632 Science and the Bible. [July,
sympathies
are a perpetual benediction, and among whom shine the brightest lights
of science as well as of religion. Moreover, as scientific men, we need
the Bible to strengthen and confirm our faith in a supreme intellectual
Power, to assure us that we are not imposing our forms of thought upon
a fortuitous combination of dislocated atoms, but that we may study His
works humbly, hopefully, and trusting that the treasury is not yet
exhausted, but that there is still left an infinite vein of spiritual
ore to be worked by American intellect."
Such are the words, rather the devout thoughts of Science, as expressed by Prof. Peirce of
Cambridge, in his Address, in 1854, before the American Association for
the Advancement of Science ; and there were few among his hearers on
that occasion, who did not cordially respond to them. He spoke with
earnestness ; for, if there is any charge against science, fitted to
stir the soul to its depths, it is that asserting the hostility of
science and the Bible. The student of nature, accustomed to search for
knowledge with a scrutiny and precision that has hardly a parallel in
other departments of study, so as even to incur, at times, by his
untiring labors among the merest minims of existence, the contempt of
many a haughty intellectualist, can but look with indignation upon
those who pronounce him faithless to the truth, and his studies at war
with the sacred word. With such an exhibition of the Bible thrust upon
him, its enmity with science insisted upon, if he is not so grounded
in faith as to be sure his opponent is wrong in this hostility, he will
feel forced to stand by nature, God's acknowledged work, versus the Bible, " the Book."
Prof.
Lewis, by his sneers at science, which commence on the first page of
his " Scriptural Cosmology," and stream out, as from a bitter fountain,
all through the volume, has j thus done a lasting injury to the cause
of the Bible. However sacred his intentions, or excellent his private
character (which we believe to be irreproachable), this is one of the ways in which the influence of his work is infidel.
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