The San Francisco call., 1897-04-27

tute of the sentiment of religion. He
concluded with the sentiment that the
greatness of religion is its recognition of
the greatness of life and the splendid pos
siblities Of future.
Bishop William Ford Nichols dealt eau
tlously with the theme assigned him,
stating that he could readily raise dis
pute should he venture to state some
things be believed which others would
bitterly deny. But good fences make
good neigh bors.' he said, "but there is a
handgrasp and a heartgrasp which we
can indulge in without talking bosh and
without pretending that we all believe in
the same things"
Bishop Nichols told many good stories
and kept his auditors in a pleasant mood.
President David Starr Jordan's paper
was heard with marked attention. He
said: Every tie on the Panama Railroad
is said 10 have cost q human life, and
every step in the progress of science has
cost human life, and the lives thus lost
have been of the wisest and best that
mankind has produced. 1t takes life
time in the battle of science to discover a
fact, and when discovered it has always
been found that society is conservative,
its natural inertia repeiling new notions.
"But it is true that there is a religious
sentiment in man, and if every fragment
of the church and creed were destroyed
tomorrow a new church would spring
out of the conditions of life. Thus it is
seen that much of the struggle of science
with error has wrongly been called its
fight with religion. 1t has been said that
theologians lie strangled about the giant
Science as strangled snakes were found
about Hercules, but it should be said
rather that science has thus strangled
error and made advances. Much OF the
religion OF to-day is only the debris OF our
grandfathers' science. A study of the
growth OF knowledge is the best antidote
10 bigotry. To come in when 1t rains is
the basis Of meteorology, and to separate
the sheep from the goats is the basis OF
zoology"
Professor Howison did not agree with the
views of President Jordan. He believed
that it ought to be the function OF uni
versities to teach true theology and that
the churches ought to take their theology
from the universities, the use OF the
churches being for edifcation.
III you judge religion wholly by it's
historic phases" he said, lit has been a
failure, for IL has not unified the race, but
has, rather, led to war and bitterness, as
Christ promised when he said ne had
come to bring, not peace. but sword.
There is more dlssenslon and there
are more schisms in the churches to-day
than at any time in their history. The
whole question of belief is approached in
the wrong way. 1t is wrong to believe in
one unchanging Interpretation, but inde-
pendent research ought to reach one con-
clusion in religion, as it does in science. ="
Professor Joseph lie Conte drew a
graphic picture of what the world would
be If the moral side OF man were up to his
intellectual level-a kingdom OF peace,
truth justice, love and freedom.
The mission OF science is in great
measure the discovery of truth" he said,
land science shows the gradual growth OF
the universe 20 higher conditions. 1t has
come from death to life, then to reason,
then to freedom. Science has solved the
great problems one after another, and will
yet solve the pro oblems of sociology and
good governme ent-highest of all prob
lens. Some day when coal gives out and
threatens to overthrow our industrial sys-
tenn science will use the tides and winds
and rivers TO do fifty times the work OF
the world.
If the preachers would only keep up
with the scientists all would be we'll.
They must pull together in lifting the
platform that holds humanity and the
dav of good things will be at hand"
Rev. DR.. William Alger spoke chiv-
alrously of women as "the ideal element
in life." He said the preponderance in
women is of the affections, self-sacrIfice,
conscience and esthetics, while men excel
in will, intellect and physical power. He
clasced them as potent factors in uplifting
the race