The morning call., 1894-01-16
THE CHURCH CLUB.
1t Considers Evolution
and Religion.
lie CONTE AND JORDAN.
They Address the Episcopal
Ministers.
SCIENCE AND FAITH IN UNISON.
An Interchange of Views in Which
CIergymen of Other Denomi-
nations Participate.

What the Church Club has needed is a
Foute, the rector of Grace Church, at the
dinner of that organization at the Occi-
dental Hotel last evening; and "eVolu-
: uon" was the chief Wand of the hour.
r BY invitation Professor Joseph lie
:Conts addressed the Episcopal Church
: Club last evening on the subject of "Evo-
. luton" A dinner was held at the Occi-
dental Hotel at 6: 80 P. NJ. for the purpose
OF hearing the eminent professor and of
discussing the relation OF the scientific
views which be should present to The life
and duties of the clergy. Distinguished
representatives of other den nomin atIons
than that Of the club had also been invited
: to be present and to express themselves.
Among them were Rabbi Voorsanger, DIR.
:Stebblns, Rev. Robert Mackenzie and
=: also Presidents Jordan and kellogg of the
=: TWO universities.
- Professor lie Conte arose to his task
after the feast of good things, introduced
by President a. II. Phelps Of the club, +,
expecting, be said, To be pierced by arrows
: OF Criticism and worried with threats II
: lnQulsltiOn after the expression OF his
views, for he was before body OF ortho-
doX ministers. But orthodox ministers
auQ 6hOiullOutSLS ILONOO W bC hN0AiJs ~
not quite, synonymous terms before the
evening had passed away, and the Vener-
-; able professor left the room as Immaculate
and apparently inyulnerabie as he is when
be leaves his Berkeley classroom every
dav the lord of all the hearts before him.
= Evolution is a continuous, progressive
change according To certain laws by means
Of resident forces" was the professors
definition of his subject. Evolution thus
:means causal succession and causal sue
:CessiOu IS law not OF physical reality
.only. but of mental processes as well.
::Iausal succession is law immutable, un-
:changeable. The Interchangeable and per-
manent. eternal being is God. Causal
succession Is his mode of action"
: The relation between evolution and
;reEgiOnS teaching was really the subject
of Professor Lo COrte's address, and there
fore with these last words he was seated
AMID great applause.
:: President Jordan followed MIN as
Speaker. DR.. Jordan, like his older
a'rother in science. had been pupil of
Agassizi and under Agassiz had obtained
tthe first hints of the theory of evolution :;
=. but his teacher was conservative, and
:after him the pupil followed.
II was like the boy hanging on to the
tail Of the cai,' said the doctor. Il
=; bumped against all the things in sight !;
but l hated 10 relinquish hOld on what l
had in order to fly to refuge 1 wot not of.
However. 1 eventually became an out
Z ahd-Out evolutlOnist; and this | have
l6arned-that the law does not cease with
zone man or one species; that one cannot
trace if-to an end or TO beginning; that
..Itis infinite and eternal"
:: ''Itfnite and eternal and unknown"
gays Dr. Mackenzie the cue for an enter
.tainiug speech. He arose, be said, every
morning wondering what new thing the
day would compel him to believe. Il feel
like ihe man whose wife was always re-
:arraHging the furniture during his absence
and who never left things twice in the
same position. At night in the dark the
:TuaD came home and each evening as he
:: opened the door and pOked his head
within, hesitatating whittier TO go, called {:
MARY, where are you at n0w?'"
.-'The doctor seemed TO think evolution
had brought many to that pass of uncer-
JaiDty. You have reached at least the
:un&nown," he said, "and wnat is that but
:+ksOd? l venture the prophecy that ere
: Tong the grea doctrine of the representa-.
five APOSTLE of evolution, the doctrine Of
1.-The unknown of Herbert Spencer will be-
:eome the liveliest argument for theism
which the Christian church can ever have"
=: BE that as it may" said DR.. Voor-
sanger's earnest voice following, land be
.eV0lution the truth that it is-and | believe
ITO be the truth-hOw are we to make t
apply TO the practical problems which
::eligross' almost major portion Of a min
iLatbT 5 tltl6? how SNAIL we Apply IL 10
the real religious work of the day-the
com forting of the afflicted. the inspiring
&nd helping OF the ignorant who cannot
comprehend its sign iicance? Science and
Teflgion are not in conflict; for the work
=. OF religion is this that | here quote; the
:NOrk of science is in another field"
=: DR.. VoOrsanger prefaced his remarks by
an instance OF the operation of the law of
evolution. St. Paul had once chided the
. Jews for not sitting at meat with Gentil
Now that | am with you," said the
doctor, docs not that show evolution ?"
President Kellogg, who is now not free
from the signs of On-coming age, held him
" sell 10 represent the conservatives, and as
such made an eloquent effort TO read evo-
luton IN terms OF traditional theologic
language.
Science is not the concentric but the
epicircle as it were of all TRUTH" were the
few words OF DR.. HOratiO Stebbns after
he had paid a glowing tribute to the chief
Speaker OF the evening, and to his younger
= follower, President Jordan, "whose
mountain heights Of thought were already
Being tinged with the first sunlight of i'm
mortal glory"
Rev. Charles L. Mel of Sausalto. one of
the Younger ecclesiastcs of the Episcopal
church, expressed himself in lighter vein
rs another pupil of AgassiZ and now dis
.cfple of Darwin. "But at the unknown
evolution halts. Had we more wIne." said
the speaker, Il should still drink toast
10 Spencer"
=. The banquet aud full meal of evolu-
ton" continued on until late in the even
iBg, Rev. Mr.. Foute and others giving the
closing addresses. 1t was said to be the
most successful dinner ever given by the
club. New life and energy are expected