| Show SCIENCE AND SCRIPTURE A number of the leading scientific men of oi england in view of tile the present agitations there have signed the e following r 6 ing declaration we e the undersigned undersigner under signed students of the uta uto atol sciences desire to express our beere sincere regret that researches into scientific truth are perverted by some in our oar own times into occasion for lor casting doubt upon the truth and authenticity of the holy scriptures we concave conceive that it is impossible for the word agod of god goi as written in the book of nature I 1 od tad gods word written in holy scripture ture tere to contradict one another however wl much they may appear to differ we are not forgetful that physical physic ai idenie mcd ignot is not complete but is only in a condition of progress and that at present resent our finite reason enables us only oni to ue see as through a glass darkly and an ye te confidently believe that a time will tone cone when the two records will be seen to arree agree in every particular we cannot bat deplore that natural science be looked upon with suspicion ly by many who do not make a study of it merely on account of the unadvised manner nander in which some are placing it in 0 opposition to holy writ we believe ezitis that tilt it ia the duty of every scientific dedent to investigate nature simply for the purpose of elucidating truth and tbt that if he finds that some of his results appear to be in contradiction to the written word or rather to his own interpretations of it which may be erroneous he should should not presumptuously dinh dina that his own conclusions must be right and the statements of scriptures trong rather leave the two side by side tm fall it shall please god to allow us to see the manner in which they may be reconciled and instead of insisting upon the seeming differences between science and the scriptures it would be mil mii to rest in faith upon the points ial which they agree upwards of two hundred and ten names have already been received including thirty P F it S s forty M D b as s etc among them are the tile following thomas an anderson erson M D J H balfour M D thomas Thom asBell asbeil bell beil J L S bower Dower bowerbank bank LL L D sir david davi brewster james ul la alsher aisher thomas remer bemer jones james P rou Jou jourell leLL D robert bobert main col sir clieny henry C rawlinson raw Baw linson thomas richardson ph fil ill D henry rogers LL D adain sed awick M D alfred fre omee t and john stenhouse LL D 11 two eminent men an n astronomer ared ana Mau ulu hauthor author thor however declined to 81 th Aitla ration and write ascol as fol foi LETT SIR JOHN HERSCHEL collingwood boL LINGWOOD sept 0 SIR re melved delved ived some time ago a j i declaration for signature identical with its wording OT at all events in its obvious purport with that you have sent me I 1 considered that the better course was to put it aside without notice but since it is is pressed upon me and to prevent the repetition oi of a similar appeal I 1 it t becomes necessary for me distinctly to decline signing it and to declare that I 1 consider the act of calling on me publicly to avow or disavow or approve or disapprove in writing any religious doctrine d or statement however care fully or cautiously drawn up in other words to append my name to a manifesto OM to be ail an infringement of lip akk that social forbearance which guards the freedom of religious opinion in this country with especial sanctity at the same time I 1 protest against my refusal to sign your declaration being construed into a profession of atheism or infidelity my sentiments on the mutual relations of the scripture and science have long been before the world and I 1 see no reasons to alter or to add add to them but I 1 consider this movement simply mischievous havin having direct tendency by putting for fon forward a new shib bileth a new verbal test of religious part partisanship to add a fresh element of discord to the already too discordant relations of the christian world idonat I 1 do not deny that care and caution are apparent on the tile face of the document I 1 am called on to subscribe but no nicety of wording no artifice of human ian lan language aage will suffice to discriminate ta the hundredth hundredth part of tile the shades of meaning in which the worldwide world wide utterances of thought on such subjects may be involved or prevent the most gently worded and apparently patently ly justifiable expression of regret so embodied from grating on the feelings of thousands of esti estl estimable nabie and well intentioned men with all the harshness of controversial hostility I 1 am sir your obedient servant J FW F VV HERSCHEL capel 1 H berger esq LETTER FROM SIR JOHN BOWRING I 1 CLAREMONT exeter aug 27 DEAR sin SIR in the general spirit of the document to which my adhesion is asked I 1 cordially concur that all truths must ultimately harmonize that one truth cannot be inconsistent with another truth are propositions axioms rather whiz which cannot be contested to proclaim an approval of them is as ni much uch a work of supererogation as it would be to publish an avowal of agreement with tile the demonstration of a mathematical E problem problem betit appears to me the period has as a arrived when we should endeavor to emancipate ourselves from the tyranny n of all creeds allenfort all ail enforced confessions all foregone conclusions all compromising declarations persever perse ver angly carrying outto out to their necessary consequences our own investigation investigations sr and convictions and encouraging others to exercise the same right and discharge the same duty I 1 do not know how the course of truth and the interests of religion can be better served than by allowing the utmost latitude to inquiry it ia is not possible desirable to prevent comparison betge between en the historical revelations ve lations of the past and the scientific discoveries of the present time the bible must be brought into the broad daylight day light out of the darkness to which ancient authority condemned it it must be tested by inquiring knowledge and taken from the custody of contending ignorance it must be cleared from it its cobwebs and purged from its corruptions corrupt ions nothing less ought reasonably to satisfy those who believe nothing more can fairly be demanded demanded of those who doubt but this much may be asked in the interests of all there is no presumption in giving to the world conclusions soberly seriously and reverently formed be those conclusions clu what they may the best resting in place for faith or hope or comfort wiil will will after all be found in allowing to the intellectual faculties with which god has blessed us their widest influence and action over the whole f nield field of thought by broving Er proving oving all things we shall be able to hold fast that which which is good I 1 and we may be fully assured that the great verities verifies veri ties which have stood the storms and shocks of agitated centuries will remain unmoved through gh coming ages lam iam I 1 am dear sir r your obedient obedient humble servant 3 JOHN bowring professor stenhouse F R ar S ac london |
