The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-12-04

/ race there came a time when this belief
/ was to receive a severe shock. It was TO
/ come from the Japhetic race, and
! especially from the Greeks, the fathers
/ OF science and prOfane learning. Having
/ themselves largely OutgrOwn the belief in
/ their own legends. they did not believe in
those OF others. Philosophy and science
was TO take the place Of religion.
4 MORTAL CONFLICT.
When the Greek and Hebrew met there
/ was mortal conflict. The Hebrew said
/ God was to be known only by revelation
/ -that Is by signs. prOii-ies and wonder
. Iul deeds. The Greeks said he could be
/ known by philosophy. that is, reason; by
/ studying his works, that is. science. Alex
| andrla was the principal seat of the con-
| hlct. Which prevailed Did either com
| pletely prevail3 1t was a compromise
/ Inc Jews were forced 10 allegOrize their
| scripture. The Greeks gave up polythe-
| ism and accepted a theology revealing
/ Cod, as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
/ philosophy, science, religion kissed each
/ other and made peace. These choice
| spirits were led by Clement and Origen.
| Inc reconciliation was God above all,
/ through all, and IN you all. They were
men born out of their time. The world
was not ready for them. The thousand
| years reign of false theology with its
/ anthropOmOphic idea of God, frenzy for
Z uAS anu I'll ItuleE conception OF the UNI
verse was to bind the letters again upon
the world. The night was long and
dreary. But at last the world awoke
from It's slumber, drugged with wine.
| Inc world shook itself and began to
think. The antagOnism between religion
and science again arose. This theology
had all along been appealing to miracles
as the proof of religion.
But again theology met its old Greek
Zoe. now ETTnn than n tho revival
and popularizing of learning and science.
In the combat theology was
handicapped with tradition and error.
She felt compelled to defend the tradition
and error, as well as the truth she held.
She did not know how to distinguish the
church defined, science defined. The com
mon ground between the two was the
Carpenter theory Of the universe" Then
| they parted company. The church was
sure her religion was true: that God had
revealed himself to the Jewish race. Her
proof was miracles Science demanded
that she define miracles. Her definition
was thus: Supernatural operation that
can be performed only by the power of
God. In nature it was either contrary TO
! the laws of nature. violating. changing
them, or exceeding the power of nature.
IL was something showing the presence of
the Dlety. In man il was such works as
the omnlpotent power Of God alone
! could do.
GODS LAWS NEVER CHANGE.
Science denied that God ever changed
any Of his laws. He had made the
world so perfect that he did not need to
change his laws. If anything extraordi-
nary happened, it was new law they
had not taken note Of 1t also asserted
that the church had wrongfully inter
preted these extraordinary occurrences.
Science based itself upon the fact that
the laws of the universe are uuchange-
able. If it found them in operation to-
day, that was proof positive that they
had been 10 operation yesterday, would
be IN operation tomorrow, as long as the
! universe had lasted would last If this
dogma Of science was not true, then
science fell to the ground. Her greatest
achievement was made when she proved
that the Mosaic cOsmOgOny. asinterpreted
by medieval theology, was partly in en-
ror. She thought that religion was over
thrown. The church vehemently denied
this. The miraculous was denied in man
upon about the same ground.
Man cannot work those marvels now.
therefore, he never did then. This belief
was greatly strengthened by the compar-
| alive study of ancient history and relig-
ions They all had wonderful marvels
Why accept the marvels in tho history
OF one and not in that of the others! If
one were true, all were true. If one were
false, all were false. The church ex-
planned, the miracles of the bible are to
be believed because they attest higher
spiritual truth. Science answered You
reason In circle. You prove your re
hglon by miracles, and then miracles by
your religion. You egg the question
No; miracles are legends or myths The
result of this belief of miracles was two
fold. One class rejected all religion and
became atheists; another class became
deists.
Who was wrong, science or religion2
Was one or both wholly right or wholly
wrong! Or each part right and part
wrong?" Where was the error! How
was it to be discovered,
We're religion and science ever to be
| reconciled, dwelling in peace and unity?
The answer to-day is, yes! Was the war
fare the fault of religion or the fault of
science! 1t was the fault of neither 1t
was the fault of theolO2ials and scien-
fists, How? Ny next sermon will show.