SCIENCE AND RELIGION AS ALLIES. 691 



ored by various reconciling schemes to persuade the combatants to 

 lay down their arms. Historical spirits have searched out and retold 

 the forgotten incidents of the struggle ; the philosophic-minded have 

 explored its secret springs. In one way or another all have drawn 

 the attention of the world to the hostile attitude of the two. 



Now, it is true that there have been no small number of conflicts 

 between science and religion. But is the whole account of the rela- 

 tion of the two contained in this? Is there not another part to the 

 story ? I believe that there is. 



Much, it seems to me, might be said in exhibition of the mutual 

 indebtedness of science and religion, as well as of their hostilities. 

 Having heard so much of late about the latter, perhaps it may not he 

 unprofitable to consider a little the other side of the shield. 



In the first place, religion is much indebted to science. Science 

 has not been a mere iconoclast of everything sacred, but it has been 

 a real helper in the progress of religion. 



In the marvelous adventures through which Rabelais conducted 

 his hero Pantagruel, a clime was reached so cold that the words of the 

 men, it is said, as they passed the lips, froze and fell as hail on the 

 deck; but, brought near the tire, the congealed words thawed and 

 gave up their sounds. So, under the sunbeams of science, the dumb 

 matter, the frozen thought of the Creator, melted into intelligible 

 accents and spoke forth its secrets. Sun and cell, magnet and crys- 

 tal, have each found a tongue and told the world of facts, exhibited 

 to it achievements that, if predicted a thousand years ago, would 

 have seemed like nothing but a chapter out of the Arabian Nights 

 Entertainments. 



Now, these triumphs of science have not redounded merely to the 

 empty glory of their hero, but they have been solid contributions also 

 to the benefit of man and to the glory of God. 



What other argument for the existence of God has done more for 

 theism than the argument from design ? In the admirable harmonies 

 and adaptations of the world, the natural theologian finds the most 

 convincing illustrations of a Supreme Intelligence anterior to the uni- 

 verse. Whence is it that a knowledge of these instances of contriv- 

 ance and order has been obtained? Plainly, it is from the scientific 

 study of Nature that the overpowering strength of this argument has 

 been derived. Ordinary observation to be sure would, of course, 

 first surest the argument and present not a few illustrations. Three 

 thouand years ago the Psalmist put those forceful questions " He 

 that planted the ear, shall he not hear? He that formed the eye, 

 shall he not see ? He that teacheth man knowledge, shall not he 

 know ? " 



Here lies, indeed, the gist of the whole argument from design. 

 Yet it is to modern physical investigations, in anatomy, chemistry, 

 natural history, that we owe those exquisite illustrations of curious 



