The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-09-27
Science Recognizing tt own Limitationi

Science Recognizing Its Own Limitations
There was time when science seemed
to have determined to eliminate God from
the universe which he had created. 1t
did so not modestly, but majestically. Ma.
terialism and mechanism In the; opinion Of
this school explained everything. Inteli-
gent, being and doing had no part IN ;cres.
ton. Professor Tyndall reached the high.
water mark Of the school when he deliy.,
cred the presidential address Of the Britisb
Association thirty years ago. Atcmism,
materialism, represented the long results
Of science, according to the latest and
greatest master Of the new cult.
Men have gone on thinking and inquir-
ing from that hour to this, and the wons8
derful thing is that as knowledge has ins!
|, creased materialism has diminished. Scien-
tifc men find themselves unable to ac-.
count for this great globe, and all which it
mherits on purely materialistic lines, and
the best of them areSnot 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. aspracticaI
theologian. He does not claim to be one.
or other. All he claims for himself is that
he IS plain, blunt man, with sufficient
limitations, and sufficient; knowledge Of
philosophy to understand its profound
depths. To follow, in all its detail his adj
dress at the opening Of the British Assoc
ciation on Tuesday would be too laborious
task fol our limited intel elligence and linz.
tied space 1t is sufficient to say that il
Professor Tyndall In Belfast thirty years
ago preached the cold kospA of material. i
ism, Mr.. Balfour cast, est fh9t gospel, and
avowed that only ind Ism. could be-
found an interpretation md explanation
Of eersh the marvellous, PHI e sot the '.n,:
Mr.. Balfour did not carry his own ideasI
az far as we would have liked to see them
carried. He did not say as Lord Kelvin
on similar occasion declared, that all
science; led up to the grand and glorious
idea of an intelligent Creator. But it heI
did not put that into language it was the
spirit of his address. Ideaiism, as applied
10 the Interpretation, of the universe, in.
wolves mind, and mind involves being and |
intelligence. I: iy IS 4 9 ~
7 Science and philosophy can 90 g certain |
length and then revelation comes IN. Rev
elation does not exclude science, 1T upsI
holds it. ALI that it complains OF is that
science sometimes, indeed oftentimes, goes
beyoad its domain and claims for Its in- |
ferences the same authority as for its facts:
We hear great deal about reason. and
are often told that reason is the final arbi-
TRAITOR. The reason that explains the ex-
isteace of the universe and all that it in-
herits ss the outcome of bind chance nay
be reason to some unthinking minds. But
to those who can reason it is surely more
rational to attribute all we are and all we
know to an intelligent Being than to bind Z
force, mechanical action or the operation
of laws which come operation by
chance. Lord Kelvin j 4 !. snts to us the
highest development of ,sern science IS
it throws light upon the universe. And
the more he knows and thinks the strong
er is he convinced that there Is q great per-
ponal Creator behind all. 80 Belfast Tire,
land) Witness VI rs