The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-10-12
ECUMEN!CAL COUNCIL

euSseh- ixenrsIon to Mount Vernon.
WAsm%GroS, Oct. little fourth
days session OF the Methodist Ecumcn-
ical Council was presided over by Rev.
William Arthur, OF England, who CON
Quoted the devotional exercises.
The regular programme oftho day VIVA
taken up us the subject Tor discussion,
being The Church and %SciGitiiic
Thought" Percy ". Bunting, editor OF
tho Contemporary Rcrietr, had prepared
an essay on ii, but in his absence the
paper was rrad by j.. b. Slack, Of Lon
don.
Mr.. Bunting said that in obGying the
instructions OF the British committee to
write n paper for the conference on the
subject named, rs he did not affect 10
have any training either in science or
theology. lie had loas acquaintance
with either subject than many general
readers, and all he could do was to state
briefly the thoughts on this great sub
jcct which had come to Il casual reader
OF other mems papers bearing on 1t.
When we speak of the influence OF
scientific thought the writer said VIC all
mean the great theory OF evolution
which has chNngcdn not ouly ourthopghts,
but our methods Of thinking, and has
transferred both science and theology
to n new plane. Speaking broadly, the
former system Of ideas was statistical, il
sought to formulate the constitution OF
nature, and man conceived as working
in certain fixed orbits according to GER
tain established rules. The newer sys-
tenn deals with nature, and man con-
ceived and impclled as 4 whole along Il
certain order .oi progress towards n
future end i, is ADMINISTRATIONS.
ceived, not s5 uitlt NTH %liat Is, us
with what is to be. v
In order TO take this view the writer
held it was not necessary 10 adopt 4 par
ticular theory oil the methods, or the
limitations OF evolution. The voiution-
airy may prevail within certain bounds
or may be held universal, absolute, all
explaining. What is important is the
broad view OF Observation-Disclosures
which has given anew MODE oil thought.
\ pain mnn the writer said twas not
enough 10 say that evolution is not
proved, even il proved tits only shown
TO elect certain departments Of naturc?
only extreme men carry it into psyclIol.
ogy and ethics; the outlines OF orthodox
iaitl! are therefore safe and sound. The
modern mind Has so stepped itself in
science us 10 blunt to no SNAIL extent its
spiritual facilities. Agnosticism APP
pears 10 rest upon the idea thatnothing
is to be believed which does not rest on
experiment and induction. The qucs-
ton is not one oil science, but OF philos-
ophy.
Iii be asked, confirmed Mr.. Bunlt
Ing, on what grounds the power Of viii
can be deemed; higher than that OF in
%tc!ligence, it is sound to argue .evolu-
ton itself intends to make us no Judge.
II the faculties OF men have been his
torically Developed i'll orderly success
ion, would it not appear that Il survey
OF this progressive growth that there is
Il real scale oil lower and higher, and in
such a scale do not the governing pow
ers Of consciousness and will stand
higher than those OF mere Intelligence?
l did not know, but suggest the qucs-
ton. . .d0T eSsi ,.~qClitg4N, %
The willtsl q iAs,qt.sN8?.iself to he at
its best in loving anil free submission
to the will OF God and the will OF God
completes the freedom OF the will OF
man By the revelation OF love. Re-
dcmption stands with sin; but as its
operation in human history commences
alter the iall, it is not inconsistent with
evolution indeed. it is distinctly Il grad
uNl process; it constitutes .tlle3history
OF mankinI. CLRgSiA4lp tsle problem
the person1off Christ, theowfitcr asks
how is it consisten; with any doctrine
OF gradual development that any one
specimen OF the race should be unique.
This problem, lie says, also must
be considered unsolved, though 1t
does not seem So lar IRON
solution rs does that OF the fall OF
man. 1nquisitiveness is not necessarily
unnatural. Genius has not been shown
20 be progressive, but the objection to
uniGuencss disappears as soon rs it
recognized, 10 be fuuaMnnntal. II
Christ be hesonoanan;inVital relation
10 the human race, the soul of the uni
verse, then it is in harmony with these
thoughts that he should be the God
ill.'its Nv butSIiit iNN, DIL tllt tllWl en-
preston OF the natural order; the only
bcgotten standing between God and all
created things. This Is the region Of
philosophy. And in the domain Of his
tory does not all research and all de-
v%elopmcnt Of the moral and spiritual
nature but bear testimony 10 the actual
fact OF his transccndnnt greatness.
Rev. DR.. De Wart, OF Toronto, held
that tho great problem confronting the
church WIS the necessity Of ~rccoucilinc
the results OF criticism and Christian
doctrine. The time to settle difficulties
by the use OF g%regtnames had passed.
Rev. Frank BailSrd, OF England, said
that the small! time allotted FOR the
discussion OF this great subject waa an
indication OF disrespect. II any man
did no; believe in science, he lid not
believe in God, had been said before,
but it was cQ,:ally true now. There was
danger OF the Church playing the
ostrich and by hiding IFS head try to
ignore tho things outside. lie did net
believe that nnbelicf was Il matter OF
the heart. He had hai letters from
earnest thoughtful sceptica, that were
rs dull Of longing and desire !og the
truth asSany ever seem.
DR.. Buckley, OF NewSIork, paid \
tribute TO DIR. Bunting's paper, which
showed that religion was now and ever
could be not y matter OF Induction, de-
duction or observation, but OF faith and
heart.
The Council then adjourned in order
to allow the delegates to embark on M
excursion during the afternoon to the
tomb OF Washington at Vt. Vernon.
Ynn Take H;n Ei.tt