The record-union., 1897-12-21
THEOLOGISTS VS.. SCIENTISTS
WHY THEIR THEORIES DO NOT
HARMONIZE.
Address Delivered Before the Pas
tors Union Yesterday by
Rev. j. S. Carroll.

| The Pastors Union met at lV.o'
o'clock yesterday morning in the lee
ture hall of the Young Mems Christian
Association. After prayer by Rev. Mr.
ChynoWcth an excellent paper was reac
by Rev. s. ]. CarroH, pastor OF the
First Methodist Episcopal Church. Tht
paper was listened to with close atten'
tion by all present. The subject was
Some Unfavorabe Effects of Exclu-
| sive Special Study 1t was followed
by an informal discussion.
The Importance of symmetrical hui
man development, said the speaker, Is
! beyond adequate statement. The aru-
fetal condition of human society has q
powerful tendency to produce abnorna
men and women, because it produces
and, perhaps, necessitates great spe-
cialization; and special lines of activ-
ity, mental, physical and moral Gun
less corrected) develop some parts OF
our complex natures at the expense OF
others.
This great truth in the domain of the
physical is quite generally recognized
but very few seem to have noticed that
the law is even more absolute in the
realms of thought and morals. An
athlete informed me of sin
gular Illustration of this law.
a youth began early to take
regular and persistent exercise on a
bicycle. He had naturally a rather
feeble constitution, but when my in
formant knew him his body from the
thighs downward had the muscular
power and development of an athlete,
and the rest of his body was in strik-
| ing contrast-that of a weakling. 1t is
well known that injudicious gymnastic
training has often produced similar re-
| suits. .
The mind responds to special exer-
else and training, even much more
readily than does the body. The men
who for many years have only one lit
tie part Of manufacturing or mercantile
activity to think about become like
parts of machine, useless without the
aid of others, comparatively speaking,
for general mechanical or mercantile
activity out of the line of their special
ty-abnormal, and, if enthusiasts in
their speciality, often times chronically
| abnormal or cranks.
The laws in the realms of matter
mind and morals are sufficiently similar
in their operation to a healthy, sym
that they We're the products Of one
great mind; but the methods and man
ifestaUons of the laws of the spirit
life are so different from those of mat
ter that he who employs his mind ex-
| clusively to the consideration Of the
laws of matter and their manifesto
tions, thereby becomes in large de-
gree inca pacitated for the best study of
- i -.
| life.
Doubtless the reverse of this, though
in less degree, is true; and they who
are for many years exclusively employ
ed in the study Of the laws and opera
tions of the spirit life are thereby in a
measure untitled to render perfect SER
vice in the opposite realm of the physi-
cal. Long, habitual, practical scien-
lists, therefore, are Indifferent theolo-
gians, and long habitual theologians
are not perfect scientists.
The two lines of thought exercise, in
part, different faculties. and, hence
produce different development and abil-
tiles Of mind. The scientist exercises
his powers of external observation un-
til they become accurate and acute, and
thereby neglects the powers of intro
specticn, or inward observation, and is
| generally incapable in the realm o1
metaphysical thought and a failure in
the realm Of pure philosophy.
He of necessity persistently observes
the operation of causes that produce
visible and tangible results-somethine
that can be seen, weighed or measured
and made visible TO the eye of others
even the unlearned. Meanwhile the
power of close and intense observation
of the laws and operations Of the mind
and the spirit self is neglected an6
comparatively unused by natures uni.
versal law become dwarfed and inca.
p8citated.
On the other hand, the man who fol
many years studies mental and mora
phenomena exercises the faculty of in.
trospection, lives in the realm of The
mind and spirit, becomes thereby
dwarfed in the physical realm in thai
which requires close external observa.
ton.
He who devotes his exclusive atten.
ton to either physics or metaphysics
thereby works a great injustice TO him.
self and must suffer serious loss. Nea,
the close of his career Darwin discov.
cred the sad workings of this law in
himself. He said: when I first stood
in Brazilian forest and saw the won.
derful development of life, it's beauty
variety and perfection, / was filed with
wondering delight and spontaneous,
| expressed praise to the Great Creator
! Then l enjoyed poetry and was fond OF
music. but now such a scene has nc
such effect upon me, and recently try.
ing to interest myself in poetry foun6
1t to be utterly uninteresting. and mu.
sic simple annoyance. l seem to have
become machine for the deduction OF
| general laws from observation of par.
ticular facts. And 1 doubt not that
nave thereby lost not only in the realm
or the esthetic and the imagination, but
somewhat also in the realm of morals. ;
l give the sense of his utterance or
two different occasions from memory
and do not attempt to give his exact
words.
This law of the human mind is doubt
less the source Of very many of the an
tagonisms between the scientists and
the theologians. Professor lie Conte
and Professor DTummond, of whom Il
may be said both are scientists frs,
and last, and Of whom both attempt
theology. and both are illustrations OF
this thought and law. Both are Won
derful rhetoriticians, and Professor
Drummond, especially. is magician ir
the use of English. There is no sub
ject so hideous that he could not make
it seem beautiful by the gliding and
halo of wonderful words. But attempt
philosophy. and neither succeeds They
have won fully trained external percep-
tive power. and have so accustomed