The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1894-02-08
CHAUTAUQUA.
SCIENCE AND PRAYER.
IBy Member of Class c.

Between positive science and humble prayer
there seems to me no possible link. AS between
Dives and Lazarus, there is a great gulf liked
and he who attempts the bridging of this cllasm
is as rash as the Titans who would have stormed
the heights of heaven.
Science is knowledge by some sense OF an ab-
solute demonstrated fact. Prayer is the cutlery
of faith The scientist. as a rule. denies credence
to that which is undemOnstrable to some one of
his senses. A prayerist, if may coin the word.
claims to know absolutely nothing further than
self-evident propositions. He smiles, sometimes
audbly to hear the scientists wrangle and jan
gle over their respective theories; none agreeing
on very much beyond the ken of average mortal
intelligence
Science and prayer are as opposite us the poles.
as antagOniStic as yes and no. The one Is the as
piratiOn of the mind to equal the Creator; the
other the abhegation of the soul to the lnScruta-
bic power of the God Of nature. lie VINO must
know pungeS himself into lifelong gloom OF
cropping. leaving to the man of faith the free ana
glorious atmosphere of life here and hereafter
Which is the better part to gaze at, the star
spangled dome above. drink in its mysterious ana
inspiring beauty ana bow in alteration before
Him who mannuvres all those wOndrOuS hosts
in the hollow of of His hand or to strive to cal
culate their weights and distances: What profit
is there in a science which can not come within
trillions of miles of measuring the distance to
the nearest of those starry realms that are sown
broadcast through iIlimitable space? But why
90 so far to prove the vanity of the finite search
inc into the infinite" Lyell claims the world is
not less than $40 Oo0 900 old; Darwin on the
other hand. is positive that not more than 20O,-
100000 years have elapsed since the world was
without form and void. Who would employ an
actuary who would be One-siXth away from ac-
eUracy. or what is such knowledge worth? Again.
of the earth'S 1915 miles of diameter. science
knows of Is or 20 miles many pages plainly in
sight that he who runs may read-yet even OH
the most recent of all deposits-the drift-very
few agree. 1t is there. but how it got there
seems beyond lucid demonstration: yet, III their
arrogance they would ''bind the sweet influences
of the Pleiades or loose the bonds of Orion"
Nothing can better prove the arrogant ambition
of the scientist than his utter inability to be sure
of his own paternity. He must believe in the
purity and perfect virtue of his mother. lie is
true that the homunculuS was there. but his EVIL
dence was not put in and he certainly dld not
know what his sex should be. for ali the concen-
trated essence of science has failed to control the
sex of the offspring of any of Gods creatures.
If man were not swallowed up in pride at his
superiority over the rest OF animated nature. he
would acknowledge that the Creator can go on
working marveIS in the present and in the future
as in the past. BY deduction he would reason
''even as have a contrOlable VOtiOn and pow
er to make and unmake, SO infinitely more must
that Being have power who has endowed me
with so much: The believer believes that God
has as much power to cause virgin to conceive
without carnal intercourse as to evolve this
beautiful world out of chaos. He believes in
Christ as the son of God because he has declared
himself as such. He believes Him to be the
most worthy eNemplar of mans conduct that
ever was Even the great modern ntidel. lnger-
sol. declares that He was the most moral and
perfect man that ever lived; and so saying stulti-
fes HIMSELF for. denying his Godhead. he brands
Him us a liar, and can liar be morally perfect?
Let me quote Solomon. who, if not the greatest
of scientists. is acknowledged the wisest of men:
u gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know
madness and folly. perceive that this also is
vexation of spirit. for much wisdom is much
grief and he who increaseth knowledge ncreas-
eth sorrow.
No, science can not cheat me out of faith, or
coZen me from prayer. Most OF us have heard or
read the parable of the prodgal son--that most
simple true. and sublime of aegOres. speaking
straight to the heart. Read it again and see if it
does not teach you as it has taught others. that
even as the little, suffering child holds out its
hands to its mortal father crying "help, so
must the suffering child of the Eternal Father
cry out: Lord. | believe. help thou mine I'M
belief