New-York tribune., 1908-12-05
4 PERPLEXED SCIENTIST.
Sir OErer L0dge on Modern Re-
hgi0us Problems.

To3ee. F r s SO, pp 2sf Moffat, Yard &
CO
The preliminary requirement OF being at home
IN both worlds is reasonably met by Sir Oliver
Lodge. when. from the standpoint of "a steward
Of the mysteries of physical science ne vent
ures TO discourse on religion the topic Of
highest moment to mankind BEING scientist
he is willing after the manner Of Huxley. to sit
down as little child before a fact being
churchman he is Of the type that is devout with
out capitulation. 1t is with the reconciliation If
science and faith. especially faith set forth in
the doctrine Of immortality and the distinctivey
Christian beliefs. that the book before us has
to deal In the second Of the four divisions the
author turns aside from his main subject to eX-
anime some problems Of Worship and service in
the Church of England. without incurring
charge Of impertinence lay member Of ma
fional church may. he feels. be allowed To urge
a reconsideration by the authorities Of the i'm
pIfcit tests imposed candidates for holy or
dnrs Those terms in the formularies which
seem to encourage extreme sacerdotal preten-
sions ought to he vigorously eEcised In ORDER
that the church may become actually as we'll as
ideally national the way should be made easy
for the reincorporaton Of the Free ChurNhes
whose separate eristencAs are due to that Ansli-
can crusade Of intolerance which ended with an
act Of disruption in and about 1869. Moreover,
r. ,enr,lo in general are to be reached by the
church Of England I'm any effective manner
.here must he an abandonment of mechanica
uniformity in the services more spontaneity and
less n1onotony. In these sweeping recommends
tions the reader may discern sanguine SIM
,,Iicit,- which shows that even If the author is
not what DR. Johnson wc7,ld have called "a higot
10 laxitv" he is at the least very broad Church-
man.
C,or,fre ia the marrow of his doctrine. Sir
ho adj Cd
the modern scientific atmosphere. in spite o.
much that is wholesome. exercises sort Of
bliehting influence on religious ardor. Men keen
i, alive TO law and knowledge and material fact
NAV become blind TO art. to emotion. to poetry
and TO the higher mental and spiritual environ
1nent which inspires and gorifes the realm "f
knowledge The religious man of unsclentlhc
outlook has his corresponding disability. To for
get that the universe is single. undevatlng
law saturated cosmos involves him in appearing
to desire what no one can really wish fora
world Of uncertainty and caprice where the con-
nectfon Of antecedent and consequent can he
arbitrarily disIocated. The burden pressing on
many minds is this conflict between two views
Of the universe-one which beholds II ruled by
jrrefra gable law. and one which would see in II
some fustfaabie place for aspiration and prayer
SO far ae the author conceives his mission. II IS
n insist that the two viewpoints are not IN
consistent with each othe~. Recognizing the
reign Of law. We must realize also that the
WhoIo> consists not Of matter and molten alone.
NOR q Of enirit and will alone ut Of both and
all Unless we make the grotesque assumption
that in I'll the infinite universe denizens Of
planet earth are the highest must believe
that any power and love of which We are capable
EXISTS in highly intensified and nobler form in
the totalitv OF things. Whatever worthy at
tribute belongs to man. he il personality or any
other its existence in the universe IS thereby ad
mitted: it belongs to the All
In miracles as infra1tions Of the universal law
10 one can be asked to believe. and Sir Oliver
passes by as mere iteracy the suppostion that
all classes Of recorded miracle represent state
1nentS Of fact. He is careful 10 add that many
so-caned miracles are he regarded reason
ably possible: only, in far they
recognized. they lose their power specifically
religious evidence. The confessions in the early
Church Of belief IN the virgin birth and the
physical resurrection OF Jesus Christ are to be
valued not attestatio:Is Of historical events.
but a. embUdiments of a faith which all Chris
tiah believers share in the deity Of Christ. The
temporary character of the present human Eodv
which displays tn incarnatc part o. during
the brief. episode of terrestrial liz, ia no Way
initiates against a belief Ia the Immortality Of
the soul. Not only persistene, or existence. but
full retention of personality can be conceived
without the lay pothesis of retention OF dead mat
ter since Identity OF person Ia way depends
upon identity Of particles now.
Arguing for the permanence Of. PEI sonality Sir
Oliver LoGge appeals 10 the testimony of pr2-
ternornTal psychology. to teiepathy. automatism
ana the subminal faculty He turns son1ey, hat
fondly - tHe 'unfsmilIar experiences" reported
through psgchica research. hut confes5es that
If II is esitmate 10 speculate on them il IS
quite iueeitirlzte 20 dosmstizA. one can admire
the eren -r.1indedness r-hich thus leaves the
lstchztrng out for disoVned and homeless