394 Science and the Bible. [April,
Again, as to ideas of law and nature, he speaks exultingly of —
" Those broad and universal views that lie upon the honest, intelligent face of nature, those views that require not so much the experimenting crucible, as the musing, meditative mind." p. 160.
These
are not casual remarks only; the position is supported by arguments at
considerable length, and the Bible is brought in (pp. 329, 330) as
giving its weight to the view.
To
oppose such notions by sober argument, seems almost belittling. Indeed,
the sentiments are not all wrong ; and later in the volume it is
admitted that " science wakes up thought, thought beyond her own
discoveries, or the strictly scientific domain ; and this is the main
use of her."1 But the truth is so mixed with error, is so
much like the sugar in a bitter dose, that it is hardly perceived
after the whole is taken. There are also, in the same chapter, many
excellent remarks on the Bible, enforcing the necessity of its
profounder study as the true cure of scepticism, of implicit faith in
its teachings as our only law of life, and of earnest desires after the
riches of Christ's love : and in this we most heartily concur ; for we
believe and know that the sacred word is all and more than is
pronounced, the very truth which, if Christians will only take it into
their lives, breathe it in their words, and labor for it with body,
mind, and soul, will stay the materializing influences of the age, and
carry forward the church to victory. But the praise of the Bible is
brought forward in a way to throw a false light over science. We
therefore offer here a few general thoughts upon nature as man's
assistant in progress.
Although
man is immortal, the earth is his appointed place of pupilage. His body
is of the dust of the earth, and is under the same laws of growth with
animals, and also depends largely upon the laws of chemistry or
inorganic nature. While having senses to put himself in connection
with nature and serve as avenues of knowledge and aids to his thinking
mind, the world is filled with knowledge, not, it
i World-Problem, p. 304.
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