New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1901-06-29
JOSEPH COOK

The death of Joseph Cook closes an interest
ing epoch in religious thought Science had
succeeded in conquering for itself a place of
quasi federation. if not full recognition. The
theOlOgans no longer met il with the convenient
weapons of ridicule and contempt as in the
famous encounter between Bishop Wherefore
and Huxley on the theory of evolution. when
the former won the applause of the assembled
parsons by asking the scientist if it was his
grandfather or grandmother who was descended
from monkey. Even the clergy had come to
realize that the issues raised by scientific
observation and speculation must he met in
some more effective way. Many of the clergy
themselves were beginning TO accept one or
more of the working hypothesis of science, but
without any clear idea how the old traditional
beliefs could be made to dOvetail with the new
views, or whether indeed they might not ulti-
mately find themselves east out of the ark Of
the church with no sure resting place in the
boundless of science. AS for the laity, they
accepted with manifest delight after the
other Of the theories of science that the clergy
declared to he denial of Christianity. Even
such citadel of orthodoxy as oxford hOnOred
the leaders of science with degrees. and in this
country the veneratcd President McCosh of
Princeton stood in an attitude of sympathy
toward science.
III was at tllS 1unctuFe OF religious uphedN"i
and unrest that there arose number of Chris
tian teachers and preachers who made an ear
nest study of science in order that they might
be equipped to deny and. if possible, diSprove
some of its conclusions and harmOnize with
the old theology such of the dcta of science as
appeared to have established themselves. One
OF the earliest Of these reconcilers was the late
Sir John William Dawson. principal of McGill
Ixlo only n Thorough believer
in Christianity. but a distinguished geolOgist.
Although he always opposed the Darwnian
theory of evolution he accepted in the main. of
course the facts and conclusions of his own
chosen field of science. geology, and he pub
lished an elaborate study of the cOSmogony of
the story of the creation in the Book of Gen
csis in which he aimed To Prove that the order
of creation rs there described correspondent
with the conclusions Of geology. Although his
attempt at reconciliation is no longer considered
conclusive President Morton, of Hoboken.
among Others having most effectively answered
it. his arguments satisfied Christians for many
years and undoubtedly kept many students OF
science from formally breaking with Christian
theology.
But Joseph Cook was by all odds the most
popular and effective Of these reconcilers. ana
In his Boston Monday lectures, in the seven
tics ne did the thinking for great multitude
OF clcrgymen and laymen throughout the world
Widely. IL not deeply, read In theology. science
and philosophy gifted with a luminous style
and the art OF putting an Argument effectively
possessed of an impressive delivery and an air
Of omniSciencr his success i'm belaborinG science
or In capturing it's impedimenta for the church
was for years conspicuous. and he was hailed
rs the nineteenth century defender of the faith
Yet after all. his success was only ephemeral
He was exceedingly clever in exposing the
weak places in the assumptions of science, but
In this he really helped science aS much as he
helped the church Many Of his arguments
were special pleas, capable only of satisfying
those who were satisfied already. Moreover.
the new discoveries and Investigations of sell
ence with the consequent shifting of the line
Of battle made many of his defences useless.
and some of the theories ..Gainst which he di-
rectcd his heaviest artillery have since worked
themselves into the consciousness of Chris
tianity. He was. nevertheless, brilliant and
forceful man, and. though little of his work
will endure, he welded great influence over
the Christian thought of his day