE ECUMENCAL METHODIST
COUNCIL.
PERCY w. BUNTING. OF THE CONTEMPORARY
REVIEW" ON EvoLUuoY-THE ATTITUDE


REVIEW" ON EvoLUuoN-THE ATTITUDE
OF RELIGION TOWARD UYBELIEF.
Washington, oct 1O-The fourth days session OF
the Methodist Ecumenical Council was presided over
by the Rev. DR.. William Arthur, Of England. through
secretary King, the Committee ON Business reported
several resolutions and memorials which we're held for
consideration. The regular programme of the day was
then taken up the subject for discussion being Tie
Church and scientific Thought The first essay was
one prepared by Percy W.. Bunting, Editor OF "Thc
Contemporary Review entitled "Tle influence OF
Modern scientific Progress on Religious ThoughU' In
Mr. Bunting's absence the paper was read by j. b.
Black OF London Mr.. Bunting said that all ne oouio
do was to state briefly the thoughts ON this great SUP
ect which had come to casual reader oil other he'
papers bearing on IT, When speak OF the innuehce
Of scientific thought the writer said we all mean inc
great theory OF evolution which has changed not ohs
our thoughts but methods OF thinhihe' anu "a'
transferred both science and theology to rev plane
speaking broadly the former system ~ IDEAS was S'
tstlcal, it sought to formulate the CONSTITUTION -
nature and man conceived as working In certain hneu
orbits according to certain established ruies' i"o
newer system deals with nature and man conceived anu
mpecd as q whole along certain order OF progress w
ward future end; 1t is dynamca and Is concer'ieu
not so much with what is. as with what Is u po "
all the turmoil and all the perpexty, wha' INC re
Hgous man seeks is foundation on when ii.i
the extreme view of the range and sweep OF evolution
to turn out in the progress Of thought TO DO true'
SUPPOSE IL to be universal method the master Key
of nature. Where then the foundations OF the
Christian faith
II has been discovered that evolution itself postu-
laes something out Of which 1t evolves other tngs'
and also an evolving force At all events science mas
nothing say against it, 1t does not appear W INC,
he saws again. that the voice of science is In favor OF
OF God Tha
intuition of the heart. The mind and heart both resent
permanent chaos and desolation. Gods moral CHAR
acter is TO be learned from His moral creatures from
the characters He has made not from HIS stones veg
etabe and beasts On the wohle the question OF the
Fatherhood OF God seeks and receive little or no
light from any part of His creation. short OF man.
on the moral nature and immortality Of man, SCI
ence again has so little to teach. that its modern
developments leave the matter much where they found
IT, The belief in immortality rests ultimately on the
belief in the Fatherhood Of God. The modern mind
has so stepped itself In science to blunt to small
extent, its spiritual faculties. Aenostlcism appears
TO rest upon the idea that nothing Is 20 be beeved
which does not rest upon experiment and induction.
The question is not of science, but OF philosophy
II the faculties of men have been historically de-
veIoped would 1t not appear that there Is real
scale of lower and higher and In such scale 10 hoe
the governing powers Of consciousness, and Will stand
higher than those Of intelligence Treating OF the
spiritual history of man. the writer says: In this
view mankind have come into the world by gradual
process developed out of creatures nfra-huInan.
Where is the difficulty in accepting the same view
for the race? In facc the evolutionary theory OF re-
gion is I'm strict accordance with much that we are
accustomed to believe Evolution throws the whole
history into natural perspective.
Redemption stands with sin; but its operation
in human history began after the fall 1t Is rot
inconsistent with evolution, indeed IT IS distinctly
hfr4n of maj
II Christ be the one man, in vital relation with the
human race the soul of the universe, then 1t Is In
harmony with these thoughts that he should be the
Goldman; not outside law, but the hnal expression
Of the natural order; the only begotten standing De-
tween God and all created things. The evolution
theory gives boundess scope to faith ard hope
1t does not yet appear what we snail De.
The race Of men may lose its physical basis by SLOW
decline OF heat or as the Bible seems to predict, by
catastrophe but its spiritual history would not there
fore come to an end. The last things, like the hrst
are very dlmly revealed to u.s. Scienuhc evolution
also Is silent as 10 It's own beginning and end. This
everlasting evolution stands with the reality and i'm
mortality of God and man, the primary and necessary
truths of our consciousness and our experience.
The Rev. Dr. Milton s. Terry, Of Evanston, Ill.,
smoke on the attitude Of the Church toward the various
nhases of unbelief He said that unbelief was not
the offspring Of the difficulties Of religion but OF the
perverse tendencies of the heart OF man. IL was
not the result OF scientific research but OF lack OF
moral training. The Church Transcribed its limits
when il undertook to solve the doubts OF the scepu
Let her proclaim the truth OF God TO men ana leave
scientists to fight their own battles
The Rev. W. T. Dawson, of England tutor In
BIbcal literature and excgess in Richmond (England)
College Wesleyan Methodist Church. followed In an
address on the subject Of the Bible and modern c1t-
csm Biblical criticism, he said, is now science.
The text the date, the authorship, the style, the
hook incl
hearing upon historical and scientific subjects. so far
nc the Bibe touches upon hese-a these are legiti-
mate subjects for inquiry and the examination into
them so minute, so careful, elaborate and so CON-
that it has been enacted into science
Little or no difficulty difference OF opinion
arises with regard to great division OF BIBLICAL
criticism-that known lower or te1tuai criuclsn'
The process of ascertainnS accurately and scenuncy
the precise original text is difficult and complex. IN
the New Testament the methods to be adopted and the
results thus reached accepted by scholars with
fairly general consent. IN tho case OF the oh Iest
ment however, much less progress has been maze
Many circumstances retard the investigation, ana,
whether we like it not, 1t must be confessed tat ao
present the critical value OF the traditional text
remains to be determined. But 10 was otherwise Win
higher criticism where the attacks on Christian BELIEF
were boder But agreement steadily growing,
and taking the difficulties into consideration 1t must
be admitted that the higher criticism, especially his
torlcal now,approached science and its results must
be frankly met by the preacher The work Oh Goa
could not be touched the criticism affected only the
means Of its transmission through human hands. The
Church should beware OF setting its face resolutely
against scientific Christian criticism. 1t must not
take up position that might soon ploVe untenable.
The Rev. DR.. Dcwart, Of Toronto, held that the
great problem confronting the Church the neces
ty of reconcing the results Of criticism and Christian
doctrine The Rev. Frank Ballard, of England, said
that the small time allotted for the discussion OF this
great subject was an indication OF dsrespec II any
man did not believe in science he did not believe In
God had been said before but it was equally true now
Dr. Buckley OF York, said that science could give
no help as to the fundamental questions of religion
Christianity was false the widest superstition
unless the birth of Christ the result Of the divine