The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-11-09
Science Recognizing It's Own Limitations

There was a time when science seemed
to have determined to eliminate God from
the universe which He had created. It
did so not modestly, but majestically. Ma.
terialism and mechanism in the opinion OF
this school explained everything. Intelii-
gent being and doing'had no part in erea-
ton. Professor Tyndall reached the high.
water mark Of the school when he dehv.
cred the presidential address of the British
Association thirty years ago, Aton,ism,
materialism, represented the long results
of science, according to the latest and
greatest master of the new cult.
Men have gone on thinking and lnquir-
ing from that hour to this, and the won.
derful thing is that as knowledge has IN
creased materialism has diminished. Scien-
tifc men find themselves unable to ac-
count for this great globe, and oil which it
inherits on purely materialistic lines, and
the best of them are not afraid to admit
their failure.
The latest exponent of the views Of the
British Association Is Mr.. Balfour, the
Prime Minister. He is not, we admit, q
practical scientist, neither is he a practical
~theologian. He does not claim to be one
or other. All he claims for himself is that
he Is q plain, blunt man, with sufficient
knowledge of science to understand its
limitations, and sufficient knowledge of
philosophy to understand its profound
depths. 70 follow in all its detail, his adj
dress at the opening of the British Assoc
citation on Tuesday would be too laborious
O task fol our limited intelligence and linn.
tied space. 1t is sufficient to say that il
Professor Tyndall in Belfast thirty years
ago preached the cold gospel Of material.
ism, Mr.. Balfour cast out that gospel, and
avowed that only in idealsm could be
found an Interpretation and explanations
Of the marvellous phenomena OF the uni.
verse.
Mr.. Balfour did not carry his own ideas
as far as we would have liked to see them
carried. He did not say, as Lord Kelvin
on a similar occasion declared, that all
science led up to the grand and glorious
idea of an intelligent Creator. But il he
did not put that into language it was the
spirit of his address. Idealism, as applied
TO the Interpretation of the universe, in-
wolves mind, and mind involves being and
intelligence.
Science and philosophy can go a certain
length and then revelation comes in. Rev.
elation does not exclude science, it up
holds it. All that it complains of is that
science sometimes, indeed oftentimes, goes
beyond it's domain and claims for its ln-
ferences the anne authority as for Its facts:
We hear a great deal about reason, and
are often told that reason is the final arbi-
traitor. The reason that explains the ex.
istence of the universe and all that it In
herits as the outcome of blind chance may
be reason to some unthinking minds. But
to those who can reason it Is surely more
rational to attribute all ne are and.all we.
know to ,an intelligent Being than,t to blind
force, mechanical action or the operation
of laws which come ! operation by
chance. Lord Kelvin J .nts TO US the
highest development OF :ern science as
It throws light upon the universe. And
the more he knows and thinks the strong
er is he convinced that there is a great per-
sonal Creator behind all.-Belfast Qre-
land) Witness.